CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

The Sustrans proposals for Picardy Place/Leith Street

(868 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by crowriver
  • Latest reply from crowriver

  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Also possible that Edinburgh councilors don't want the town to have a public square where crowds can gather for some reason.

    I imagine that Henderson Worldwide Whatevers are fairly set on there not being some sort of public space here that isn't their own private fiefdom. They have set their sights on this space being purely to funnel paying punters in and out of their glittering shopping palace to the detriment of all else. And they have money, lots of it, and the council has none.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. neddie
    Member

    Reminder

    Objections to the RSO need be in by the 31st

    See http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18183&page=5#post-263181

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. neddie
    Member

    Objections to the RSO need be in by the 31st TODAY

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    Accepting the prize, de Rijke praised the other nominees, saying: "You've all done fine buildings, but it seems that this year what really captured the imaginations was not doing one - in favour of making public space."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41817711

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

  6. Stickman
    Member

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/john-mclellan-break-up-of-broughton-high-s-music-school-and-garden-tax-look-dead-in-water-1-4602111

    "
    And, as if all this wasn’t enough, the emergency brakes have been applied to the remodeling of the Picardy Place junction because the minority administration is running scared of the cycling lobby and the Greens, without whose support their programme will come to nothing"

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. steveo
    Member

    running scared of the cycling lobby

    hail the all powerful cycle lobby...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. dougal
    Member

    If they're running I expect the cycling lobby will catch up with them in short order.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    "running scared of the cycling lobby

    hail the all powerful cycle lobby..."

    Indeed.

    A wider reality is that there is now a wider disquiet about the sort of thing.

    The sort of people who are concerned about 'better cycling/walking conditions' also tend to care about 'Edinburgh'.

    Perhaps it's because they are more likely to be 'in' it (rather than just travelling through in their isolating boxes).

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Perhaps it's because they are more likely to be 'in' it

    I think this is the most succinct and useful way to describe it.

    Imagine, all those years ago, Michael Faraday having to be ever so careful when handling his inventions, for fear of touching the wrong piece of equipment and blowing it (or himself) up, or even just getting a nippy shock. Then someone comes along and invents a piece of wire surrounded with something that doesn't conduct electricity; we could call it an 'insulator'. Then before you know it, everyone and their dog gets all casual about making electricity because they know that for the most part they won't get zapped.

    For as long as you're not exposed to your immediate environment, you're not overly minded to concern yourself with it.

    If you have suspension, you don't care so much about potholes as you did when you rode a rigid bike. If you have a ballpoint pen, you don't care so much about smearing your handwriting (unless you're a leftie) as you did when you had a fountain pen. If you have brick walls, you don't care so much about the elements as when you were trying to sleep in your tent in a howling wet gale on the wrong side of a wall in Snowdonia in summer.

    The All-Powerful Handwriting Lobby campaigns for faster drying ink and pen nibs that work at odd angles, because these are everyday issues that affect people who don't have biros. The All-Powerful Camping Lobby campaigns to have walls built on the other side of the grass because those people recognise that not everyone can afford a brick wall, and many people enjoy erecting a dwelling without having to pay for building materials.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  11. urchaidh
    Member

    I suspect the increasing amounts of publicity on the health impacts of traffic pollution is changing peoples' attitudes too.

    John McClellan is a bit of a bellend.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    NOT P Pl, but shows that SG can get involved when it feels like it (my bold) -

    Ms Sturgeon said: “We’ve been engaging with the council on this matter. I do think it will want to reflect that these centres of excellence allow young people the opportunity to receive expert tuition in their specialism, in this case music. It is very valuable - there is plenty evidence of that. I’m sure its importance is something the council is reflecting on very carefully.

