Detailed plans are all here:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/385/cycling_in_edinburgh
Looks like a bit of an Edinburgh mish-mash. Some good bits though that will improve the route. Maybe I'll even use it if I'm with the kids.
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.
Detailed plans are all here:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/385/cycling_in_edinburgh
Looks like a bit of an Edinburgh mish-mash. Some good bits though that will improve the route. Maybe I'll even use it if I'm with the kids.
If I was going to make Rankeillor St one-way then I would go for the other direction to that (i.e. west to east) with parking on the north side. That would mean that cyclists didn't have to cross over the vehicle lane.
Having Rankeillor one-way would enable the pavement to be properly widened at the St Leaonards St end.
This link http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/385/cycling_in_edinburgh/1931/cycle_projects/5
gives the plans etc and also details of consultation, so that you can feed in all these good ideas:
We would be grateful if you could take the time to complete our short online questionnaire about the proposals. (link)
Our staff will be available to answer questions about the proposals at a drop in session on Tuesday 26 November 2013 (5.30-8.30pm):
Room 2, South Side Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9ER
The deadline for comments is Monday 16 December 2013.
If you have any queries about the project or want to request a hard copy of the consultation leaflet/drawings please contact us at:
CyclingProjects.Consultation@edinburgh.gov.uk or on 0131 469 3629
Why do Toucan crossings always have to run perpendicular to the road?
At the meadows end it would be great if the crossing started directly at the park entrance and went almost due north to reach the eastern pavement just north of Buccleuch Terrace.
(Actually it would require a really wide crossing with perpendicular sections for pedestrians at either end; Buccleuch Terrace would need traffic lights too).
Rankeillor Street (and, IIRC, Montague Street) is already no-right-turn-from-northbound-on-Clerk-Street (though presumably only because there's no space for a right-turn filter-reservoir to prevent the impediment of important northbound traffic) so it's a fairly lossless conversion to stop left-turns from southbound on Clerk Street (and would be a big win for pedestrians, as Rankeillor Street's west end is a popular site for motorists to demonstrate their ignorance or disregard of Rule 170). Traffic trundling down it from the east looking for a parking space in it is going to be slower than traffic steaming all the way along it to try and save time by not going through the controlled junction at Bernard Terrace/(South) Clerk Street.
When I was sketching out my layout for Rankeillor on the previous page I had something slightly grander in mind for Clerk St - protect the whole shooting match with a pedestrian crossing at either side and loops in the cycle lanes to trigger them
In each direction let the first crossing turn red, then the second, to allow a nice empty crossing every time for cyclists.
edit: hum, the stagger isn't so stark as I remembered so the islands thing wouldn't work - but blocking off the whole junction with a pair of crossings would certainly be better than mixing pedestrians and cyclists across one
I'll study this in detail later, but why not save cash by marking the segregated cycle bit on the road (raised kerb/plantings etc) on the tarmac and keep the pavement as is? Otherwise you invite conflict between peds and cyclists.
"blocking off the whole junction with a pair of crossings would certainly be better than mixing pedestrians and cyclists across one"
Yep I've proposed similar on Old Dalkeith Road between Inch Park and Craigmilar Country Park.
That is 'harder' than Clerk Street because of the nasty S bend - which is exactly why you need a decent crossing.
Council has a real problem with 'signals'.
Never been able to work out how much that is due to 'expensive', 'legislation', 'priorities' or 'culture'.
Perhaps 'we' can organise a site visit before session or deadline -
"
Our staff will be available to answer questions about the proposals at a drop in session on Tuesday 26 November 2013 (5.30-8.30pm):
Room 2, South Side Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9ER
The deadline for comments is Monday 16 December 2013.
"
23rd or 24th?
A short extension to this route would bring it right to the gates of Pollock Halls. A little bit of segregated cycleway along Holyrood Park Road and this would be the ideal cycle route for students travelling to George Square and back.
Just think how busy it could get.
Perhaps 'we' can organise a site visit before session or deadline
I've 3 days off next week. Would be available for riding the route, comparing it to plans and making suggestions to improve.
