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Active Travel Action Plan Progress Review

(10 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by crowriver
  • Latest reply from crowriver

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  1. crowriver
    Member

    Perhaps we can all agree on one good thing for the city: Edinburgh's Active Travel Action Plan (incorporating Cycling Action Plan) agreed in September 2010 (main points below courtesy Spokes):

    In the wake of POP at the weekend, perhaps we ought to review the progress so far in implementing this plan? Something to badger the newly-elected councillors about next week perhaps?

    "- By April 2014, implement 13 major missing Family Network links, including early action on Innocent connection to Meadows, Roseburn to Princes St, North Edinburgh path to Botanics (east and west) and (many people will be delighted!) A90 route to Queensferry and Forth Bridge. Other of these links by 2014 include Meadows to North Edinburgh via city centre, Portobello to Leith to North Edinburgh, Union Canal to North Edinburgh paths. Outline designs for all these routes by April 2011."

    Have outline designs been completed???

    "- By April 2014, complete the first area package (south-central Edinburgh) including a Quality Bike Corridor (by end 2011) from the city centre to Newington to Kings Buildings and the Royal Infirmary, plus widespread 20mph limits, parking, promotion, etc. The likely second area will be west from the city centre, followed possibly by the North East."

    QBC only a year plus behind schedule. 'Widespread' 20mph limits hobbled and only a 'pilot' partial scheme in the south of the city implemented so far.

    "- By April 2013, upgrade main road cyclist provision on sections of the A1, A7, A701, A772, A702, A70, A71, A8 and A90."

    Only 12 months left to deliver that lot!

    "- By Dec 2012, prepare plans for new main road cyclist provision on sections of A90, Portobello Rd, Colinton Rd, Morningside Rd, Comiston Rd, Easter Rd."

    This would be very welcome. Only 8 months left to deliver the plans!

    "- Review car parking permissions in all cycle lanes."

    Is this/will this ever happen?

    "- Revise maintenance rules to ensure by April 2011 ‘regular programmed maintenance of lines and coloured surfacing‘ for onroad bus and cycle facilities."

    Has this happened? I noticed some fresh paint applied in the recent end of financial year splurge...

    "- Exempt cyclists from all suitable 1-ways and road closures."

    Timescale?

    "- Bike parking – several commitments for residential and public bike parking, with date timescales, including city centre bike parking to be upgraded by Sept 2011."

    Did this happen? I haven't noticed.

    "- By Sept 2011, install one or more public display bike counters – as used in several European cities as a promotional measure."

    What about this?

    "- A range of cycle training and promotional initiatives, including all primary school children to receive training by 2016/7."

    We'll keep an eye out nearer the time then.

    More detail at the CEC site.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  2. cb
    Member

    Good analysis crowriver and, unfortunately, the results don't look too good so far.

    I was quite positive about the ATAP when if came out, but we should be reaping more of the benefits already and we're not really.

    Re. the bike parking, there have been quite a few cycle loops appearing and even a few Sheffield stands.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  3. crowriver
    Member

    So if folk are feeling fired up, galvanised to action after POP, you could do worse than buttonhole/write to your councillor once the election is over. Ask them what progress has been made on the ATAP and throw in a couple of your favourite priorities, especially any that are overdue or due to be completed soon...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  4. lionfish
    Member

    Thanks crowriver, that's a really useful summary. I wish I'd used it in my last email to my councillors. Well, next week...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  5. SRD
    Moderator

    had replied to this last night but something happened to my post.

    Would love to know what they have in mind regarding Roseburn to Princes St, Union Canal to North Edinburgh paths. I think these N-S linkages are really important.

    chdot - does the CEC Cycle forum consider things like progress made on ATAP?

    Posted 11 years ago #
  6. crowriver
    Member

    To be fair, they are working on this one:
    Portobello to Leith to North Edinburgh

    A nice resurfaced path in progress, access to Seafield Street, and a shared use pavement on Seafield Road (no signage yet). 'Just' the bridge to Leith Links and the direct access to Seafield Road from path to sort (tender advertised, see threads passim).

