Parking in Edinburgh city centre is to be free from 17:00 during the Edinburgh Festival.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Free Edinburgh city centre parking during the Festival
(22 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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Lesley Hinds, Edinburgh City Council's transport leader said: "This is a fantastic initiative that will make it more attractive for people to come into the city centre in the August evenings or for workers to stay longer at the end of their day."
True madness.
Posted 13 years ago # -
This is a rather twisted interpretation of the Gehl proposal to bring the city centre to life in the evenings. However Gehl wanted streets closed to traffic over the summer and parking reduced, not encouraging more driving and parking...
I have this vision of a cabal of pagan car-worship cultists controlling the City Council at the upper levels of officialdom. It would certainly explain the desperate efforts to promote car use as much as possible!
Posted 13 years ago # -
So people will be driving at rush hour to save an hour or so's parking charges??
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You need to pay to park between 8.30am and 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday, in the West End, New Town, Old Town and on the Southside to the Meadows."
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/1268/pay_and_display_parking/47/public_parking
Posted 13 years ago # -
a cabal of pagan car-worship cultists controlling the City Council
Hard pressed motorists of the eastern lands --
Long hast thou dwelt in the darkness of Pay and Display !
I do invoke upon thee the power of free city centre parking !
Posted 13 years ago # -
This will make the city centre a hellish place to be - evening traffic jams, angry frustrated drivers, cars dumped everywhere. No thanks.
And how's the council getting on with its efforts to reduce the illegal levels of atmospheric pollutants in the city centre?
Posted 13 years ago # -
It's the trams fault isn't it?
In the sense that this is the council's (strange) way of trying to say sorry for years of tram mess.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Lesley's trying to make up for the bus lane camera outrage fury, I reckon
Posted 13 years ago # -
"In the sense that this is the council's (strange) way of trying to say sorry for years of tram mess."
I think that's partly true - though there is still (probably) the on-going element of 'transport people' not thinking much beyond the status quo.
The years of (inevitable/predictable) tram disruption was the perfect chance for promoting walking, cycling and public transport use.
BUT partly due to the disconnect between tie and CEC who didn't share much 'vision' and the fear of 'offending motorists' and general Edinburgh inertia, it never happened.
Twenty (maybe thirty) years ago in Amsterdam or Copenhagen, there would have been 'stealthy' measures to facilitate the passage of pedestrians and cyclists - before it was OK to be more overt.
Edinburgh residents and visitors didn't even get this basic courtesy/facility never mind any pro walking/cycling attitude and action.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Caving in to populist rabble rousing from the EEN is not going to help the Council avoid fines for high atmospheric pollutant levels. Also I note that Edinburgh City Council, Marketing Edinburgh and Essential Edinburgh (are these not all Council bodies?) are to subsidise the lost parking charge revenue to the tune of £55,000. Is this what they're spending bus lane fixed penalty cash on?
Posted 13 years ago # -
partly due to the disconnect between tie and CEC who didn't share much 'vision' and the fear of 'offending motorists' and general Edinburgh inertia, it never happened.
Edinburgh residents and visitors didn't even get this basic courtesy/facility never mind any pro walking/cycling attitude and action.
Yes I can just imagine the blank stares of incomprehension as Gehl architects presented their pedestrian and cycling friendly vision to the Council committee. No doubt many were muttering under their breath "But.....where am I going to park my motor? How will folk wak all that way from the bus stops to Princes Street? Traders will never stand for this! The papers will have a field day!" and so on.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I think this very incisive analysis from Gehl architects hits the mark:
Look at the analysis of pollution levels: fumes, noise, vibration, caused by heavy traffic and 400 bus movements per hour!
At the end they ask: "What kind of city do you want?" Clearly the Council have chosen the status quo: Edinburgh, City of Traffic.
Posted 13 years ago # -
If anyone wants to quiz the Council on how the free parking plan helps meet their commitments to reduced pollution and lower carbon emmissions:
For further information please contact: Karen Stevenson on 0131 469 3659 or karen.stevenson@edinburgh.gov.uk
Posted 13 years ago # -
the fear of 'offending motorists'
It is incredibly easy to offend motorists. All you have to do is ride a bicycle 'in the middle of the road'. The majority of motorists become incredibly outraged by this seemingly innocuous act!
The other easy way is to actually enforce traffic law. ie. issue parking tickets; deploy average speed cameras; fine motorists for using bus lanes illegally; etc. They're well offended when they get caught out like that!
Posted 13 years ago # -
The irony is that Copenhagen is a more car friendly city than Edinburgh. As Clarkson said, after visiting Copenhagen, it is "paradise you don't have to spend half the day searching for a parking space". If CEC really followed the Gehl architects recommendation they might be surprised to find that they do actually work!
Posted 13 years ago # -
Oh and emails sent to Karen Stevenson as above get an out of office reply until Tuesday 31 July 2012. So until then contact Will Garrett on 469 3636 or Andrew Sikes on 469 3412 (from the 23 July)...
Posted 13 years ago # -
No Edinburgh political party apart from the greens will ever do anything about traffic,they all see any move against the motorist as a surefire vote loser
Posted 12 years ago # -
Looks like the Greens are all talk on traffic too, at least round here.
Posted 12 years ago # -
But that's all that any opposition party can do - talk. In the hope that it will have some influence on: (a) what the council does right now; and (b) votes in future elections.
Posted 12 years ago # -
But don't the greens hold the balance of power in Midlothian in a turn up for the books. Next they'll be telling me rangers are playing in the third division and scraping narrow wins against Brechin. (home of Chibbs Niteclub a great place to go for a laugh and come back in stitches)
Posted 12 years ago #
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