In 2013, as promised...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Meanwhile, in Lochend...
(114 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Went along the path this afternoon with No.1 son on the tandem. A big section of it is closed off with barriers, but navigable with care: it's necessary to dismout go onto the grass at the side, though be warned, it's a dog toilet...
Path in closed off section very muddy but okay with chunky tyres. There's impressive progress on the earthworks for a proper access ramp up to Restalrig Road. Looks good. Didn't get a chance to take snaps.
Will let you know how it's getting on next weekend too.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Well the ramp to Restalrig Road is complete in terms of earth works. They just need to put ballast and tarmac on it. They're also building some steps alongside, that go down to the path right next to the bridge. Path still closed off for much of its length, but quite easy to get through the barriers.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Noted on Saturday past: the ramp to Restalrig Road has ballast, edging blocks set in concrete, and a route for steps at the side. I presume tarmac is next. The 'zig zag' up to Albion Road seems to be acquiring an extra ramp for those heading to/from Leith Walk/Academy.
Passage to the 'closed' path has been greatly assisted (not) by some local neds who have kicked down and destroyed several barrier fences at the Seagate end of the construction works. I trust the workmen will clear up all the mud, stones, etc. from the path surface when they're finished, as currently it's a bit like the Somme in places...
Posted 11 years ago # -
The slope from Restalrig Road is now complete and be-railingèd and no longer barriered-off, though there's still one block missing at the top of the steps. Forgot to check if there was a dropped kerb but there's no longer a height difference between the footway and slope. Path beneath the bridge still coated in mud.
At 1930 there was not yet any dogpoo on the nice fresh tarmac.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I forgot to mention that we passed by the tarmac laying machine and the steam roller on Saturday afternoon, coming the other way. The tarmac was freshly laid and the rain was evaporating as steam from it as soon as it hit, so still pretty hot.
Path is looking good. Not sure why they need all the railings but I imagine they will be helpful for folk with mobility issues or visual impairment.
Also some new benches have been installed at various points along the route, some still with protective wrapping on. One already had spraypaint graffitti by Saturday...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Nice big wide dropkerb at Restalrig Road slope-top. Kerb has been cut down but still to be macademed at Easter Road. Railing at Hawkhill slope looks new but can't remember what was wrong with the old one, unless there was none. Probably none as it used to be possible to desire-line straight up to the top.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Forgot to mention this earlier, but on Sunday I was please to observe (with No.1 son stoker) that someone (probably a good few folk) has gathered all the fly-tipped rubbish from the grass and shrubs on either side of the path. Big black bags full of the collected waste were dotted around next to the newly installed litter bins.
What a difference it makes when the place is nice and tidy!
Posted 11 years ago # -
We came up the path this afternoon, following what I can only describe as a wall of water which fell from above (we took shelter until it passed). At the bridge under Restalrig Road the path is completely flooded, to some depth: more like a medium sized pond than a puddle, and maybe 15 metres or more across.
We forded the muddy water on the tandem, slowly, staying on the bike as the water would have been shin height if we dismounted. As it was, despite the high bottom bracket the water covered our feet at the bottom of each stroke of the pedals.
Luckily we'd not far to go before dry socks, shoes, and trousers were available!
I imagine there is a drainage issue there, and expect the pond to stay around for a while. So if you're heading that way, wear wellies or climb up onto Restalrig Road via the spiffy new ramp instead (if heading north).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Not only is there a nice wide dropped kerb in place at the Easter Road end but they've doubled the distance between the gates of the two green chicanes between Easter Road and the Academy entrance.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Having used the Restalrig Railway Path today (apparently that's what it is called: big sign at Easter Rd end telling me so), I can confirm that the route to Portobello is usable by an 8 year old boy riding solo (accompanied of course by parents on this occasion). Albion Road toucan crossing and zig zag ramp presented no problems. Even at the end of a long day on the beach, tired and heading uphill.
The only bit that does present real difficulties is the still unfinished toucan crossing at Seafield Street. The temporary traffic lights are confusing and risky, dodging cars turning from Seafield Street is not child friendly. CEC, please hurry up and get this crossing finished! Seafield Street also has no pavement for quite a distance: it's a quiet street but there is intermittent traffic, parked cars, and buses turn there. Not ideal.
A further issue is the car park on the Prom at the end of King's Rd. There's a brief section where there's no option but to cycle through it before it's possible to rejoin the pedestrianised Prom. End on parked cars, potentially reversing out, and cars entering looking for spaces also not child friendly.
Otherwise, a great way to take a family trip to the seaside.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Less than satisfactory crossing link at Seafield Road -
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9687&page=8#post-119569
Posted 11 years ago # -
This news probably means the Seafield path is currently blocked...
http://m.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/baby-human-remains-found-near-seafield-1-3019460Posted 11 years ago # -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-23486886
This looks to be near the new ramp and bridge at the Links end of the path.
Wonder if any regular commuters go this way with cameras activated and still have footage on disc. Might be worth dropping the Police a line.
