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Scott Arthur Latest

(1327 posts)
  • Started 1 year ago by chdot
  • Latest reply from chdot
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  1. gembo
    Member

    Could I get some help please. Write to Scott Arthur saying the WoL path resurface is a great idea, just in case he caves. Under pressure from the Horse riders, as the actual resurface is happening now. And needs not to be dug up.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

    “needs not to be dug up”

    ?

    Posted 1 year ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

  4. chdot
    Admin

    TEMP/21/77 A89 & A8 Suspension of bus lanes, bays and loading prohibitions 27 May 2021 12 November 2022 Download TEMP/21/77

    https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/29503/temp-21-77

    Posted 1 year ago #
  5. gembo
    Member

    Big Kev. And Dave McC have weighed in

    The WoL path is being surfaced with Ultitrec. The horse riders are objecting. The path is being laid now so the path is closed in sections

    I don’t want it laid then Herr Doctor Prof having a consultation to rip it up again.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    I’m assuming “I don’t want it laid” should be ‘I don’t want it laid’, so a third party NOT gembo??

    Or?

    Are you really saying work started and has now stopped??

    There MUST have been a consultation…!?

    Posted 1 year ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    Obviously this is not by SA -

    Having established Edinburgh as a global leader in the fight against climate change in the last five years and produced bold plans in areas like housing and transport, the delivery of this is now under threat. The early signs are the Labour, Tory, LibDem administration will try and water down and reverse some of the progress in key areas.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/the-snp-won-the-election-and-will-carry-that-trust-with-care-adam-mcvey-3728107

    Bad loser/not loser or?

    Posted 1 year ago #
  8. Frenchy
    Member

    Or?

    "I don’t want Herr Doctor Prof having a consultation to rip it up again after it's laid."

    Posted 1 year ago #
  9. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Re McVey

    Beyond the exaggeration and hubris of his claims, zero recognition that "the delivery of this" was abysmally slow under his administration

    Posted 1 year ago #
  10. gembo
    Member

    The work has statrted, see threads passim (Wol Path Upgrade)

    At Redhall end

    As have the complaints to Herr Doktor Proff

    I dont want him to halt the work to consult

    just because he might be a spineless vacillator

    Posted 1 year ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

    “I dont want him to halt the work to consult“

    I suspect he’s more likely to blame previous administration, rather than say ‘stop’.

    Alternatively he could welcome this great improvement for all except/including horse users(?)

    Horses ride on tarmac roads so what’s the problem?

    A few years ago I cycled up the notorious bit before the tunnel sliding through the sludge and came across an organised ‘walking for health’ group slogging on almost up to their ankles.

    Horse riders may have made conditions worse?

    Longstanding problem involves rain, water, leaves, autumn, inadequate drainage and inconsistent maintenance.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    This is from a week ago, don’t know how it got missed.

    Hard to tell if he is naïve or just provocative.

    Edinburgh's transport debate has to move on from cars v bikes and make public transport and walking a much bigger part of the conversation, according to the city's new transport convener Scott Arthur.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/its-time-to-move-on-from-the-war-between-motorists-and-cyclists-edinburghs-new-transport-convener-wants-to-see-changes-3723359

    Twitter spat currently in progress.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  13. Morningsider
    Member

    As I have said elsewhere, I am always suspicious of the motivation of politicians newly converted to the cause of pedestrians.

    They never seem to follow through with any significant action. They also know that, even if they do, it is very unlikely to inconvenience motorists in the way that cycle infrastructure might. When it does, e.g. pedestrianising the section of Braid Road outside the Hermitage, they scream blue murder until it is reversed.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    Agree

    To say that CllrA sends out mixed signals is an understatement!

    It’s possible he’s trying to influence fellow councillors - esp on T&E

    But it’s all being interpreted in lots of different ways…

    Next T&E already postponed by a month

    Not clear how long his “interim”likely to be…

    Or when it (and CV others) will get reformulated.

