I had cause to drive along here yesterday. Both me and another cycling colleague couldn't work out why it is not open to cyclists. Notwithstanding the fact that there are large signs telling you that cyclist are not allowed on this stretch of road - are there any logical/practical road safety reasons why cyclists can't use this otherwise excellent direct road into and out of town?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Why can't cyclist use the Western Approach Road?
(50 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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Is it classed as motorway? We aren't allowed on the bypass either. I was not allowed on the m8 at hart hill last summer when it was closed to traffic due to lorry driver having heart failure and hitting bridge
Posted 12 years ago # -
Because we'll just "get in the way" of all the Nelson Piquet wannabees.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Because there's no road called the Western Approach Road. *Evil Laugh.*
There are no particular road safety reasons that I could think of for cycling to be prohibited on West Approach Road. I suppose a similar question could be posed for the A1.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Bit narrow in places -
Are there actually No Cycling signs at all entrances?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Curiously enough, in 1840-50 Johnston Terrace was shown on the map as 'New West Approach'. Anyway, on the SABRE forum there was discussion about the weight limits of the road, seemingly related to the former use by rail, which didn't require embankments to be made to the same regs as roads.
According to the Edinburgh Gazette of 11 October 1974, Edinburgh Corporation set out a TRO for the (then) Temporary West Approach Road:
"ON 3rd October 1974 Edinburgh Corporation made an Order under Section 1(1), (2) and (3) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967, as amended by Part IX of the Transport Act 1968 the effect of which will be to prohibit with certain exceptions the use of the Temporary West Approach Road by any commercial motor vehicles the unladen weight of which exceeds 30 cwt, or any bicycle or tricycle not propelled by mechanical power. The Order will also restrict with certain exceptions the waiting of vehicles on the road and impose a prohibition or right hand turns from Dundee Street on the access roads for the temporary west approach road."
So I'm wondering if that TRO has simply never been rescinded? One does start to wonder why it was specified as above. The later Western Relief Road to connect the WAR with Sighthill was opposed vigorously by the Cockburn Association, and the WAR was always part of the grand inner motorway system that would have had its major intersection at (approximately) Morrison Link.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Interesting speeches by Michael Martin and Gavin Strang, opposing the new motorway. Thank goodness thay didn't build it!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Not often you see glaring errors in Hansard!
"
The Gorky road, which is in both the Edinburgh, Central constituency and mine, is also a high-density 357 tenemental area, with problems of noise and environmental pollution. Even on the short section in Edinburgh, Central, 15 people are killed or injured each year. The outer city bypass increases traffic problems on this road which the relief road will alleviate.
"The contract for the road was signed shortly before the Lothian Regional Council election (1987?) where Labour were voted in instead of the Conservatives.
The new administration cancelled and Edinburgh taxpayers paid compensation for many years after!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Ah yes, banned.
Posted 12 years ago # -
The Gorky road, which is in both the Edinburgh, Central constituency and mine
Well, why wouldn't the Marxist republic of Edinburgh name a street after good old Maxim?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Thing is. theres plenty of room if they 'wanted' to put a bike path/lane
The bridge could have an external path added to it or a new bridge to cut the S bendPosted 12 years ago # -
Thing is. theres plenty of room if they 'wanted' to put a bike path/lane
Of course. Must keep the Nelson Piquet wannabees happy though!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Are we still talking about the west approach road re: adding a bike lane? That road is, from my recollection of driving along it, pretty narrow at the best of times and I wouldn't have said there's any way you could get a bike lane on it. It's also pretty busy / fast (40mph?) and there's plenty of alternative routes to take that are only marginally longer, if at all. Personally, I'm quite happy leaving that one to the cars, I'll take Dalry Road or Dundee St/Fountainbridge instead, or even better, the Union Canal.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Bits of it are narrow, bits are wider, all of it is fast, I would not go anywhere near it and every time I head up from diggers to victor Paris bathroom showroom I am very wary when taking
the corner that someone doesn't try to gt on it without seeing me.But I am also an advocate of princes st for buses and trams, George st for bikes and queennst for cars. I will also take a detour to avoid a hill. Other people like to take a direct route and want to be able cycle on any road that cars go on, taking a wee pootle down the western approach would push that argument to the max?
Posted 12 years ago # -
The bit that I'm thinking of, which bypasses the mess at Fountainbridge, has I think a full time bus lane on it and is only 30mph. It's not really somewhere that connects anywhere I need to go to be fair. We've got our own approach rd in the form of the canal, of course ;-)
Posted 12 years ago # -
every time I head up from Diggers to Victor Paris bathroom showroom I am very wary when taking
the corner that someone doesn't try to get on it without seeing me.Me too. Even as a pedestrian, crossing the sliproad, I tend to wait for a gap in appraoching traffic, rather than assuming that a that isn't indicating left is definitely going round the corner...
Posted 12 years ago # -
I don't think the canal can seriously be promoted as a cycling link for anything except leisurely pootles. I can't imagine commuting along that way, good luck to anyone who does.
The West Approach Road is one of those anomalies left over from the 1960s road building craze. If Edinburgh is serious about reducing traffic in the city, it needs to look again at this road.
