CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
@morningsider
More excellent work
I here from my old friend IWRAAts (doesn’t seem to be on here so much anymore) that another Bampot (my words not his) that Wings Bampot is citing KidsNotSuits as a reference.
When said Bampot was informed. His citation was to a triple platinum Bampot he said he didn’t care....
@pringlis: Interesting. As you say, there's quite a lot to take in there. I hadn't realised that the plan was to do a whole lot more than just remove half the barriers at each end of the closed section. It looks like the layout of the junction with Braidburn Terrace/Hermitage Drive is intended to continue preventing the use of Braid Road as a direct rat-run to avoid Comiston Road south of the Morningside Clock junction. That'll no doubt annoy some folks (and may result in some questionable manoeuvring around the Braid Road-Hermitage Drive slip road).
I assume that traffic from Braidburn Terrace will be routed north along Braid Road, to access Midmar Avenue by some other route situated further north. I'll need to look at the other drawings to understand how that's all meant to work.
I do like the gap for westbound cyclists at the west end of Braidburn Terrace. At the moment you run the risk of missing the westbound phase of the lights there altogether if there are too many motor vehicles waiting to turn right from Comiston Road and then cutting the corner tight across the end of the barrier (this nearly happened to me last weekend). Good see the problem recognised and some action being taken a mere ten months after I first tweeted Edinburgh Council Help about it...
In a previous life I used to try and sell Mexican furniture ,tiles and pottery in the Grassmarket. One day arrived to find council had painted double yellow lines outside for some distance.Trade dropped so dramatically I was about to close up -eventually council did change their mind and I could continue.
No one was going to carry heavy boxes of tiles or chunky Mexican furniture any distance.
Draconian restrictions will impact on some businesses to the point of closure or relocation to out of town whilst not affect others - eg fags mags and snacks and others of that ilk
Wonder how the EBC would fare without the ample parking outside it- Ironically for a bike store,I notice many customers unloading their bikes from their cars for servicing and many loading up with new bikes,wheels and other stuff. Suspect they might be moving out of town if customers couldn’t get near with their vehicles.
In France virtually all bike stores are now in shopping centres where there is ample parking
France is the last place we should be looking to emulate in terms of utility cycling.
With the exception of Paris and a few other tiny bits and bobs, I should say. Most of France is a wasteland for utility cycling.
Possibly true for utility cycling- but for recreational cycling it is heaven with thousands of km of pistes cyclables and miles of great towpaths and almost traffic free rural roads
And tarmac to die for - hardly a nid de poule ( lit. hen’s nest aka pot hole) A charming sign of “Trou en formation “ erected at the first signs of possible deformation. I like to think the high tarmac quality is due to the power of the French cycling lobby who would likely guillotine those responsible if they provided the crap we are expected to traverse
But you may be right in the sense that the French cycle for pleasure rather than for utilitarian reasons
Noticed works beginning at the roundabout outside the LRT depot at the start of Longstone Rd this morning. That should help address the horrible congestion created by all the bus drivers parked cars on this arterial route. I hope LRT are encouraging and supporting their workers to cycle to work. Real health benefits to be had for the drivers given the sedentary nature of their occupation.
“I hope LRT are encouraging and supporting their workers to cycle to work“
They have in the past.
Don’t know how active they (LB) are in reminding/encouraging staff -
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2018/04/lothian-bus-drivers-get-on-their-bikes
Yes that was an excellent initiative and I hope LRT will be vocal in support and commit ongoing support of their staff. A great opportunity for them here to lead on active travel, public transport etc hope they have invested in loads of secure cycle parking and facilities for staff. Bike maintenance stands, track pump, tool kit, dry area, lockers and showers can all make that decision to switch easier as well as the immediate pay increase from savings on petrol and cars, never mind the health benefits. No losers there.
Dividers going in on Queensferry Road today.
@chdot As long as they warn them that their survival depends on them regarding other LB buses as potential death machines
The number 41 from livingston almost did for me last year pulling abruptly in front of me at the roundabout on Regents terrace last year.My trike ( the wonderful Speedy I got from Arellcat of this parish a few years back) - completely mangled as I sat watching the undercarriage and rear wheels of the bus inexorably coming towards and over me. I felt it absurd that existence should be shortly snatched from me by a number 41 bus from Livingston ,the X 95 from the borders would have felt a more dignified means of extinction .Fortunately the crunching noise of the trike frame being mangled attracted a passenger’s attention and the driver halted before snuffing my flickering candle out and I sustained no physical injury.
Attempts at compensation stymied by top shit corporate law firm in Reading employed by LB to dismiss such cases and Unite union keen to defend driver.
Just saying LB drivers who cycle to work should regard their compañeros as possible unwitting assassins . Caveat cyclistos
Correction- I mixed up bus companies - They were First Group buses involved
They all seem rather similar when pinned underneath one of them.
Apologies LB
A few weeks behind London, but we’ve reached the “low vehicle traffic streets are unsafe for women” arguments.
I’m guessing given the amount of coverage he’s getting on this subject that Cllr Rust will be the next transport Spokesperson
Personal safety is a very important transport issue, especially for women. Which is exactly why the Council has committed to improving women's safety while walking, cycling and using public transport in the City Mobility Plan (see page 18).
What next from the Tories? You'll miss the sweet tang of diesel fumes in the morning when they are gone? Imagine a world where you no longer hear the ear-splitting roar of a nobbed-up Corsa in its natural habitat?
Haven't read this particular bit of the debate. I could ask why my safety is Of Great Concern when I'm on foot, but unimportant when I'm on a bike...