    Be interested to know what happened to "early action" on these:
    Innocent connection to Meadows....North Edinburgh path to Botanics (east and west) and A90 route to Queensferry and Forth Bridge.

    "something happened to my post"

    Other thread was zapped by ant-spam robots or something...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    "
    "something happened to my post"

    Other thread was zapped by ant-spam robots or something...

    "

    Can't find SRD's post or see anything wrong with previous thread.

    All seems OK now. Just put it down to 'random'.

    This deserved a thread of its own.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  8. SRD
    Moderator

    ...North Edinburgh path to Botanics (east and west)

    The roads there are nice and wide - especially to main entrance at west. Would be a good place to experiment with physically segregated cycle lanes?

    Posted 11 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    "does the CEC Cycle forum consider things like progress made on ATAP?"

    I haven't been to all the meetings in the past year and not got time to look through all minutes just now.

    Without being helpful the answer will be yes and no. Progress on infrastructure is always looked at.

    I have a particular interest in Cycle Training and recently was trying to find out if the initial commitment for a review had been carried out.The answer is yes, but some of those involved weren't entirely clear that it had been done because of ATAP.

    The next CF is 99.9% certain to be chaired by someone new, who may want to concentrate more on this in future.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  10. crowriver
    Member

    As Dave du Feu wrote nearly two years ago:

    "The biggest uncertainty over the plan is the level of funding and staffing in future years. These issues are not discussed in the plan itself, but in the Committee Report. The council is hopeful that if funding continues at its current 2010/11 level then much or all of the above can be achieved in the planned timescales. However, much of the current funding is from government sources, whose future awaits the outcome of this autumn’s Spending Review. The committee report, for example, states, “Any withdrawal of the Scottish Government’s CWSS funding is likely to have serious implications for the potential to implement the ATAP. Targets, especially the ambitious cycling targets, are unlikely to be met in this scenario.” In terms of staffing the plan is looking to working with other agencies to boost existing effort.

    Whilst Spokes is delighted at the emergence of the plan and much of its content, and will work to support its implementation, not all our ideas have been included. For example…

    We suggested some coverage of funding and staffing in the plan itself, rather than leaving it all to the committee report as has been done. In the present climate that is understandable, but it leaves future resourcing less clearcut than is ideal, and will require lobbying every year during the council’s budget preparation. It will probably depend even more on the lead set (or not set) by the Scottish Government each year in terms of cycling and dedicated cycle funding.
    We are very disappointed that there is no mention of some critical city centre main roads, particularly Princes Street, but also the heavily trafficked Picardy Place, and other central-area tramline-affected areas such as Leith Walk. These surely are absolutely essential as part of the cycle-friendly city (if not the family network) – as was highlighted in the recent Spokes public meeting and survey – yet they are not mentioned. Nor is there any reference to the twice-promised consultation on the future of Princes Street [see public meeting reports 23.3.10 - Transport Convener Cllr Mackenzie and 19.11.09 - Transport Head Marshall Poulton].
    We had hoped for commitment to the piloting of at least one on-road physically segregated route. This is not included – although the plan several times states that these will be considered, for example where the family network has to use main road connections.

    Finally – we urge Spokes members and other readers not to sit back just because there is a Cycle Action Plan. Sitting back is the surest way to get the plan pigeonholed and eventually lost in a filing cabinet. Rather – use the Plan in your lobbying of councillors! Perhaps most important of all – help us to ensure that the money is there. This means lobbying your MSPs in the run up to this Autumn’s Spending Review, then the Scottish Budget this winter – and again in advance of the May 2011 Holyrood elections."

    Well 'we' defeated the cuts with the January demo (only just). Now I guess 'we' need to press for delivery of ATAP, and more ambition from the new council...

    Posted 11 years ago #

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