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Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route

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  1. Dave
    Member

    Not many have sold, but over the last three years the average selling price on Braid Ave is well over £1m.

    The council lurches from one budget crisis to the next (closing half of Edinburgh Leisure, gutting the schools budget, etc) but somehow has the brass neck to raid the active travel budget for £400k to reopen a rat run.

    Whitehouse Road is roughly the same length as the Lanark Rd protected cycle lanes. They cost far less than £400k to boot.

    Who was it said "to see him proposed as convener is to see the death of active travel in the city" again?

    PS. Sustrans / Transport Scotland, having already funded the filters, should tell them to go whistle when they ask for more funding to rip out the filters and reopen the quiet route to cars... will they?

    Posted 2 months ago #

  2. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I live in a small (but sadly expanding) village that comprises many culs-de-sac that are highly permeable, and it has so many parked on-street vehicles narrowing the roads that speeds are rarely even 20mph. I very much enjoy watching 7 year olds cycling and scooting to school, sometimes quite capably on their own, but often alongside their parents who walk.

    Yet my village is in Midlothian which has so little active travel ambition it allowed dismount signs to be erected across a portion of core path that it sold to Cala, and can't muster the resource to scrape four month-old rotting leaves off the main off-road cycle route, leaving it instead to volunteers.

    At least living here I don't have to worry about challenging the motonormative status quo, because doing so would use up energy I need for other activities, like work.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  3. neddie
    Member

    £400,000 for a cyclelane that won't even be properly permanent materials. They'll have to rework it again in 10 years time, at another £500,000 + inflation

    Posted 2 months ago #

  4. pringlis
    Member

    Plus the extra maintenance costs - sweeping, gritting, ploughing when it snows, removing leaves (Braid Avenue has trees every few meters). It's madness.

    Though I'm worried if those points are pushed too hard they'll just take out everything including the filters!

    Posted 2 months ago #

  5. Dave
    Member

    Don't you think, in the round, that it would be better for them to dismantle it completely and then maybe the next administration can come at it again with a clean slate? Spending half a mil on such a lane just seems like madness

    Posted 2 months ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.spokes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/240307-7.3-SpokesSE-Greenbank-Meadows.pdf

    Posted 2 months ago #

  7. Stickman
    Member

    Amendments are out and I’m pretty stunned & devastated that LAB/LD/CON propose to remove *all* filters along the route. If this happens, this will be the most tragic decision the Council has made since I was elected (and that really is saying something).

    https://twitter.com/cllrbenparker/status/1765428260584772063

    Amendments here:
    https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/b24306/Motions%20and%20Amendments%2007th-Mar-2024%2010.00%20Transport%20and%20Environment%20Committee.pdf?T=9

    Posted 2 months ago #

  8. pringlis
    Member

    Depressing reading.

    I find the line about School Travel Plans in the Labour amendment especially galling. SMPS had their travel plan survey with parents over a year ago and the council still haven't signed it off, which means meant to be last March according to https://www.streetsaheadedinburgh.org.uk/school-streets-1/school-travel-plans/3

    Our travel plan requests were things like making it easier for kids to walk/cycle to school by filtering/closing roads. Exactly the things they're removing!

    Posted 2 months ago #

  9. Morningsider
    Member

    @Stickman - thanks for the heads up.

    Having read all the amendments, it is pretty clear that the Tories and Lib Dems will not rest until the northern end of the scheme is also gutted. I expect us all to be here in six months time (when the new ETRO is up for review) bemoaning plans to remove the Whitehouse Loan/Strathearn Road filter.

    Just imagine the rest of this post as a huge stream of Rule 2 filth.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    “

    Amendments are out and I’m pretty stunned & devastated that LAB/LD/CON propose to remove *all* filters along the route. If this happens, this will be the most tragic decision the Council has made since I was elected (and that really is saying something).

    https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/b24306/Motions%20and%20Amendments%2007th-Mar-2024%2010.00%20Transport%20and%20Environment%20Committee.pdf?T=9

    “

    https://twitter.com/cllrbenparker/status/1765428260584772063?

