CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Picardy Place lanes taking shape

(527 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from gembo

No tags yet.


1…131415…18

  1. Morningsider
    Member

    Redetermination Orders serve no purpose. They only exist in Scotland. Segregated cycle lanes in England and Wales are created solely through Traffic Regulation Orders. A very minor amendment to the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 - probably just deleting Section 152(2) and a tweak to Section 1 would be enough to get rid of them.

    Given we have a Scottish general election next year, might it be worth asking parties if they would be willing include a manifesto commitment to simplify the system for creating segregated cycle lanes? Clearly, the RSO/TRO systems are now THE major barrier to progress (well, that and actual political will to do anything).

    Posted 4 years ago #

  2. crowriver
    Member

    Good luck trying to get Calton Road closed: not only does it provide vehicular access to the main drop-off point for Waverley Station, but when the new St James white elephant finally opens there will be cars entering and exiting the 1,800 space underground car park directly from Calton Road.

    I did try to point out how hazardous this would be for pedestrians and cyclists when I objected to the RSO and TSO, but as all can see objecting was a massive waste of time and energy.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  3. jonty
    Member

    There have been periodic whispers around action on Calton Road - I think there was once a consultation on making it one way which seemed completely oblivious to the fact it was literally weeks away from becoming part of the largest construction project in Edinburgh.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  4. CycleAlex
    Member

    The cycleway is officially open now. Enjoy thrilling journeys from Calton Road to Greenside Row and the Playhouse in relative safety.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    And back again?

    Posted 4 years ago #

  6. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @CycleAlex

    Cannot wait.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  7. wingpig
    Member

    Went up it last night. More pedestrians in he cycle lane than there were vehicles on the road. As the level of and stonework forming the footway does all kinds of weird stuff around that area I assume they don't spot that it's a cycleway without the cones and signs.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    This is what happens when the footway is not wide enough, and the road is too wide.

    They were told this would happen, so they must have wanted it like this.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  9. davecykl
    Member

    The island of the dead seems to be completely clogged up (for motor traffic) just now. Leith St is for some reason full of tw*ts in cars (twits doesn’t breach rule 2, yeah?) revving away and very much looking (and sounding) like they’re not making even remotely essential journeys. Many of them are giving up and u-turning around. Unfortunately, this is all delaying the buses, too.

    On the other hand, did see a handful of folk using the cycleway uphill, one downhill, and rather more sticking to the road downhill, of course.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  10. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    rather more sticking to the road downhill, of course

    Hard to imagine what would cause anyone fierce enough to reach Leith Street to hop onto the Toytown Freeway for a bimble across the Isle of the Dead.

    I may go and look now in fact. Fake commute style.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    “Hard to imagine what would cause ... “

    Useful for when coming from back of station - though getting onto it from the traffic lights is hardly ‘designed’!

    Posted 4 years ago #

  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I see. I never come that way. Routinely forget that street exists in fact.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  13. mkoerner
    Member

    Van loading on the segregated cycle lane in front of the Playhouse. Why is it that all cycling infrastructure in Edinburgh is abused for car parking/loading, and why is there no enforcement to stop this?

    Posted 4 years ago #

  14. wingpig
    Member

    I suppose the coaches which were blocking the segregated lane almost as soon as it had been built are no longer able to block vans from loading on it...

    Posted 4 years ago #

  15. davecykl
    Member

    Enforcement is not really the solution that is needed here, simple physical prevention is.

    Bollards or planters between cycleway and road every 2 m, or even more cycle racks as they have already given a dual use as covert barriers along part of the cycleway's length, so that gaining illegal access to it is just not possible.

    My vote would be for planters, the new wasteland really is terribly lacking in greenery compared to the previous layout.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  16. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Not planters, trees. Need to remove the tarmac and paving so they get water too. And if their roots destroy the gyratory oh well too bad.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  17. gkgk
    Member

    Strikes me that not so long ago we would not want open vehicle access to large pedestrian (incl cycle lane) areas, for terror reasons. Whole zone should be totally planter defended. Or another 40 giraffes.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  18. crowriver
    Member

    A pack of steel hyenas skulking along the kerb edge, eyeing the giraffes hungrily while warily avoiding the wildebeest stampeding around the Island Of Lost Souls.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  19. neddie
    Member

    Or how about some tyre-puncturing, goose-sized stegosaurauses?

    Posted 4 years ago #

  20. CycleAlex
    Member

    Low level cycle signals!

    Posted 4 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    First thought is ‘are they legal’ - hardware and TRO process?

    Then ‘are they in sensible places’.

    Presume they are at road crossings parallel to pedestrian crossings?

    Are bike riders’ eyes much lower than pedestrians’?

    Presumably they will be automatically triggered by approaching bicycles? Instantly??

    Posted 4 years ago #

  22. Wout Van Aerthur Seat
    Member

    Bit of progress this evening at Picardy Place and along York Place. A bit more of the island of lost souls has been opened up.