    Will be very interesting to see how he manages his minority position -

    https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=136

    Posted 1 year ago #
  15. Stickman
    Member

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/ediinburgh-transport-we-cant-drive-our-way-out-of-the-challenges-ahead-scott-arthur-3730903

    Whilst some may question this agenda, I hope we can all agree that we can’t drive our way out of the challenge these new homes will bring.

    Dealing with this challenge, and the others we face in Edinburgh will test the best of our energies and skills, but it is a challenge I am willing to accept, one I am unwilling to postpone, and one which I intend that we win.

    To do this, however, will need a change of culture. Not only will we have to listen to residents and work collaboratively with surrounding local authorities, we will have to do the same within the council. We shall have to set aside political tribalism, and work together to take our city forward. I can’t wait!

    Posted 1 year ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    Our first aim must be to ensure that all developments are on good quality public transport routes, and residents can meet their day-to-day needs within a 20 minute walk of their home. This is how things used to be!

    I’m genuinely confused.

    He says things ‘we’ can agree with, but “first aim”?

    “all developments”

    Really?

    Not just ‘new/future ones’??

    Obviously he’s talking about ones that aren’t even in CEC land.

    He’s sounding like a Metro Mayor of an area bigger than Edinburgh - Lothian Region perhaps??

    And he’s not even the Leader of his very minority administration.

    SO

    Congestion Charge ASAP to pay for this?

    He’s only Transport Convenor for 3 months, clearly has bigger ambitions.

    That’s fine, but he needs to resolve the internal conflicts of grand plans that have to be approved street by street…

    Posted 1 year ago #
  17. Yodhrin
    Member

    You'd think he'd stood for the LibDems the way he goes on. Of course all this "Careful Now..." nonsense could well be one of the prices they extracted for supporting the Labour takeover.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    It will take time (and money), but change is coming.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1537545923559038978

    Posted 1 year ago #
  19. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Yeah right

    More bollards have been removed on the Mound, outside the old Bank of Scotland HQ

    Death by 1000 cuts ATM

    Posted 1 year ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    Doesn’t sound like someone who only plans to be in post for three months -

    Before the end of 2022 we will present our vision for the biggest expansion in public transport our capital has seen this century – inc tram, bus lanes and park & ride schemes. We will listen to residents on this issue, and work with them and surrounding local authorities to transform and decarbonise the transportation system in our capital.

    This will also be an opportunity to invest in active transport, so we will learn any lessons from the Trams to Newhaven active travel scheme which has been the subject of international media attention.

    https://drscottarthur.scot/2022/06/29/workplace-parking-levy-and-edinburghs-addiction-to-motoring-income/

    Posted 1 year ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

  22. Morningsider
    Member

    Why the need to attack the documented success of a policy introduced by a Labour council?

    The "but Nottingham isn't Edinburgh in 2022" argument ignores the fact that Labour councils in Leicester and Oxford both plan to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy this year.

    It is disappointing that someone who flaunts their academic credentials stoops to using science flavoured arguments against a policy. The fact that vehicle mileage has increased at a greater rate in Nottingham than in Edinburgh in recent years does not mean the WPL has failed to achieve its goals. Which is what the Councillor implies, without providing any evidence to support that argument.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  23. Yodhrin
    Member

    These days I find algorithms are often quite telling. It's interesting then that whenever I read a tweet of the Professor's(and I should note that I browse twitter logged out, without cookies, on a browser with privacy tools to prevent things like fingerprinting, so the only thing it has to go on is the tweets being read), the two most common subjects twitter seems to think fans of Arthur would be interested in are the crackpot fringes of both unionism and anti-cycling motoring twitter.

