Hm. How is that a crossing point at the foot of Victoria Street?
I noticed a load of new racks in town yesterday while wandering about: can't recall where exactly though! Will do a recce soon.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Cycle parking in Edinburgh, where have we got to?
(446 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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@crowriver I don't understand what you mean about the crossing point. Just think the racks would have been less in the way around the CCTV pole and the phone box.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well here's the actual crossing point by the phone box and police box. Note the pelican crossing on one side, and a dropped kerb on the other. So if you put racks here you really would be blocking one or the other crossing.
In the distance you can see where they've put the racks. Aye, maybe a busy spot but even in this Streetview image pre-racks you can see a bike parked there. Having tried to cross Victoria Street at that point in the past, I'd advise against it - better further up where you can see what's coming more clearly.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I think the point crowriver was making is that it's not an 'official' crossing, so technically it's not blocking anything. I actually think those ones are better positioned than the ones in the other picture.
All very odd though as there are decent Sheffield stands at the other end, near Dancebase. Only about four racks, but visible and out of the way.
Posted 8 years ago # -
It's maybe not a 'crossing point' but that bit at the bottom of Victoria St is certainly a desire line
I've used the stands by Dancebase somewhat frequently in the past and found them a good installation. These are much less good with everyone and their dug squeezing past them hence topple risk, etc.
Posted 8 years ago # -
On @Fountainbridge's pic and Streetview there are people crossing at that point....
Of course by "around the CCTV pole and phone box" I didn't mean at the dropped kerb; not all of that area is a desire line and the phone box, police box, flower pot and waste bin create a lot of dead space.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"On @Fountainbridge's pic and Streetview there are people crossing at that point...."
Well yes.... But by that rationale absolutely every single bit of kerb is a potential crossing point...
I'm more of a mind to say that while these could have been positioned better, and there should have been more, it's all a step in the right direction, and I'd rather, as a pedestrian, be walking around bike parking that is on the pavement than around cars parked on the road.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The council are installing decent bike parking in central locations, after asking us where we would like to see stands installed, and people are complaining?!
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Wilmington's Cow There are some bits of kerb where people are more likely to cross than at other bits.
This is a place where I probably wouldn't leave my bike as the risk is too high that people will try to squeeze through between the racks.
Are there any other racks near this end of Grassmarket besides those and the three behind the benches closer to the centre? It seems to me that Grassmarket has a lot of space that could be used for bike parking, for example all the areas where you normally find illegally parked cars.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Morningsider Why shouldn't we discuss whether a particular location is suitable so that everybody can learn?
Another example: In Ravenswood Avenue they installed bike racks two years ago which then were driven into within a week - I suggested a different location just a few metres away and there they have happily survived for about a year now. I do think it helps to observe how people actually use the space, not just think in terms of "official crossings".
Posted 8 years ago # -
Impressive, only 11 minutes between @Stephan Matthiesen's suggestion about adding note to OpenStreetMap and a note getting added!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Stephan - The council takes lots of flak for supporting cycling. Someone, somewhere, has had to stick their neck out to get the budget for cycle parking and then get these racks installed in pretty high profile locations.
Spend too much time criticising and they might just choose to invest their time and money on something else.
I agree that we should help support, and if possible improve, the big projects like Roseburn-Leith. However, the location of individual bike racks of little consequence. Most of the seem pretty well used. I am happy to let the odd possible duff location slide.
Also worth remembering that the council may actually intend these to "get in the way" - encouraging pedestrians to cross the road at other points. Most pedestrian traffic will be along the pavement, not across the road. Putting the bikes in between mini-bollards actually helps keep them out the way of most pedestrians, while providing a high level of visibility for parked bikes.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"...are they still in the same place as the old 24 space racks?
OSM also shows some in front of Ryries (the little blue square, no capacity info given) - are they still there, and how many?"Yes, the new racks are in the same place as the old 24-capacity racks.
Yes, there are still racks in front of Ryries. I can count them. I hope very much that the council will NOT decide to remove them when the racks right next to the station are fully open - I think there will be enough demand for both sets to be useful.
Posted 8 years ago # -
regards moaning
I wished a councillor well this morning who shares my route at times.
I cut a guy up at Kings Theatre (not badly)_ a dour guy also from the route.
