Remarkable. Cllr Cardownie appears tp have walked the road to Damascus.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Scottish Govmt announces £10m for pop up cycle/walking lanes
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Posted 2 years ago #
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@crowriver - or more likely back to the SNP offices, after the Tories balked at (I fancifully imagine) his brazen attempt to join.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Longstone CC have called a special meeting to discuss the spaces for people measures in their area and to allow residents to give their views. These will officially be fed back to the Council.
If any forum members are interested in representing a sensible perspective then the meeting is at 7.30pm on 2 August. Log in details are to follow on their website.
http://www.longstonecc.org.uk/
Community Councils are required under the Scheme to allow members of the public to attend and contribute (although the Chair may choose to limit this to a specific item). My interpretation of the Scheme is that you don't necessarily need to live in the area - you just need to have an interest (i.e commuter, live next door, work in the area).
Posted 2 years ago # -
“
Hastily abandoned low-traffic schemes could cost councils funding
Transport minister warns local authorities not to remove cycle lanes or other reduction measures without evidence of their failure
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May or may not be adopted by SG too(?)
Posted 2 years ago # -
on the EEN article
'2,000 watts of power a year'
presumably means kWh per year, but bizarely just focusing on electricity usage rather than absolute energy consumption. (would favour ICE drivers over electric)
kettles are 2,400 watts, so one cuppa would be killer otherwise.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think the EEN/clr Cardownie has misunderstood the 2000-watt society.
A Tesla would travel about 6-8k miles on 2,000 kWh which isn't a lot if you then want to heat a house and cook from that same budget.
Instead the 2,000 Watts is an average consumption across the year so somewhere around 17,500kWh for the year.
There's more technical details and a breakdown of an average swiss person's consumption here: https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/2000-watt-society
Posted 2 years ago # -
@acsimpson, interesting. I looked at our energy bills for the past year and we average out less than half that for a family of four, or around 232 watts each. Obviously that doesn't include the various externalities that go to make up the watts per capita shown for the average Swiss person. We haven't been travelling much over the past 16 months either so knock another 400 watts or so off the total. However we don't have a car so that's 500 watts out of their 5,000 already gone. Also that 232 watts is all our energy, including heat and hot water. As a family our energy usage is probably more similar to the average Italian than a Swiss. We also know from our energy bills that we are relatively low energy users on average compared to other customers, as the company provides averages of annual energy consumption for low, medium and high energy users. So it's possible to reduce energy usage, especially if you don't put the heating on much and stick a jumper on instead. No tumble dryer, no dishwashing machine, etc. Oh and don't run a car either.
Posted 2 years ago # -
“
Scottish Conservative MSP Susan Webber claims if the schemes - brought in to facilitate social distancing by widening pavements onto roads and create pop-up cycle lanes - are allowed to continue beyond August 9 when Covid restrictions are due to be lifted, it will harm the chances of the city’s economic recovery and threaten jobs.
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Posted 2 years ago # -
Why would SfP schemes in place for over a year result in people losing their jobs now? Why do EEN "journos" never ask for actual evidence of a business going down the tubes due to a SfP scheme, rather than simply printing unverified claims.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@morningsider, i think there is only one EEN journo and they never let facts get in the way of their storyline.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I suppose Webber's job could be at risk if the media actually fact checked her utter BS.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@crowriver as the men in white coats would have to take her away you mean?
Posted 2 years ago # -
The Lib Conservatives, I mean Dems are against the one on the Drumbrae because of bad driving!
Honestly you can't make it up with them, they are now saying it should be a shared pavement going North. I can't see how creating conflict with pedestrians, not to mention how do cyclists rejoin the road is going to make things safer.
Posted 2 years ago # -
If the wind changes directionAC-H will have a new policy and a new leaflet.
My good friend Prof A has a Smash the State Free Beer leaflet for Oxgangs and a Reduce excicse on Puligny Montrachet leaflet for Fairmilehead.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@gembo, ah very droll. Prof A taking "target to win" too far there.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Leith Links reopening on 09/08: https://twitter.com/Edinburgh_CC/status/1422224122923425794
Posted 2 years ago # -
https://hellosw20.wixsite.com/sw20ed
"South West Edinburgh 20 minute neighbourhoods"
SW20 is a group of local people who came together to discuss how we can make our community better. As residents, parents, professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, we shared a common interest in wanting to ensure we can live well locally.
Posted 2 years ago # -
https://twitter.com/david_mccraw/status/1422566195237167106
Quite pleased with this video essay. Took my whole lunch hour and a few takes to reduce the amount of 'um' on the soundtrack :)
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Dave - that's great. I have posted on Spokes Facebook.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Note that the "Cycle Lane Closed" signs on the way to the top of the Braid Road lanes don't apply to the main lane but as far as I could tell merely inform you that they have put some of the traffic light stuff at the side of the road.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I saw calls for a route diversion! So that's not needed then..? they need better signage.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@fimm: Just passed that way half an hour ago. Southbound there's a big hole occupying the cycle lane, conveniently located exactly opposite the pedestrian refuge so there's no room for motor vehicles to pass the right side of the bollards. You could still cycle through there while complying with the keep left sign, but hey ho cars, or something...
