CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Cyclists in South West Edinburgh

(43 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by lionfish
  • Latest reply from Arellcat

12

  1. Schraedinger
    Member

    This may be just outside SW Ed but the junction at Dalry/Gorgie Road with Henderson/Ardmillan Terraces and Muriston place is like russian roulette for cyclists.

    Drivers seem to struggle to understand where they can and can't go and last second decisions lead to sharp turns which cut of cyclists. I'm not aware of any fatalities at the 5 way junction but i've seem some close calls.

    A possible solution might be separate lights for cyclists that would give them a 15 second gap to get through the junction before cars get the green light.

    Also, the cycle lane on Angle Park Terrace seems to have been adopted by residents as on street parking with the most noticeable vehicle being a big brown van belonging to a bike shop

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. AKen
    Member

    Cultins Road may be a core route but at the moment, it's a core route with a big no-entry sign.

    It should be a vital link allowing people using the Broomhouse Path - or coming from South Gyle - to access Sighthill, Riccarton, Hermiston, the canal path, Wester Hailes etc. But, at the moment, you either have to ride on the pavement or ignore the no-entry.

    There used to be wide, shared-use routes on both pavements that allowed cyclists to go up Cultins Road legally. These were torn up a couple of years ago and have never been re-instated. Google Streetview has images of the current situation but if you go to the satellite image on Google Maps you can actually see the old layout (which worked and was useful).

    Like others, I have never, ever seen a bus using the bus lane. Taxis and white vans, yes - but no buses.

    Concerning the Stenhouse end of the Broomhouse path, it's wonderful to have a link to Balgreen but, if you're not going to Balgreen but carrying on to Stenhouse Cross this is pretty much irrelevant - and if planners can't understand this simple concept then perhaps we have an explanation as to why so many cycle facilities are rubbish.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    "Removal of the daft obstacle course that connects the toucan crossing on the W Approach Road to Upper Grove Place. If ever there was a cycling facility created by someone who'd obviously never cycled, this is it."

    Last Wednesday evening (I think) on way home I saw a singleton on a tandem about to attempt an ascent of this challenging little series of hairpins. Didn't hang around to see if he was successful (could have been a long wait). Was the tandemist anyone on here perchance? If so, did you manage it?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. cb
    Member

    Looks like the LRT2 and LRT20 use the bus lane at Edinburgh Park according to the Lothian Buses website.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. AKen
    Member

    Looks like the LRT2 and LRT20 use the bus lane at Edinburgh Park according to the Lothian Buses website.

    They do. But there are no bus routes that use the bus lane on Cultins Road.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. Morningsider
    Member

    AKen - the signs are incorrect and should be changed, all motorised vehicles except buses would still be banned though. Map of the core path available at:

    http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/3007/core_path_plan_map

    You need to zoom in quite a bit to see any detail.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    Cycling Edinburgh,
    Your Tweet got a reply!

    Cycling Edinburgh @CyclingEdin 09 Nov
    @southwest_team The fact that you have a #cycling subgroup is GREAT Hope it goes well #Edinburgh #ActiveTravel #BetterEdinburgh #walking

    South West Team
    @southwest_team
    @CyclingEdin with your help I'm sure it will. :-) ^G

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. lionfish
    Member

    Sorry my update's been delayed (been a bit busy). I've drawn up the issues listed here in a spreadsheet, trying to pick the top 7-8 which are fairly achievable and/or important for safety, and will push for them first.

    So, the meeting was ok - it had a lot of other topics, so the councillor and transport people (and me) are having a separate meeting to sort out bike-specific issues. A couple of issues did come up:

    1. Speed (20mph). The official line is we have to wait for the pilot to be over before any more 20mph limits are put in - I should have asked the obvious question "Why?" (it's not like 20mph has never been tried anywhere in the world before). This was (I think) the most popular suggestion I've heard (also from pedestrians), but it's been a bit vague about which roads it should affect ("all of them" probably won't happen straight away). For me personally it's Slateford Road and Gorgie Road and Shandon Place but that's 'cause I live near them: At first I thought of looking at traffic KSIs (e.g. http://tinyurl.com/gorgiecrash ) but (besides being confounded by where-people-are) I feel just as important as identifying danger is the importance of reducing apparent danger - if that makes sense? I think it's good to get the 'subjective' feel from cyclists (that's the point in being represented, as any traffic planner can look at maps of crashes).