Sunny day, cycling, traffic light why not smile? (maybe he just has a flat affect as I have never seen his teeth in two years of trying to personalise everyone on the towpath as p[art of the IWRATS human being project - the guy is fine just has a grim look on his coupon at all times)
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Stephan, in fact on the Streetview there is a group of people, I presume tourists, standing on the street corner in a circle, complete with luggage. They are standing on the 'shared use' carriageway rather than the pavement. They do not appear to be crossing Victoria Street at all. As previously noted there is a bike parked on the pavement next to them, propped against a signpost.
Also agree with Morningsider's point that these racks may be there to discourage folk from crossing the road at that point, which as above I do not recommend due to poor visibility caused by the old drinking fountain at West Bow.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Morningsider @StephanMatthiesen
It can appear that bike racks are installed without much thought to the way people move/work around them. The "outside" rack on every new installation on Leith Walk has become the sacrificial rack because they were installed at the end of parallel parking bays.
The result is the council buys 3 Sheffield racks but receives the value of 2 because nobody is daft enough to tie up to the bent one. We don't want to come across as nitpicky but a lot of this stuff doesn't need hindsight.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"The "outside" rack on every new installation on Leith Walk has become the sacrificial rack because they were installed at the end of parallel parking bays."
Yeah that's a real problem. Tricky one to sort out though, short of installing a barrier of some kind, sturdy bollards, or suchlike.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"The council takes lots of flak for supporting cycling."
Yes, but doesn't that apply to ALL infrastructure? It's always the details that matter (I seem to remember lots of criticisms on here about the tight corners on the Meadows-Innocent path, for example - not from me though...)
Posted 8 years ago # -
think the outside one needs to take the hit for the other two
a bollard dearer than a rack?
There is a budget for racks that is needing spent hence the prompting on this thread.
Rock on Tommy
Posted 8 years ago # -
"The "outside" rack on every new installation on Leith Walk has become the sacrificial rack because they were installed at the end of parallel parking bays."
Yeah that's a real problem. Tricky one to sort out though, short of installing a barrier of some kind, sturdy bollards, or suchlike.
If only we could trust motorists not to drive over everything...
Posted 8 years ago # -
I seem to remember lots of criticisms on here about the tight corners on the Meadows-Innocent path
Mostly from me, I think.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"The "outside" rack on every new installation on Leith Walk has become the sacrificial rack because they were installed at the end of parallel parking bays."
Ah well, makes a change from the outside rack being used by traders who have converted an old beater bike into an advertising hoarding by the judicious application of an in-frame sign. Maybe they could go for the two-birds-one-stone approach. ;-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
To use the example others are using - the corners on the Meadows-Innocent path are too tight for two-way traffic and it's really important the same mistake isn't made again. If the Roseburn path has anything like that, many will choose to use the road or pavement instead, ruining the image of Edinburgh's first serious flagship infra project in the eyes of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike.
If my communal rubbish bin is in an inconvenient or dangerous place, I complain to the council to get it moved. I don't sit tight and do nothing for fear that they'll stop collecting my rubbish altogether. Grateful as we are for infra, detail is important and nobody is going to cut the cycling budget because someone has a constructive grievance about racks getting in the way of pedestrians. Far worse would be the council continuing to place them inconsiderately, generating pedestrian anger which causes the council to scale back the programme and start ripping useful racks out - especially if we knew it when they went in and didn't do anything.
Posted 8 years ago # -
A bit of constructive criticism, which this has been, might go a long way if this project is as large as it appears. I get the impression there isn't a great base of 'best practice' knowledge out there so if the road gangs are just being handed racks and told 'put them there' it'll be done with varying degrees of care.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@jonty well said!
Posted 8 years ago # -
@jonty, point taken and it's true that helpful advice and comments ought to be welcomed by the council.
However "a constructive grievance" is just oxymoronic. :-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
My point is this forum sounds very moany.
Constructive feedback I like. But I have rarely come across that in the world and similarly rarely on here.
Criticism, constructive or otherwise, tons of that.
Basically the council's valiant cycling team asked me why we were not proposing places for racks, I nudged a bit and we started proposing places but then became deflected into moaning about what some racks are like. Don't get me wrong you will find me moaning too, even about racks e.g the many racks parallel to the wall at The Fort.
The original request is still, where would you like some racks.? Not please critique the rack installation to date. Try to stay focused and avoid moaning if you can. :-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Taking advice from gembo, the Chivvier-in-Chief, I've requested some more locations: shops at Western Corner, ScotMid on Saughtonhall Drive and in Roseburn Park.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I see the Nicholson St tesco metro racks have been moved into an angled holding pattern. Good work!
Posted 8 years ago # -
@gkgk, I really like your constructive feedback
Posted 8 years ago #
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