@PS +1
I know that means I'm agreeing with someone who agrees with me, but I think LW is important and the more people think of reasons for doing something 'good' the better - and more chance of it actually happening.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Leith Walk - next stage (still ongoing and going on…)
(466 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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Posted 12 years ago #
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cyclistsinthecity (@citycyclists)
04/11/2012 21:50Blimey, The Times editorial: "The bike is the future and task for British cities now must be to adapt to the bike." http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/leaders/article3589937.ece
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Posted 12 years ago # -
Great stories. And what does spokes' twitter account do? Whine about a helmet in a picture. Sometimes I despair.
Posted 12 years ago # -
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Carlton Reid (@carltonreid)
04/11/2012 22:31
Cities must adapt to bikes, thunders The Times of London in leading article. BikeBiz: http://bit.ly/R6phDQ"
Posted 12 years ago # -
Is that editorial available somewhere other than behind The Times' paywall?
(To give them credit, all the other cycling campaign Times articles I've seen linked to have been free-to-view, as it were. I don't know if this is peculiar to this campaign, or whether they make other content available free (in the hope of getting you to pay for more, of course. This comment to be read as a mixture of cynicism and acceptance of commercial realities)).
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Is that editorial available somewhere other than behind The Times' paywall?"
I didn't find it.
Suspect the cycle stuff is specially free but they forgot about editorial (or couldn't make it free without making all editorials free).
Posted 12 years ago # -
Most/all(?) here -
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cyclistsinthecity (@citycyclists)
04/11/2012 23:12
Very impressed by the second phase of The Times #cyclesafe campaign http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-times-bike-is-future-and-task-for.html Really powerful editorial"
Posted 12 years ago # -
Thank you. Did the survey (though they don't have an option for "I don't really have much time to cycle more, my bike is already my primary mode of transport...")
Posted 12 years ago # -
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“It gives us the choice to change. With less traffic pressure we can improve the reliability of buses, the safety of cycling and the comfort of walking — and have pavement cafés and more attractive shopping centres.”"
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3591103.ece
Posted 12 years ago # -
It's such a critical thing. If we get Leith Walk rebuilt into a continental-style street and it takes off, it will make it so much easier to drive that kind of change all over the country.
We have over 10% modal share by bike, but that's largely because of the NEPN (is it coincidence that every single person who rides to our office in Leith comes down the old railway and none ride in on the regular roads?)
Posted 12 years ago # -
"(is it coincidence that every single person who rides to our office in Leith comes down the old railway and none ride in on the regular roads?)"
That depends entirely on how many of those would continue to cycle if the NEPN didn't exist...
Posted 12 years ago # -
"That depends entirely on how many of those would continue to cycle if the NEPN didn't exist..."
Perhaps more a question of 'would they have started cycling in the first place without NEPN?'
Posted 12 years ago # -
Leith Walk - ATAP says no...
Lesley Hinds has responded to my councillor applied pressure:
we have an Active Travel Action Plan which does not have segregated cycle lanes for Leith Walk in the plan. If cyclist want this to happen extra funding over the 5% for cycling would have to be increased. Or the plan changed.
The funding for Leith Walk is to reinstate the pavements and roads following tram works. There are proposals to improve the two roundabouts at the top of Leith Walk for cyclists.So stop complaining, we're proposing improvements to the roundabouts and nothing else.
<sigh>
Robert
Posted 12 years ago # -
Well, change the plan then, Ms Hinds. Lead, don't follow.
Posted 12 years ago # -
That Broadway diagram - are you sure they haven't got the "Existing" and "Proposed" labels the wrong way round?
It looks like a big step in the wrong direction. Going from a safe-looking segregated lane to an almost Leith Walk level of awfulness, where the lane will be blocked by double-parked cars? No. How could they get it so wrong?Posted 12 years ago # -
Re Lesley Hinds' reply: isn't it 6% now and increasing every year? More importantly, never mind what cyclists want, doesn't the council want to make Leith Walk a massively better place for cycling? Why so passive?
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Going from a safe-looking segregated lane to an almost Leith Walk level of awfulness"
If you look at the PDF you'll see it's already a lot better than LW!
Suspect it's about 'pedestrian conflict'.
If only Edinburgh cared more about pedestrians (and bicycle users) than parking...
Posted 12 years ago # -
@Roibeard, this is exactly what her SNP deputy whassisname (in charge of cycling) has been saying before so I assume it is the agreed line.
Y'know it's funny though. Nothing in 'the plan' either about decommissioning bus lane cameras because 'too many' motorists were being caught breaking the law. But then it was motorists who were getting upset, not just a bunch of whingeing cyclists.
You'll have had your 5% then?
Posted 12 years ago # -
LW shouldn't just be about cyclists. Instead it's about improving the street as a whole of people who live, work, shop spend time there (or would, if it wasn't such a soul-less 4 lane plus 2 "lanes" of parking canyon).
Segregated cycle lanes would be part of a range of changes that, taken together, would generally improve the street for people. To say "if cyclists want this to happen" shows that the Council compartmentalises issues (and pigeon-holes people) and continues to fail the joined-up thinking test.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"LW shouldn't just be about cyclists. Instead it's about improving the street as a whole of people who live, work, shop spend time there"
+1
Posted 12 years ago # -
Roibeard - even an old hack like me is surprised by this response. I thought the Leith Walk works had a discrete budget, seperate from ATAP, that could be spent as required. I can't see it being too much more expensive to put in segregated cycle lanes when they are re-building Leith Walk than a more straightforward pavement/carriageway re-design and re-building.
As a non-statutory plan, ATAP does not prevent the Council from doing anything (or require it to do anything). 0/10 for the Council on this one.
Posted 12 years ago # -
And after pedal on parliament I was so hopeful that we had got some real political and council support, and things would be different from now on.
I feel such an idiot.Posted 12 years ago # -
Model. Cycling. City.
Posted 12 years ago # -
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Neil Langhorn (@neilFCS)
08/11/2012 15:13
@CyclingEdin @LAHinds @Edinburgh_CC Surely if people in Palma, Mallorca can share pavements & cycle lanes we can?http://pic.twitter.com/xUuSX4LS
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Posted 12 years ago # -
I'm sure I posted some months ago that Cllr Orr told me that Leith Walk would be rebuilt without significant improvements for cyclists, didn't I?
I've sort of lost momentum pushing for this. It's so self-evident that we should aim for more than the ATAP (did the ATAP take into account that millions were earmarked for a total makeover of Leith Walk? Of course not!) but I see it as a battle already lost, bar the sham consultation.
Posted 12 years ago # -
It's not just the roundabouts that need sorting. Many of the junctions with side streets are dangerous for cyclists. I don't know if redesign will help correct appalling driver behaviour at these junctions mind you.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@Dave. Don't give up! :)
I think we should push for a proper Dutch/Copenhagen style layout 'with all guns blazing'. If we can win this one, it will be much easier to get other streets converted too because everyone will see how much better Leith Walk can be.
A publicity campaign to win over the shop owners might help...
Posted 12 years ago # -
"A publicity campaign to win over the shop owners might help..."
Certainly worth engaging with any that people buy from/use.
I suspect that there are a vocal few who may or may not represent 'the majority'.
It will be hard to convince many that 'things will be better if...' They already got 'persuaded' that the tram would be worth the disruption!
Posted 12 years ago #
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