    2. Canal towpath shared use issues - is it a problem? (I think a few bikes go a bit quick on there), does anything need to be done? If so what? (suggestions were: shared use signs - like those in Portobello[?], leaflets, getting dog walkers to keep dogs on leads, making alternative routes nicer for cyclists, speed limits, and from one member a suggestion cycling is banned on some of the canal). I'm more of the opinion that shared-use roads are more of an issue than shared use paths (i.e. making cyclists mix with high speed cars is much more serious than making pedestrians mix with bikes... but we'll see). What do people here think?

    I'm not sure when the cycle meeting will be happening (I'm afraid I've been a bit slow at following things up). In the meantime there's a more contentious meeting I'm going to about shared use on the canal (see above) in 2 weeks.

    Anyway, sorry again that I've been a bit slow about following all this up, hopefully stuff will happen soonish.

    Thanks again for all your suggestions!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. steveo
    Member

    I'd be inclined to say the solution to the canal "problem" is to make the roads less hostile so the fast guys will use them. More carrot less stick. Though if that fails perhaps speed reducing measures could be looked at. Filling the tow-path with slower cyclists and pedestrians is usually ample to keep me away and I'm generally a slow cyclist, at least on the tow path.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. Nelly
    Member

    Response to my tweet/complaint -

    Dear Mr ******,

    I have been passed your enquiry on from my colleagues in the South-West
    Neighbourhood Team regarding the Broomhouse Cycle Path. I apologise for
    the delay in response.

    Your concerns have now been raised with the contractor for the works and
    he has been instructed to carry out urgent site improvement works. In
    addition, further consideration into cyclist movements will be given
    when undertaking future traffic management arrangements.

    All current traffic management arrangements are agreed by the Council,
    the Police, Lothian Buses and the contractors and this matter was
    discussed at their Traffic Management Panel yesterday.

    I hope this is of assistance.

    Regards,

    Customer Services Manager | Tram Co-ordination Team |
    City of Edinburgh Council

    9 Lochside Avenue | Edinburgh Park | Edinburgh | EH12 9DJ

    Tel: 0131 623 8815

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    "
    Your concerns have now been raised with the contractor for the works and
    he has been instructed to carry out urgent site improvement works.

    "

    Urgent = x hours/days??

    Don't forget to tell is about changes...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. Nelly
    Member

    Luckily I am a terrible cynic with low expectations!

    Tescos trollies, mud, workmens vehicles on path - all still in place this evening as usual.

    Still, Rome wasnt built in a day - apparently they used bilfinger berger siemens and subbied crummock for the real dirty work too.........

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Having been busy, as a non-daily commuter of that area, checking out Edinburgh Park, Cultins Road and access to the canal recently, I have to say I'm mystified by the whole notion. What I often want to do is cycle from the Gyle to the canal, or cycle from the Gyle to the top of Cultins Road and join the A71. Getting to EDP is the easy bit.

    Setting aside the obstacle course that is the underpass and Edinburgh Park tram stop, and the dropped kerb that's barriered off at the moment, and the need to do several 90 degree turns to get to the other side of the road, I don't actually know the best (legal) way to do it.

    If I've been to B&Q or Halfords then I use the little cut-through next to the supermarket to get to Cultins Road. If I've come from EDP, do I use the road and ignore the No Entry, or use the pavement? The pavement used to be shared use, then was dug up and relaid, then recently signed shared use but with a Cyclists Dismount at the corner with Cultins Road, but the signs disappeared a short time after Nelly's encounter.

    Here is more or less what I actually* do, while here is what an extremely righteous vehicular cyclist might do.

    Morningsider posted the map showing core path CEC-13. I never know whether to feel right or wrong about winching myself all the way up Cultins Road using the pavement.

    * Actually, what I actually do is cycle all the way to the station, then realise I can't ride down a slippery 45 degree slope to get to the underpass.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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