CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

The Edinburgh Trams

(7 posts)

  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    There is a very worried-sounding letter in today's Evening News:

    Concerned about safety on bike ride
    "I AM desperately concerned to have read that TIE are now planning for there to be NO separate cycle lanes on Leith Walk or Princes Street, after promises from the council that current cycle provision would be either maintained or bettered and would be integrated into the future plans."

    Is this true?

    It doesn't look terribly good. From the EdinburghTrams website, the latest schematics are available in a single (huge 40MB, but useful) PDF in their story-so-far statement of October 12th 2009. In particular, the correspondent above might easily have been concerned about the proliferation of 'TRAMS ONLY' sections on Leith Walk, and to a brief scan through the schematics, it's clear that cyclists will have to share a single uphill lane with all motorised traffic; trams and buses will have the other lane. Going downhill it gets better, with even the buses sharing the single lane. It's also obvious that there is a very generous central reservation on some sections of Leith Walk. It appears to be designed more to separate uphill and downhill, rather than for pedestrians to alight or board.

    On each drawing is also the important note:

    "Cycleways do not form part of this (traffic regulation) order and are shown for information only. They will be the subject of a separate consultation process where necessary."

    Part of me thinks that this gives tie the right to completely ignore all cyclist requirements until the grand opening, and then it'll be Transdev's problem. It certainly doesn't look like CEC -- which, I thought owns tie -- is making much of an effort to include us.

    However, tie's October statement does also say:

    "...everyone will have the opportunity to comment on or object to the draft traffic regulation orders at the advertised public deposit stage, early next year."

    Whether this actually means anything at all is another question.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  2. LaidBack
    Member

    The rule seems to be that whatever space is left will be allocated to bikes.

    Edinburgh Roads - road space priorities in 2009

    1. Cars + parking spaces
    2. Taxis + taxi ranks
    3. Buses + bus stops/parking
    4. Pedestrians + wide pavements that project into road
    5. Wheelie bins
    6. Cones + temporary road signs
    7. Scaffolding piles at roadside
    8. Potholes + drain covers
    9. Bicycles + bike lanes

    The tram company thought we were joking when we said that bike lanes should be sorted early on in process.
    The argument about carrying bikes on trams has also been interesting.

    Spokes meeting this Thursday

    Posted 14 years ago #
  3. Arellcat
    Moderator

    It was only in May this year -- less than six months ago - that CEC's Marshall Poulton signed the Charter of Brussels, and to give some sort of backing to the aspiration of 15% of all trips to be made by bike, by 2020. Even that is barely ten years away.

    When we have plans like those above for the trams, what exactly is CEC doing? And what exactly will happen when 2020 rolls along and the tough-on-cycling, tough-on-the-promotion-of-cycling evaporates?

    If Leith Walk and Princes St become ghost streets for cycling, what are the alternatives? Abbeyhill and Queen's Drive? Dublin Street and George Street?

    Posted 14 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    Signing of the Brussels Charter was a bold move by the Council.

    It signalled that some sections wanted to take cycling seriously, but the 2020 targets will undoubtedly be a struggle - with or without the tram.

    Whether or not cycling on Leith Walk will be 'fun' remains to be seen...

    (Not that it was great even before the tramworks started!)

    There is another 'tram delay' story in today's News.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  5. Kirst
    Member

    There's a Spokes public meeting on Thursday 19th November at 7.30pm in the Augustine Church on George IV Bridge - topic is Princes Street, trams & bikes.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  6. Kim
    Member

    How did the meeting go last night? Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    See http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=30#post-150 for reports on the Spokes meeting and continuing discussion on the trams.

    Posted 14 years ago #

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