Posted 11 years ago # -
The ramp and bridge were (partially) re-opened today by police, though most of the ramp and a section of path on Leith Links are still taped off and guarded by police officers. Access to the ramp is by the adjacent steps for the time being.
I cycled down that way with No.1 son this afternoon, and the officer on duty expressed surprise we were there as he had only taken barriers down 10 minutes beforehand!
Lots of trees and undergrowth have been cut back, with branches, twigs, leaves etc. encroaching onto the path. I presume this was done during a search for evidence though the police could not of course discuss this.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I noticed they've changed the layout at Seafield now:
<shamelss_plug>
http://barneysbikeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/seafield-pavement-cycling.html
</shamelss_plug>Posted 11 years ago # -
I would always still do the former maneouvre as described on your blog, Barney
Posted 11 years ago # -
I am. I'm just annoyed that money has been spent encouraging people to do something stupid and dangerous. And it was done AFTER they put in something safe.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Path completely open last night, with no police tape or vans or presence visible. Still a few pipes of cut undergrowth lying about of which the council have been notified.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Prhaps stretching the definition of Lochend a bit, but anyway the bridge between Albion Terrace and Bothwell Street made me really angry today.
Here's what it used to look like until about a month ago:
(click image to see on Streetview)
It's been like that for as long as I can remember. Despite the 'no cycling' sign cyclists regularly use it as a quiet cut through. With care, one could get through the bollards without dismounting. It's a regular shortcut for solo and family trips via the Restalrig railway path.
Last month they took the bollards away, and resurfaced both the streets leading to the bridge, and the approaches to bridge where the bollards had been. I was really pleasantly surprised by this, and for several weeks now it's been a pleasure to use this shortcut by bike. I was just beginning to think the council must have seen the light, they are trying to make things easier for cyclists.
Imagine my distress then when we travelled that way this morning to find the bridge had been blocked off at both ends! Or, at least, that's what it looked like from a distance. The council have installed bloody huge chicanes (actually swinging gates with padlocked bolts) which make the bridge virtually impassable on a solo bike without dismounting (it is just about possible, very slowly, but not at all easy). With a child seat fitted, you need to dismount due to tricky balancing at low speeds on a slope. Riding a tandem, trike, cargo bike, or towing a cargo/child trailer? No chance! A wheelchair user might struggle too: heck, it's pretty inconvenient for pedestrians too.
I meant to take photos today but forgot my phone. Will snap tomorrow. The chicanes/gates are covered in bright reflective tape, and have of course obligatory tactile paving fitted about a foot before they start.
Really I'm angry and depressed by this move, particularly as the council seem to be removing chicanes on paths and bridges elsewhere. It almost seems like CEC are back to their blatant anti-cyclist ways. The bridge is now more obstructed than it was with the old bollards! It has actually got worse. The chicanes make the bridge really unpleasant and awkward to use, not just for cyclists but for folk on foot too: it created a huge bottleneck for football fans this afternoon, for instance.
I want these chicanes removed. What can be done?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Here's what the Crawford Bridge looks like now. As you can see, these are gates, presumably designed to be unlocked on a busy match day at Easter Road or for emergency access. The chicane on the steeper side (linking to Albion Terrace) is tighter and requires a dismount, even on a solo bike (see photo of my handlebars to see how tight the space is).
The 'no cycling' sign may have been removed but the act of cycling on the bridge has been made more difficult than before.
Posted 11 years ago # -
They remind me of the ones on the Portobello railway footbridge. At one end they're moderately justified being at the top of steps, the other just annoying
Posted 11 years ago # -
Could a wheelchair or electric mobility thingby get through unassisted?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm sure they've covered the angles so that the only folk who will be significantly inconvenienced are cyclists. Apart from a nutter who might try to drive a car across the unbollarded bridge, who else are they targeting?
It's almost as though someone in the street design team was fuming away about the lland access rules "Well if we can't ban cyclists from the bridge any more, we can at least make life as difficult as possible for them!"
Posted 11 years ago # -
@crowriver I agree that those gates are poorly implemented. A very cheap solution would be to drill the holes for the bolts slightly further back so the gates shut at an angle. This both makes the gap between them wider and also makes the angles more cycle (and pram and wheelchair) friendly.
Posted 11 years ago # -
If there's no longer a no cycling sign this makes a new second-shortest commute-route for me, so I'll try and pop through it at some point. The youngest's pram is slightly wider than my widest handlebars and reaches its maximal width at the wheels, so I might also pop for a visit to see what it's like turning a laden buggy through a right angle on a slope going through the gates so that I can complain from two perspectives.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Angle grinder?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I can only assume that the community council complained so loudly when told the signs gad to go that they placated them by promising that they would slow the cyclists down.
Can't see any other reason to replace what appear to be perfectly serviceable bollards.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I think wingpig should just take photos of and compain about the issues of taking a pushchair through there. Don't even mention cycling. It isn't just about cyclists....
Posted 11 years ago #
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