    @Morningsider - he's actually executing the stereotypical academic perfectly, in that he includes the research in his blogpost, but has managed to find the one part of it - growth in car miles driven continues to track the national rate even after the WPL was introduced - that supports his existing views to highlight while ignoring the rest - for example, the part that notes the WPL was successful in shifting a decent number of people from car to other modes, but that newly vacated capacity was then filled by more driving. Now, one could conclude from that as the Professor does that the WPL was a failure, or one might surmise that induced demand applies regardless of whether you build an extra lane or drive the existing lanes down below their maximum capacity and conclude that the problem was insufficient reallocation of roadspace in concert with the WPL. Just as one might look at the very real issue of displaced parking and conclude the likelihood of it happening makes a WPL useless, or alternatively that the reason that would be such a problem is the current generous provision and lack of enforcement and addressing those would be the reasonable approach.

    He's clearly set against the policy, whether personally or for political advantage, so it doesn't matter what evidence you provide or solutions you propose, he'll always find another thread to pull on to fuel his Centrist Dad sophistry.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  24. Arellcat
    Moderator

    IANA traffic planner, and I don't even play one on TV, but even I understand that WPL as an intervention is akin to reducing road capacity, by driving down* destination-led demand, but thereafter increasing road capacity because it enables the suppressed alternative destination-led demand, beyond that shifted to public transport. Those filling the capacity may well not be the same people who altered their behaviour as a consequence of WPL. So in that sense, WPL would be entirely effective, but it may not reduce overall demand if there is a sufficiently high latent demand.

    Has any city implemented WPL in concert with physical reductions in road capacity and/or parking capacity? My thinking is a bit like the use of Ocean Terminal as overspill for the huge car park at Victoria Quay. I'm jumping to conclusions but can't imagine that people who arrived at the government building and found a "car park full" sign simply drove home again, if there were free parking nearby.

    * I like how 'throttling' and 'driving down' can both mean the same thing.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  25. chdot
    Admin

    Does anyone know if Nottingham didn’t do any/enough road space reallocate because they assumed WPL would work but didn’t think there would be new traffic or because trying other traffic measures would be ‘too controversial’?

    We’re beginning to understand what SA wants, no WPL, reopen Braid Rd because that’s what some locals want and a better bus service.

    Lost the vote on the first.

    Second is tiny BUT an indication of lack of understanding of how “networks” are a: important, b: need to join up!

    Plus the whole ‘be transparent, consult more, do what the locals want’ is either disingenuous or naive.

    As for the buses, well, all party support for better bus lanes, still ambiguity about using cameras on buses for enforcement and no clear idea what LB could/will do - or if/when bus use will return to pre-pandemic levels.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  26. chdot
    Admin

    “As a result, I understand that the council has received well over 1,000 detailed responses. I’m grateful for this level of response, and I will ensure each is considered fully and fairly. If the Transport and Environment Committee agrees to progress any of the proposed ETROs, a full and proper statutory consultation will be carried out alongside it, so that the council may learn and improve these schemes.

    “I accept many residents may have found it difficult to interpret some of the proposals in the most recent consultation, and I am keen the council learns lessons from this.”

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-council-accused-of-secret-consultation-on-spaces-for-people-measure-3769981

    Posted 1 year ago #
  27. chdot
    Admin

    It's harsh to say the law is ignored by Councils, and I don't think it is a matter for the Police. The issue is that idling is permitted if there is a reason for it... and that can include powering air conditioning.

    The current £20 fine is a joke.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1549003095795023872?s=21&t=a820g95D-3MumK0ZDJH1sg

    Posted 1 year ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

  29. steveo
    Member

    One of the replies to that tweet is so typically twitter. Complaints about idling aircraft, over flowing bins and attacks on the otherwise law abiding motorist.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    I had my 1st cycle along the Leith Walk cycle lane today. I know it's had bad press (not least from me), but I found it very usable. The main issue is that the footpath looks very narrow in sections, & I can't see how it will work around tram & bus stop conflict points.

    https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1549828386721353728

    Normal speed video here:
    youtu.be/dIXcPn0VAkg

    I know further improvements are planned over the next few months, so I will be back. :-)

    https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1549828396246605828

    Posted 1 year ago #

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