Not convinced the planners will have done it from the ground, I've the feeling that everything is done on the desktop the way some hairbrained things turn out.
@kenny: yes that should be a pretty easy extension - just a short dog-leg from East Parkside up Holyrood Park Road as you say - and given the population of Pollock Halls it'd be an absolute winner.
"Not convinced the planners will have done it from the ground, I've the feeling that everything is done on the desktop the way some hairbrained things turn out."
Nah, I think there will have been a lot of 'on the ground' visits.
I believe some of the work has been done by Halcrow.
It would be interesting to see if 'don't touch the car parking' was explicitly in the brief - or whether 'everyone just knows that isn't an option'!
The wider crossing option is one way to do it. Precedent from the slightly overdone one at Fountainbridge where cyclists can use bike lanes or cycle on pavements to achieve a green run. (That though has flaws too).
The desire line is not to dog leg onto pavement and on longer bikes these sort of actions are tricky. Design cycleways without right angles please.
CEC must note that infrastructure must be able to be used by less experienced riders and not put cyclists and pedestrians in head to head conflicts.
Happy to take a look on the ground next week and contribute to discussion.
CEC must note that infrastructure must be able to be used by less experienced riders
And also those who may have limited ability to perform 90 degree spot turns for whatever reason.
OMG - just had a look at the plans - they are appalling.
They've taken space away from pedestrians to create garbage shared pavements, whereas what they should've done is remove parking and/or make the street fully one-way. They really don't get it do they... I certainly won't be taking my young children down it if that's the best they can do for a key connection.
There's absolutely no reason why this route couldn't be fully segregated in its entirety, with road space taken from the road and not the pavement.
Why do CEC insist on wasting the precious cycle budget on garbage infrastructure? It'll only have to be re-done again when everyone realises it's crap (QBiC all over again).
@eddieh - you may recall that that was roughly my original reaction. Having talked through the plans with people in the intervening time, I can assure you that some pavements have been widened. Not sure that makes it right, though.
"There's absolutely no reason why this route couldn't be fully segregated in its entirety, with road space taken from the road and not the pavement."
Oh yes there is...
In simple terms it's a single word -
Politics.
Politicians believe - quite rightly - that 'the public' 'aren't ready for significant restrictions on car use' - especially parking.
Almost all politicians are too scared (though they call it democracy/doing what the public wants) to LEAD.
Jim Orr and Keith Brown went to Amsterdam and were 'impressed' by various things - but not apparently - enough to think it COULD happen here (or at least not until the A9 is finished).
I think everyone is being very unfair. They are removing parking. Two spaces are being removed on Rankeillor St. What more do you want?
Cycled by The Hope Park Crescent part couple of times now.
The proposal's route is maybe the 'least worst option' to allow slow cyclists to get over to the Innocent. The East side of road has a lot of space though to make a genuine two way separated cycle. If the corners aren't too sharp then it would be ok. If it's half decent it will become very busy though. Worth making it wide enough now.
And check the youngsters know the difference between "their and there" 0;-)
"And check the youngsters know the difference between "their and there" 0;-)"
Yeah - think that was part of a Dutch presentation.
I did wonder if perhaps I was being a little unfair in that regard. If so, it's far more excusable :-)
(Note to self: make sure you remember to use your quotation marks the way you intended and not to leave half of them out. Doh!).
Reminder (tomorrow)
"
Our staff will be available to answer questions about the proposals at a drop in session on Tuesday 26 November 2013 (5.30-8.30pm):
Room 2, South Side Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9ER
The deadline for comments is Monday 16 December 2013.
"
Yes. Consultation is open tonight. Will drop by.
Was busy last night.
I spoke to one of the road layout people about the squeeze points and suggested a diagonal might be the answer.
If that wasn't possible then I think pavement at Meadows side around corner would have to be built out even more.
Or they could just close Buccleuch street to though traffic - (yes I know... but there are other roads and people say we are committed to traffic reduction).
Left my notes.
I have a small pile of leaflets at shop if anyone wants.
Just posted a rant on the online comments form...
(felt I should be typing in green ink...)
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