    The York Place cycle lane looks open but has a large red cyclists dismount sign at the entrance.

    Worryingly they've installed a break in the lane where the bus depot is. Complete with newly installed high kerbs. I would hope that the lane isn't complete yet but it does seem bizarre to install a brand new kerb only for it to be ripped out again.

    I got photos but can't quite work out how to upload them here yet.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    “can't quite work out how to upload them here yet”

    They need to be somewhere else, e.g. Flickr.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  24. McD
    Member

    @Wout The cycleways are open as of 11:30 today.
    I have been "Liaising" on behalf of Spokes with the council about the cycleways in this area.
    They are calling this a "soft opening" as the signage is going through an approval process. This will cover routes through the area to Princes Street, Waverley, York Place and Broughton on York Place, Picardy Place and Leith Street.
    Spokes was unable to obtain copies of the design details for signals etc before they were installed.
    The main island routes are a temporary measure, pending permanent routes being designed and delivered in line with the Trams to Newhaven programme.
    The signals at York Place/Picardy Place seem quite well located. I don't think sensors could be used here as the gyratory is so busy (and such a mess!). Eastbound cyclists will be required to wait a long way back from the junction whilst pedestrians cross York Place and I assume will go with the York Place general traffic flow.
    The cycleway on York Place will eventually join up with the CCWEL route that will come along Queen Street via South St David Street. The kerb on the west side of Elder St seems to be a mistake - I'm awaiting a response.
    The Omni Centre cycleway will link up with segregated cycleways on Leith Walk being delivered by Trams to Newhaven via a crossing at a reconfigured London Road junction (a T junction).
    Spokes is still pushing for a better solution for cycling across Greenside Row on Leith Street and for the cycleway to be extended to the top of the road.

    Hope this helps. Feedback on the implementation welcome.

    Martin

    Posted 4 years ago #

  25. mkoerner
    Member

    @McD Thanks for the update and your continued support to make this area a better place for cyclists!

    I'm still struggling to figure out how I'm supposed to safely get off the bidirectional cycleway running along the Omni when cycling uphill and trying to merge with traffic on Leith Street. Most days it's ok, as the cycle lane is not very busy... But where do you wait in case there are cyclists going downhill (and thereby blocking your exit) and others behind you want to carry on uphill (cause they e.g. come up/go down Calton Rd)? All whilst keeping an eye out for motorised traffic going uphill or predicting how long the red light for motorised traffic still will be red, to then safely merge with traffic whilst avoiding getting your pedal caught on the high kerb when navigating the massively obtuse angle of the "slip cycleway"?

    Posted 4 years ago #

  26. mga
    Member

    @McD Re the Greenside Row crossing, this is the poorest part for me. The unnecessary merging of pedestrians and cyclists is really bad, often forcing me to re-join the road instead using one of the gaps that @mkoerner mentions.

    I do find the routes useful however and the newly opened sections will allow crossing the gyratory without mixing with traffic. A traffic free route from Broughton Street to Calton Road is great for me as I go that that way either carrying or towing golf clubs.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  27. McD
    Member

    @mkoerner Thanks, The designed route when heading to North Bridge/Princes St is to exit the cycleway at the cut-through into the ASL before Greenside Row.
    This sign is proposed.
    A second cut-through was added beyond Greenside Row for people that missed the first one :)
    Only cyclists headed for Calton Road are expected to use the cycleway beyond Greenside Row.
    Admittedly there are problems with potential queuing to leave the cycleway.
    We are really hoping that the situation is being reviewed and that improvements and an extension to the top of the street will come.
    Further feedback welcome as things progress.

    Note the "NO ENTRY" that has been added outside the Playhouse to warn cyclists to leave the cycleway there.

    There's a wee video of the new arrangements on the Spokes Videos channel https://youtu.be/mK7KWbX58YA
    Note that some of the cycle signals were not working and some of the push buttons. This has been reported.

    @mga Good to hear. The objections were mainly about the Greenside Row situation. We have yet to see whether the Reporter said anything about it other than to let it remain unchanged. The complication is the desire for it to be a multi-directional crossing with pedestrians crossing Leith Street at the same time as pedestrians and cyclists crossing Greenside Row with direct conflict between cyclists and the Leith St pedestrians.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  28. fimm
    Member

    carrying or towing golf clubs

    mga we need more details... ;-)

    Posted 4 years ago #

  29. neddie
    Member

    A "mere" 2 minutes 20 seconds of waiting to get across the island of lost souls <face meet palm>

    Posted 4 years ago #

  30. mga
    Member

    @fimm "carrying or towing golf clubs"

    After getting rid of my car then eschewing the bus due to COVID, I decided to cycle to the golf club. Firsty with a light bag and 3/4 set, then with a trailer. Using the new routes, Calton Road, Holyrood Park and Innocent Path provides a largely traffic free route to the course.

    It really goes to show that providing segregated routes through the city can allow people to give up their cars.

    Posted 4 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

1…131415…18

Reply »

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin