CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

Spokesworker 25.03.12

(12 posts)

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    Full of good stuff as usual.

    Though not all good of course.

    "
    The latest development comes as Transport Scotland confirmed the astounding news that the new bridge will have no footpath or cycleway. These were dropped to cut the cost, so in future cyclists and walkers will be unable to travel between Lothian and Fife during bad weather or when the old bridge is finally closed.

    "

    "
    Leith Walk is a vital direct Leith-Edinburgh route, and needs much better cycling conditions - and a better pedestrian environment.

    "

    http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/spwkr12.03.252.pdf

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Of course the lack of a cycle lane on the New, Improved Bridge isn't news; Morningsider mentioned it here about a year ago. What is scary is the notion that the bridge will continue to weaken despite the drying of the cables, and in just seven years to the point at which large point loads cannot be withstood safely.

    That the original bridge might be closed completely in the near* future with no crossing alternative for self-propelled people, is absolutely outrageous.

    * in politics, every timeframe reduces either to 'near' or 'never'.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. holisticglint
    Member

    But are they actually going to ban bikes from the new bridge? I would be surprised if the road is rated as a motorway - although they could pull a City Bypass....

    Will make the cycle over to Fife to visit parents rather exciting and by exciting I mean terrifying.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. alibali
    Member

    That the original bridge might be closed completely in the near* future

    Maybe it might be dedicated to self-propelled users only. The likelyhood of it ever falling down under that load is pretty low, I think.

    A ferry would be a nice alternative if not though. It could even take trains, like it used to if the big red bridge fails....

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Morningsider
    Member

    holisticglint - the new bridge and its access roads will be motorways, so no cycle/pedestrian access ever.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. cb
    Member

    Longish thread about the classification of the new bridge, and other stuff:

    http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28072

    Someone on the first page refers to some insider knowledge that the current bridge will be dismantled within 12 months.

    Also the interesting point is made that, with the new bridge being a motorway and the old bridge being restricted to buses and bikes, there will be certain classes of vehicles that cannot cross.

    E.g. Learner motorbike drivers on a >50cc bike cannot cross (<50cc will be able to cross the old bridge).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. Morningsider
    Member

    cb - the current Forth Road Bridge will not be demolished 12 months after the new one opens. That's just nonsense on so many levels, e.g.

    Early indications are that dehumidifcation has stabilised the condition of the main cables on the FRB - although full internal exam results won't be availble until next year.

    It would likely cost tens of millions of pounds to dismatle the current bridge - money has not been allocated for this.

    This would represent a massive policy climb-down for the Scottish Government, something they really try and avoid.

    It makes no sense - the FRB currently has repair works programmed years into the future and, even if the cables continue to deteriorate, could operate with a reduced loading for a good number of years.

    The FRB is an A listed building - you can't jut knock it down without obtaining numerous permissions.

    I could go on, but doubt anyone would thank me for it...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. cb
    Member

    "but doubt anyone would thank me for it... "

    Personally, I tend to find your posts on such topics very interesting reading.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. Dave
    Member

    I wouldn't think it would come down as quickly as 12 months (!!) but, as soon as we get to the point where money has to be found for repairs that exceeds the cost of closing the bridge, I would expect the old bridge to go.

    It just doesn't make economic sense - even as a cyclist I'm uncomfortable with the idea of spending multi-millions for a tiny number of individuals (and, in fairness, making the bus ride a little quicker for quite a few more).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    It just doesn't make economic sense

    Neither does making no provision whatsoever for cyclists/pedestrians on the new bridge.

    If they really believed the old bridge was going to have to be demolished any time soon, they would have made that provision on the new bridge. They didn't, so I suspect that the idea that the old bridge is in imminent danger of collapse is basically nonsense.

    Once HGVs and private cars are on the new bridge, maintenance on the old bridge will not need to be so intensive as the loading will be so much less. Buses from Fife to Edinburgh are just not that frequent!

    Of course, there could be pressure from car drivers, motorcyclists, etc. to keep the old bridge open for them and create extra capacity.....which might have been the government's intention all along.

    It'll all come out in time.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. Dave
    Member

    Hmm, I can quite easily imagine that the economic benefit of a footpath over the new bridge and foot access to the motorway on either side was less than the economic cost of construction. Extreme short-sightedness is hardly uncommon, is it?

    As you say though, we shall see what we shall see.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Perhaps a wee FOI request to Transport Scotland might be in order to find out exactly what they intend non-motorists to do to get across the Forth.

    I recall debate, somewhere, a while ago about a proposed 'replacement bus' that would ferry cyclists and pedestrians across the existing bridge when weather conditions would otherwise prevent them crossing, and how such a solution would account for the types of equipment not normally (or ever) carried by buses, such as trailers, tricycles, tandems and so on.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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