CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Picardy Place lanes taking shape

(524 posts)
  • Started 4 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from CycleAlex

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  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I have to go to Leith later this week. Is there a map of the current road layout? And, am I better to delay my commute until, say, 9am, or work elsewhere and navigate the hellscape closer to lunchtime?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  2. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I would advise doing it in daylight, taking a strong and hyper-vigilant primary throughout.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  3. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I do that anyway, but I haven't cycled down Leith Street/Walk for ages, so have no idea of the layout.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  4. CycleAlex
    Member

    @Arellcat From tomorrow there will be lane closures on Leith Walk for tram enabling works so the southbound cycle lane will likely be out of use:
    Crown Place to Lorne Street (http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/tramstonewhaven/download/downloads/id/170/crown_street_to_lorne_street.pdf)

    Pilrig Street to Brunswick Road (http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/tramstonewhaven/download/downloads/id/172/pilrig_street_to_brunswick_road.pdf)

    It's alright going northbound through the hellscape right now as York Place is closed but southbound is always very busy.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  5. wingpig
    Member

    @Arellcat it's been changing almost daily for months. Currently northbound you proceed from North Bridge as normal until after Greenside, then are pushed to the right to contraflow next to the single southbound lane. After the Picardy not-roundabout (currently the remains of a switchback which previously stretched towards the top of Broughton St) you sort of get peeled away back towards the left as there's a construction enclave in the middle between the two directions, which tapers off towards the London Road roundabout. Northwards of that it's fairly normal as far as Constitution St, which is shut.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  6. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Constitution St, which is shut.

    Firmly.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  7. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Oh my days. End of times on Leith Walk, Picardy Place and Leith Street.

    Somebody is going to get hurt if that traffic doesn't evaporate a bit. Nose to tail buses, angry drivists trying to force their way sideways. Baffled cyclists driven into gutters.

    Worst was London Road Roundabout. Drivers zooming on assuming that it was gridlocked, totally failing to spot the active travellers. Lethal.

    May revert to Easter Road and up by the Skelf.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  8. Not to mention yesterday morning, around 6.45am, where impatient (read 'smart[rule2]' drivers were nipping up the right-hand lane towards Leith Street, thinking they could beat everyone in the left lane.

    Unfortunately for them, this right lane was clearly signed as 'No Entry', and they quickly met the traffic coming down that one-way lane from Princes Street. After some time, the drivers towards the rear of the procession in the wrong lane decided just to drive through the cones dividing the lanes, knocking them everywhere. The others were them able to reverse and do the same through the new gap (when drivers in the correct lane deigned to let them in the queue).

    But cyclists, eh?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  9. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Will be walking up tonight. Buses taking an hour yesterday.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  10. wingpig
    Member

    2019-11-19_02-09-00 by wingpig, on Flickr

    Posted 4 years ago #
  11. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    I see the HGV I moaned about on Twitter has gone and been replaced by a transit van.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  12. CycleAlex
    Member

    The south pedestrian crossings are a bit weird. They’ve used tarmac on the right but seem to be using brick on the left.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  13. condor2378
    Member

    I don't go into that death trap anymore. Up and down twice a day on the segregated lane in front of the omni. And I'll keep moving the cones and barriers in the way as out of it as I can, until this nonsense is done.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  14. crowriver
    Member

    Yep. I always use the segregated lane on way to Waverley station. Also to avoid being crushed to death at London Road roundabout I dismount and push on the wide pavement until segregated lane starts near Playhouse. Walking still quicker than in a motor vehicle,

    Posted 4 years ago #
  15. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 4 years ago #
  16. wingpig
    Member

    Report on Twitter that the temp lights are all out.

    https://twitter.com/forthone/status/1197045747373490177?s=20

    Posted 4 years ago #
  17. crowriver
    Member

    @chdot, I rejoin the carriageway at that point. Cycleway south of there is full of pedestrians due to scaffolding blocking footway. Still much safer than the two cyclist mincer roundabouts.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  18. wingpig
    Member

    Southbound through Picardy Place was quite quiet this morning. It doesn't get stupid until just past the Omni, as it only takes on moron in a tour coach at Waterloo Place to bung the whole system up for five minutes. The constructors were helping by preparing to back another giant truck out of their compound onto Leith St.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  19. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    There has been traffic evaporation so that is good. Wall to wall canyon of buses impeded by people who had actually parked in Leith Street.

    Almost impossible to filter. Real potential for getting squished between two buses.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  20. gembo
    Member

    Avoided by swinging right at McDonald Road - where you get a few seconds on the advanced green light.on return from Leith last night.

    On the way down on Easter Road narrowly avoided being right hooked from oncoming traffic by braking hard.

    Jungle out there

    Posted 4 years ago #
  21. wingpig
    Member

    Reminds me that I need to report a bus from Leith Walk. Stupidity and desparation spreading to the roads around the closed ones with people 'making up time' when they get to a clear bit.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  22. jonty
    Member

    I've noticed and heard of worse bus driving in the last couple of days - the theory that they've used up all their patience coming through the east end does seem compelling.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  23. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    Gave up after waiting behind a line of 3 buses outside the Playhouse yesterday, and bailed onto the cycle lane. Much better than using the road.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  24. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I asked a bus driver's permission to squeeze through a gap last night. He granted it but he was clearly at the end of a very long tether.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  25. CycleAlex
    Member

    New bus gate at Waterloo Place -> Princes Street until York Place works are finished: https://twitter.com/Edinburgh_CC/status/1197889383938117633?s=20

    (of course it had to be mentioned that Picardy Place is being done for cyclists to get the gammon riled up)

    Posted 4 years ago #
  26. jonty
    Member

    Oh wow! This was clearly necessary but I didn't think they'd actually do it.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  27. CycleAlex
    Member

    Likewise! Hopefully they do a rework of the diversion signs at the same time.

    Just something like "YORK PLACE CLOSED" and then a second sign with "DIVERSION -->". The current sign is a sentence long with a small font...

    Posted 4 years ago #
  28. CycleAlex
    Member

    Once this is over I feel the council won’t exactly be in a rush to close York Place again to finish the cycleway...

    Posted 4 years ago #
  29. Colonies_Chris
    Member

    The cycle way was open at the northern end this afternoon - thanks to whoever moved the barriers. Very necessary to avoid the mad traffic around there.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  30. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Widespread lawlessness either side of the Hellscape. Folk u-turning and then double-u-turning. Cars from all angles at all speeds. Dude in a hatchback trying to square up to a white van man after a combined u-turn and right-turn at Pilrig Place went wrong.

    On a positive note I discovered Madame IWARTS strolling through the Kirkgate Centre. She left fifteen minutes before I did by bus so still winning.

    Posted 4 years ago #

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