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/education/councillors-lift-edinburgh-music-school-closure-threat-following-backlash-1-4603658

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    The fools in London don't realise that a gyratory is what they need. It's like they don't even know what a gyratory is.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    From link -

    The proposals are backed by the New West End Company, which represents some 600 retailers in the area. More than 3.5 million people visit Oxford Street each week, and the Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street area contributes about £7.6bn each year to the UK economy. Its chief executive, Jace Tyrrell, said: “Removing the wall of red buses from Oxford Street will reduce congestion and improve air quality.”

    Edinburgh isn’t about to get a new tube line (massive transport subsidies don’t travel too far from London) but getting the traders to back more pedestrianisation (and fewer buses on Princes Street) should be possible.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @chdot

    Business is the key to this thing. Paint something as anti-business and it's dead.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    “Business is the key to this thing.”

    Often, yes.

    Key point is to get Edinburgh businesses (inc those involved in new St. James) that things have changed and not all ‘business’ comes by car.

    Getting buses off Princes Street is a whole other - things need to change!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. ih
    Member

    Oxford Street London to be pedestrianised as IWRATS posted

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18183&page=7#post-265703

    Yes but cycles are also going to be banned

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/nov/07/banning-bikes-from-oxford-street-is-a-disaster-for-london-cycling

    Very retrograde step from Sadiq Khan.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    Consultation info -

    http://www.ntbcc.org.uk/picardy-place-consultations/

    Posted 7 years ago #
  19. Stickman
    Member

    Not consultation - "information event".

    Posted 7 years ago #
  20. PS
    Member

    Not consultation - "information event".

    I suspect CEC will receive a fair bit of "information" from the public, whether they want it or not.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. HankChief
    Member

    There a picture of the latest design on a CEC tweet.

    Looks very much like a huge gyratory but this one has arrows pointing to the multistage crossing you'll need to get to the middle of a traffic jam. :-(

    Posted 7 years ago #
  22. Morningsider
    Member

    "Improved public realm" - you have to admit, at least the designer has a sense of humour.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. HankChief
    Member

    @Morningsider - if there is an arrow it must be true.

    I love that the crossing are 'improved connectivity'. Which is odd as nothing has been built to be improved upon.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  24. acsimpson
    Member

    https://twitter.com/Edinburgh_CC/status/930458049898319872

    The City of Edinburgh Council
    @Edinburgh_CC
    Hi, this is the original design but you'll be able to see changes made following September feedback events at one of the upcoming November sessions

    Posted 7 years ago #
  25. crowriver
    Member

    "Caters for All Users" - as some wag has already pointed out on Twittore, "Caters for All Users in Cars".

    "Convergence of Buses" - code for a big traffic jam involving buses.

    Also, "Adaptable Design" - ie. we'll all have to adapt to big traffic jams and resulting exhaust fumes.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  26. sallyhinch
    Member

    a convergence of buses sounds like a collective noun, like a murder of crows or a futureproofing of trams

    Posted 7 years ago #
  27. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I knew those Powerpoint text boxes reminded me of something.

    IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  28. neddie
    Member

    Apparently, the RSO (RSO/17/13) is to be re-advertised, this time along with the companion TRO.

    This is expected to happen next week and all commenters/objectors will get a heads-up when this happens.

    Additionally, Sweco have been asked to publish the masterplan for the area so everyone has clarity into all the plans.

    The reasons for the re-advertisement are that 1) there were some errors in the RSO plans, and 2) clearly a lot of people have objected in part because they can't see how everything fits together. They hope that the plans in the TRO and the masterplan will help people understand what's going on.

    I'm not sure if this means we will all have to resubmit our objections!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  29. crowriver
    Member

    "I'm not sure if this means we will all have to resubmit our objections!"

    Oh I can well imagine we will have to.

    In my case, that's as simple as revising/editing and/or expanding/shortening a previously sent e-mail.

    Please let us know if/when a link to the RSO/TRO is put online: last time around there was no link from the TRO main page so it was very useful to have the link here.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    “They hope that the plans in the TRO and the masterplan will help people understand what's going on.”

    Which kinda assumes that the various plans do mesh and make sense.

    When I say “sense”...

    Posted 7 years ago #

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