Its relatively short length (1.5 miles) and location make it an ideal link from Lothian Road to the Murrayburn area, and thence to the north Edinburgh path network. There is plenty of space to either allow road space to be used by cyclists (using the existing bus lanes for example) or build segregated cycle paths alongside. The only pinch points are the bridges over the railways, but cyclist/pedestrian carrying bridges alongside or tacked onto the sides of existing bridges would not be impossible as there is space either side.
The reasons why motorists like this road: straight, few junctions, no traffic lights, good surface, etc. are the same reasons why it would make a good cycling link for commuting and heading out of/into the city centre.
Posted 12 years ago # -
" There is plenty of space to either allow road space to be used by cyclists (using the existing bus lanes for example) or build segregated cycle paths alongside. The only pinch points are the bridges over the railways, but cyclist/pedestrian carrying bridges alongside or tacked onto the sides of existing bridges would not be impossible as there is space either side."
I agree with that; checking out the satellite view on Google Maps shows plent of space, along the north side.
I always thought it would be nice if there was a big cyclist bridge from the Roseburn path, over the railway lines and linking with a path on the north side of the approach road. Would require lots of money...
Posted 12 years ago # -
"would be nice if there was a big cyclist bridge from the Roseburn path, over the railway lines"
Well there used to be -
Until the 70s.
Used to be plans for a ped/cycle bridge from Devon Place to Duff Street -= too expensive.
Posted 12 years ago # -
How come there's a 1.5t weight limit, "except buses"?
Is that just another way of say "no lorries"? If so, why so?
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Well there used to be - "
As late as the 70s? Shame the bridge was removed.
Any pics anywhere?
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
Transport Scotland (@transcotland)18/06/2012 11:46
NEWS: Route for Dalry Bypass to go on display bit.ly/L8hPZp
"
OK, different Dalry.
Still, lotsamoney.
Posted 12 years ago # -
cb, check out the discussion I linked to earlier:
"...these weight limits apply specifically to commercial vehicles ... and are not intended to exclude any passenger cars" which might well be over 1.5 tonnes.
I do have a picture or two of the former big bridge over the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway, although I'd probably be breaking copyright by posting it. The Duff Street bridge abutments are still in place though - I keep meaning to take a wander up there to have a look.
Posted 12 years ago # -
You can see it in the background of this wonderful 1959 shot of a streamlined steam train:
http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=28548
Posted 12 years ago # -
"When it opens, the Bypass will encourage improved economic and employment opportunities through better journey time reliability for motorists and businesses along the length of the A737."
Yeah right. That's really worth a £28 million bung to the construction business, consultants, etc.
"On completion, the Dalry Bypass will help separate local from strategic traffic and lead to improved safety for both rural road users and local communities."
What is 'strategic traffic'? Is that why the SNP won't get serious about funding cycle infrastructure?
The SNP - getting Scotland motoring.
Posted 12 years ago # -
The site of what is now the West Approach Road in the 1950s:
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_edin_t/1_edinburgh_transport_railways_rce095b_dalry_road_depot.htm
Posted 12 years ago # -
Arellcat: "cb, check out the discussion I linked to earlier"
Thanks, although I don't think I'm any the wiser as to why the weight limit is there. (It seems to be to exclude commercial traffic, but not sure why that is the case).
That SABRE thread is quite interesting though. It's kind of the opposite of this thread with lots of folk commenting how great it is that Edinburgh has at least one car friendly road.
There seems to even be a view that it is some kind of well kept secret.
My favourite was from Paul who said:
"It remains a nice secret short cut for those in the know."But then in the next sentence says, "I've yet to drive it" and adds a Sad Face.
Posted 12 years ago # -
crowriver - "strategic traffic" is civil servantese for long distance traffic. Politicians and civil servnts love the word strategic - it sounds important without actually meaning anything. Who would want to write a "transport plan" when you could write a "strategic transport plan" - so much more important sounding. Generally, I ignore the word strategic when reading Government documents. This gives you a better idea of what they are actually talking about.
In this case, strategic traffic is simply traffic - i.e. the bypass will reduce the amount of traffic passing through Dalry (not the same as reducing the amount of traffic though).
Posted 12 years ago # -
To heck with "allowing" bikes, let's ban motor traffic from it and make it only for bikes.
Posted 12 years ago # -
It is interesting that cycles seem to be banned from the WAR in same sentence banning commercial vehicles because of weight restrictions. There is oodles of room on the old CR mainline section between Lothian Road and Dundee Street to put in a segregated, bi-direction cycle lane. It used to cope admirably with 6 tracks plus some sidings when it was a railway.
The one-way section between Roseburn Street and Dalry was 2 different sections of old railway alignment and narrower. However still plenty of room along the bit from Roseburn Street before it curves across Dalry Road, which is the rather odd waiting bay that always seems full of snoozing coach or lorry drivers (I thought coaches were banned?!).
Re-intating the Haymarket Viaduct would be amazing, but realistically is now hardly likely, as a new viaduct would be required where embankment was removed to create the "Sauchiebank" industrial estate and also where tramwork has eaten into embankment.
Posted 12 years ago #
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