I think a lot of folks riding that way will choose to stay in the cycle lane, inside the cones, and bypass the lights. Can't say as how I'd blame them.
I think the traffic lights are there because, although there shouldn't be any northbound motor traffic for Braid Road to conflict with southbound traffic, bikes can still go that way, plus you could end up face to face with folks wanting to turn right in to Braid Farm Road (although in that instance they could easily be diverted along Braid Hills Road and down Braid Hills Avenue) or wanting to get to the Braid Hills Hotel. Unfortunately there is no alternative entrance for that, at least for large delivery vehicles. They could get to it by approaching along Braid Road from the north but I'd admit that a diversionary route to that effect would be somewhat convoluted due to the SfP/Safe Routes to School changes - and probably somewhat contrary to the Safe Routes ethos - so overall I think the traffic lights are a lesser evil. It might, though, have been useful if they'd been set to something other than the default interminable cycle designed to allow an asthmatic ant with a load of heavy shopping to pass safely.
Northbound, as you say, it's just the traffic lights that are occupying the cycle lane. Because "it's only bikes" I suppose...
I agree with Dave that the signage should be "cyclists rejoin the main carriageway" or some such.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ejstubbs do you think the lights registered your presence? I was stood at them for a while, and then waved at them whereupon they changed, but they might have been going to change anyway.
Posted 2 years ago # -
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-council-given-red-warning-21261189
The council’s internal auditors have concluded that both the council’s finances and reputation have been put at risk by the traffic schemes, which were first implemented in response to the need for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
The damning report gives the council a ‘red’ rating - the second worst possible - which means ‘significant and/or numerous control weaknesses were identified, in the design and/or effectiveness of the control environment and/or governance and risk management frameworks’.
Looking at the Internal Auditors’ findings I wonder whether they were aware of the various instructions from the Scottish Govt about the importance of moving at speed/getting things implemented.
Posted 2 years ago # -
“
There is currently no clear strategy for determining the potential exit costs associated with reversing individual projects, or transitioning them into permanent solutions, and it is currently unclear how any significant exit costs will be funded.
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No doubt, but
“Looking at the Internal Auditors’ findings I wonder whether they were aware … “
Indeed, plus I wonder how they decide which aspects of the Council’s work they look at and what criteria do they work to?
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The majority of initiatives were initially prioritised by six project team members in April 2020
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Ok, so how many other staff members should they have involved, especially in a crisis??
Considering ‘some of us’ thought CEC was a bit slow and others thought there ‘wasn’t enough consultation’, perhaps it wasn’t done too badly!(?)
Posted 2 years ago # -
Well, that's one way of looking at it. Here is the opinion of the auditors, as set out in their report (available in the committee pack for the Council's Governance, Risk and Best Value Committee meeting of 10 August 2021.)
Opinion
Whilst recognising the challenges associated within urgent
implementation of SfP initiatives to support citizens during initial Covid-19 lockdown measures, our review identified some significant and moderate control weaknesses in both the design and documentation of controls established to support identification and prioritisation of SfP proposals; project management and governance; and financial and budget
management.Consequently one High and two Medium rated findings have been raised reflecting the need to ensure that the proposal prioritisation process is clearly defined and documented; models used to support proposal prioritisation and financial management are validated; initiative implementation progress and benefits monitoring processes are implemented; appropriate arrangements established to support ongoing
public surveys and implementation of feedback (where appropriate) into the design of SfP proposals; and a process established to calculate programme exit costs and determine how these will be fundedManagement had identified a number of areas where improvement was required, and had either addressed them (for example, retrospective publication of prioritisation outcomes) or were implementing improvements (for example, creating a programme risk register) during the audit or as at our audit completion date.
Management has advised that additional funding has been requested from Sustrans to support future SfP initiatives, and it will be important to ensure that our audit recommendations are addressed to support their implementation.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Right
So selective reporting ignores a) the fact that issues were/have been addressed, b) future funding source identified, and applied to (with a good probability of success).
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Morningsider: indeed. Having been on the receiving end of many Internal Audit reports in my career I thought it fairly unexceptional in its findings, especially for a project undertaken in these circumstances. A Red rating is never good, but responses and actions were already underway when the report was published.
One particular member of the GRBV committee is extremely experienced in this area. I hope that his response to this report reflects that and doesn’t become the expected party political point-scoring.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Always going to spark controversy when you instigate something that actually has an impact on people’s lives.
The negativity from those losing car parking on the street next to their houses backed by opposition Tory and Libdem opportunists is a phenomenon found here and elsewhere.
Even down to councillors naming council staff which they are not allowed to do.
As we showed, the lanes are good if you get a chance to use them.
Scary Susie will be back complaining that they impede weeding in a minute.
Posted 2 years ago #
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