    Posted 2 months ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    School Travel Plans

    I don’t know why CEC bothers

    More to the point I don’t know why schools bother

    So much time/effort/enthusiasm - even hope - by staff/parents/pupils and then…

    Posted 2 months ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    “

    Travelling Safely Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Connection – Public Engagement and Next Steps

    “

    https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s67770/Item%207.3%20-%20Travelling%20Safely%20Greenbank%20to%20Meadows%20QC.pdf

    Only 69 pages.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    “

    Transport and Environment Committee

    The council’s Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) will discuss three possible options for resolving the Meadows to Greenbank Quiet Route – particularly through the Braid Estate where the previous Spaces for People measures have become controversial.

    “

    https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2024/03/five-things-you-need-to-know-today-1675/

    Posted 2 months ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    “

    Sorry, but I still almost never say “Build it & they will come.” I might say “Build, operate & maintain it well, in the right place, & stop building & doing the dumb things that undermine it, & they will come.” Assuming “it” was the right thing in the first place

    “

    https://twitter.com/BrentToderian/status/1469355396141776897

    Posted 2 months ago #

  15. Arellcat
    Moderator

    particularly through the Braid Estate where the previous Spaces for People measures have become controversial.

    Yes. THAT IS THE IDEA.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  16. Morningsider
    Member

    Just a reminder that this will be the third reduction in protection offered to cyclists and pedestrians on the Greenbank-Meadows Quiet route. The previous two changes being:

    1. Braid Road, closed to traffic at the entrance to The Hermitage at the start of the pandemic, is reopened to southbound motor traffic. Segregated cycle lanes are installed.
    2. Braid Road reopened to two way motor traffic. Segregated cycle lanes removed.

    Also worth remembering that the recent changes to the Braid Road/Braidburn Terrace junction mean it will be far easier for cars to batter up and down the full length of Braid Road once the filter is removed. I expect the rat running will be even worse than before.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    The details are important and a desire (if there was one) ‘to get things right’ - unfortunately compromised by an idea (somehow/impossible) of ‘best option to suit most people’.

    Ultimately too much about fickle politics and political ambitions.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    https://edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/862229

    Posted 2 months ago #

  19. SRD
    Moderator

    thanks. watching.

    Graeme Hart's deputation was very calm and effective.

    A number of Councillors sounding quite emotional.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  20. SRD
    Moderator

    Now a pause because people feeling quite emotional and need time to reflect. Can't help feeling he's trying to avoid the bad optics of going straight into the deputations about infra removal.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  21. Frenchy
    Member

    Admirable cynicism, but it wouldn't have been fair on the folk doing the other deputations to go straight on without a break.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  22. SRD
    Moderator

    I'm sure you're right. I do honestly believe the councillors when they say how upset they are about this.

    Blackford safer routes delegation also hitting a very good note of detail, calm and very sensitive references to the safety issues.

    (I wrote that before the last humdinger of a line : 'we hope no more children will die while council plays politics' - paraphrase).

    Posted 2 months ago #

  23. SRD
    Moderator

    and immediately Councillor Arthur comes in with point scoring (head on desk)

    Basically he queried if the Blackford safer routes campaign's submission indicated that they now accepted the consultation which they had previous campaigned against.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  24. SRD
    Moderator

    Braid avenue residents deputation also excellent.

    "an air of peace and calm"

    "as an older resident I can get out and about" (paraphrase)

    calling for a courageous response.

    also bit push for cost-efficient response.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  25. chdot
    Admin

    Braid resident deputation highlighting the reality that options 2 & 3 just shouldn’t be in ANY CEC reports!

    Posted 2 months ago #

  26. SRD
    Moderator

    Cllr Arthur not doing himself any favours. says "oh, we could do infrastructure more cheaply with plastic bollards".

    Posted 2 months ago #

  27. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Is CEC going for some sort of Vision Zero approach? Or Vision Collateral Damage Is OK?

    I am too old not to be cynical.

    It bothers me that every time someone loses their life on the roads, it's all terrible and 'we will stop at nothing to make roads safer!' and then six months later it's business as usual.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  28. chdot
    Admin

    I am unwilling to articulate my views on SA today in a public place…

    Posted 2 months ago #

  29. chdot
    Admin

    “six months“ you say…

    Posted 2 months ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    “

    Residents know this route is used and will be used more if segregation is introduced.

    “

    https://twitter.com/CllrScottArthur/status/1765662547229671578

    “will be used more if“

    Based on?

    Posted 2 months ago #

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