CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
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Since we've got another five months or so, maybe it's worth a bag of mortar to make a ramp?
The path seems to be getting narrower and narrower, but today I realised it's only because there's a massive sign board saying, ironically, that the path is narrow so you better watch out.
It's still wider than the whole of the canal towpath mind you.
saw a guy on a (fairly big) motorbike driving through it this morning!
The advertising hoardings have been removed from Dalry Road and you can see the area where a path would come through from Russell Road. I'd always though the land was much higher at the back.
I'm now betting that the Dalry Road crossing will be at grade
150221125523IMG_0470 by fountainbridge, on Flickr
Thanks to Andrew Burns intervention on Twitter, the ramp access looks set to be reinstated soon...
"We have just been informed that the equipment (ramps) required to install a temporary drop kerb for the area that you mention in your email below, have been ordered and should be in place this weekend or at the beginning of next week.
Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience that this has caused to you and don’t hesitate to contact this office if you feel that we can further assist you in this or any other matter.
Kind regards"
"equipment (ramps) required"
What's wrong with a couple of shovelfuls of tarmac? ('Normal' solution!))
I'm sure at one point the shared path extended from the Roseburn junction to Sauchiebank. There's still faint pavement markings on the pavement of Roseburn Street (https://goo.gl/maps/5Z6kl).
As far as I remember, that path only existed to facilitate a left-hand turn. I think it was constructed towards the end of 1999 or early 2000, and didn't connect with anything else on Russell Road.
As a side issue the switchback doesn't meet the approved planning approval. I've not found a planning app that supersedes this design…
I tried and failed, too. I did get a response from the then EdinburghTrams about the redesign, though.
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8186&page=3#post-84636
"As a side issue the switchback doesn't meet the approved planning approval."
Don't know what was or wasn't proposed/approved for the ramp.
BUT
There was a view that there was 'no room for any sort of ramp' and the (serious) proposal was for steps!
I think we have to thank the Cycle Team for that not happening! (But it nearly did!)
Everything is "temporary"...
Apologies in advance for going off on a bit of a tangent but I have noticed that the switchback doesn't get gritted even though it is clearly labelled as being part of the Priority One path that should be getting gritted (see CEC interactive map online).
I came off my bike the other week on ice coming down the switchback at low speed when it hadn't been gritted and I noticed earlier this week that again, whilst the rest of the path had been gritted, the switchback hadn't. I presume that this is because they can't or won't drive the little gritter down there but with such sharp corners on a steep incline, it surely is the one place that really needs it.
I have Clarenced this via FixMyStreet but it's maybe something to keep an eye on for next winter.
@Davidsondave I'd hazard a guess that this is because the gritting tractor can't get down the switchback, and noone has bothered to tell the driver to get out and manually spread some grit on the slope and 180 degree bends, where's its probably most important!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't cycle route 1 (?) veer off towards Haymarket? I'm guessing the switchback (not build to planning permission) isn't included in the priority gritting.
Doesn't excuse it not being gritted though.
I see the way though the roadworks it segregated between cyclists and pedestrians, wonder why cyclists are told to dismount though. Surely a better sign would be cyclists caution narrow path.
Signs were erected due to a number of complaints of cyclists cycling at speed through the narrow paths.
I was walking on the non-shared footpath and met 2 separate cyclists coming round the corner at speed. They said they were entitled to use the footpath as the shared use side was closed (?).
I don't really understand the dismount signs here (and haven't seen anyone, including me, bothering with them).
It would be different if the pavement was genuinely narrow, or even if it was busy, but in fact it's still wider than all of the canal towpath and so far I haven't gone under at the same time as anyone else.
Unless we want to see all of the towpath marked as dismount-only, there has to be some push back on stuff like this.
In a true Edinburgh shoot your own leg off fashion, the only really narrow bit has been produced by the people who put up the "caution narrow" sign, taking up about 60% of the width of the path.
(I believe this may even be genuine irony?)
Edit: I haven't seen anyone cycling on the other side, but I suppose if people see a giant red dismount sign, they're possibly interpreting that as the path being closed, hence using the other side. I love unintended consequences like this.
I cycle past the ginormous red dismount sign slowly, on the grounds that I take up less room than if I was pushing my cycle. I do this most days & see other people do it. We wait for each other at the ends, where it is too narrow to pass. We worked it out without the need of the signs.
There's now a small sign at each end directing pedestrians and cyclists separate ways. Cyclists though the shared path, pedestrians along the other side.
Still a cyclists dismount sign.
(First photo is actually at the bottom of the zig-zag path, second photo is taken from the other side)
150317160733IMG_0766 by fountainbridge, on Flickr
150317160923IMG_0769 by fountainbridge, on Flickr
150317160752IMG_0768 by fountainbridge, on Flickr
I went this way last night, the first time since the closure. I missed all the signs as I was completely distracted by the large motorbike which went through in front of me.
Well, Mr Burns was good to his word.
Nice shiny hi-viz yellow ramp was in place this morning facilitating my uninterrupted exit from the Roseburn Path switchbacks.
Nice yellow ramp has been up for a couple of days. Very glad to see it.
I was very glad to see it to Rosie. Particularly after my mis-timed bunny hop onto the pavement a fortnight ago meant half an hour replacing a tube in freezing cold darkness!
Aaargh. Yally ramp has been stolen.
Yep - missing it this morning. Back to my gnarly trials skilz...
<bump><bump>
At least it's missing.
Ah, that's why I couldn't see it last night...
Got in touch with the cycling officer at Edinburgh Council who is doing something about this. He said I should get in touch again on Monday if nothing has been done.
The contractors appear to be dismantling the scaffolding etc under the bridge. The footpath on the east side of Russell Rd has been shut off completely since last night, but the other narrower footpath is still open.
It looks like the lovely quiet Russell Road is soon to return to it's usual rat running unpleasantness.
Yes, definitely looking like it is nearly ready to be cleared and opened again.
The workmen had closed the pavement/shared path this morning which meant a tight squeeze on the narrow pavement on the other side. The workman I spoke to gave an estimate of between 1 hour and 1 month for the closure. It seems that the uncertainty in the timescale is due to the highly technical nature of the work which involves drilling.
What?
I thought they were all done!
Oh well...
Looks like Russell Road is about to reopen - probably tomorrow (Monday 20th). Exactly 6 months since the closure.
All works have been removed but the road remains closed as of this afternoon. Clyslists are still expected to dismount their bikes and walk under the bridge.
150719153314IMG_2374 by Paul Fountain, on Flickr
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