Came here to say that I went up the Lanark Road lane yesterday, which was most excellent - all the cones are in, I think, and everyone appears to be parking as they are supposed to.
The issue with people using those lanes is that if you have come down from Balerno/Currie/Juniper Green you have to cycle the nasty road to get to the Gillespie Crossroads and nothing has changed there.
Some muppet on the tri club facebook page grumping that Silverknowes isn't a suitable spot for cycling as fast as you can any more. Yes, other people might want to use the roads too, you know...
@chdot - it is important that cycle lanes don't have an unacceptable impact on disabled people. What is noticeable from that article is that no evidence is presented that any SfP cycle lane has had such an impact. The access panel even say they have been consulted on 100 SfP interventions.
The old tropes regarding bus stop bypasses, the "removal" of parking and fear of crossing cycle lanes get rolled out, but with no reference to the near year-long experience of SfP interventions.
If the access panel want to best serve disabled people, they could speak to their opposite numbers in Copenhagen and Amsterdam so they can feed in best practice to the Council.
Indeed.
EN playing the story more than the facts.
I haven't read the article but I'm going to assume there's no mention of the impact of roads and traffic along with their unacceptable impact on some disabled people lives.
Somewhat surprised to read that GlasgowCC seem to be returning £1.6m of unspent SfP money. I wonder if CEC could ask for it, at least they would use it!
Whilst having a look into it, I also came across an LTN they had implemented. They then removed contraflow cycling from the new one-ways and are now removing all the modal filters. Geniusly using SfP money to make it harder to cycle... https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=26927
I’ve seen quite a few people complaining of “mayhem” caused by the new protected lanes on Meadow Place Road. Came as a bit of a surprise to me as there isn’t really any reduction in useable width for cars. Is this just the usual congestion being attributed to the lanes?
@stickman, you raise an interesting point to me at least which I will try to set out.
Mayhem is caused by the merest thing. For instance if a wee hole is being dug in the ground for a pipe to be fixed or whatever the tailback can reverberate around the whole area.
As cyclists we often filter to the front of a long queue of traffic to find the most mundane or even non-existent explanation as to why there is a tailback.
But for reasons of collective denial the clear conclusion that there is too much traffic in the system is unaccpetable. Any systems analysis that shows tiny changes having catastrophic effects within a system would ordinarily mean the system is seen as failing. This does not happen with drivers on roads.
In the old days a person would be late for a meeting and say Sorry stuck in traffic (now it is sorry Microsoft Teams is glitchy) A very mild mannered Quaker friend of mine once pulled a latecomer up when they used this excuse. No, she said You are traffic.
So instead of a rational analysis and support being given to traffic reduction measures we get the Mayhem/chaos. Narrative . As I’f in fact mayhem was not the default setting for the system.
What I struggle with is that despite this being obvious to me - many of my neighbours insist in getting in a huge motor, as wide as the street in places and driving slowly with no passengers into Edinburgh. why do they do this? Why not Ultitrec the whole WoL path (nice and springy for runners and horses ) and commute at virtually the same speed into Edinburgh, being mindful of errant dog walkers. Then join an orca lane into the town centre? Getting back up the hill might require a lecky bike but the WoL path is a gradual climb.
Driving any motorized vehicle into Edinburgh should be a privilege not a right.
Right now it's easy to see why nobody much will cycle in from Balerno, unless you want to ruin your shoes (or wear bike specific clothes and change when you get to the shops / pub / theatre). That plus the complete lack of safety lighting.
I'd guess the people complaining so much about the new cycle lanes are the same demographic who'd oppose surfacing and lighting the WoL path. I wonder if they had the choice now, which they'd prefer...
I saw someone say that Meadow Place Road approaching Tesco used to be “free-flowing” before the bike lane was put in.
Utterly separated from reality.
What I struggle with is that despite this being obvious to me - many of my neighbours insist in getting in a huge motor, as wide as the street in places and driving slowly with no passengers into Edinburgh. why do they do this?
At first glance we might estimate that domesticated primates overemphasise the primacy of their convenience
But as you point out, this en-masse behaviour is anything but convenient
There's an existential aspect to this - the rejection of active travel is ultimately the rejection of uncertainty
The uncertainty of the elements, the uncertainty of the environment, the uncertainty of health and ageing
And what could be more certain, than a modern faux by four people carrier with shelter, warmth and entertainment guaranteed ?
You can see this rejection of uncertainty in action when the weather is poor - do they slow down on a foggy rain lashed day, to acknowledge the conditions ? No they do not - they may even speed up - to celebrate their triumph over uncertainty !
It takes a brave mensch to not only value uncertainty, but actively seek it out in their routine daily lives
And for this reason, i salute you, the weather beaten cycle commuters of Embra
@bax
Good points.
But what about the uncertainty of getting your 4x4 "stuck in traffic"; unable to find a parking space; an unexpected large repair bill at MOT time; an unexpected crash, flat tyre ...?
@neddie, I think BaxSan is on to something, maybe more like The Reduction of Uncertainty Principle (Berger and Calabrese 1975)
Very certain to be stuck in traffic in a 4x4 but can listen to the radio, text mates etc
@neddie -
But what about the uncertainty of getting your 4x4 "stuck in traffic"; unable to find a parking space; an unexpected large repair bill at MOT time
These though are shared with other drivests. They are 'the facts' and can be put down into 'I know exactly what you mean' category.
Conversations like "you see these cycle lanes, don't know why they bother" resonate more than saying that it's actually quite easy to drive during lockdown.
You must log in to post.
Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
posts