Was fully open with no barriers present when I went through last night (thanks for info btw)
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Calton Road closed (or not)
(178 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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All open, all barriers removed, no sign of railing on top of wall though.
Not very pedestrian friendly the way vehicles are approaching in the Calton road lane then drive up Leith Street. Never know which way the traffic is going.
160820095937IMG_6475 by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr
160820100443IMG_6483 by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr
160820100820IMG_6489 by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Not very pedestrian friendly the way vehicles are approaching in the Calton road lane then drive up Leith Street. Never know which way the traffic is going."
So, business as usual then.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Well over the past few weeks the rat running community of single occupant drivers has clearly realised that Calton Road is open.
I've been gathering anecdata on the onward destinations of these drivers, and my impression is, at least in the mornings, that 95% or more are just heading through Calton Road to turn right under the bridge at New Street, and then on somewhere else. It's a tiny number who drop off at the rear entrance to Waverley, absolutely tiny.
Quite often drivers are still doing 30mph or more when they turn from Leith Street onto Calton Road, despite it being clearly marked as a 20mph zone. There seems to be an assumption that pedestrians (or cyclists) should just get out of the way of these self-important types. One particularly charming individual this morning felt he was within his rights to beep at me as I crossed at the top of Calton Road. This is despite the fact that he only started indicating after I started to cross (I always shoulder check before stepping out) and I was 3/4 of the way across when the horn sounded. Well I told him where to go and emphasised this with an insulting hand gesture.
Really I can't see what the justification is for keeping Calton Road as a through route. It's almost exclusively used as a rat run, and many of the drivers travelling on the road are behaving recklessly. It is intimidating for pedestrians, who by the way always far outnumber drivers at any time I've been walking (or cycling) there. Can they not just close the road somewhere to make it access only? Or is the Council HQ car park too much of a priority? At the very least they need to widen the pavements at the top of Calton Road, and signalise the junction with Leith Street.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Really I can't see what the justification is for keeping Calton Road as a through route.
Where's the council HQ again, remind me?
Surely it could be closed (except for emergency vehicles and may be even taxis) at the point of the station, so it becomes a cul de sac drop off. The section between New Street and the station becomes a de facto car park, a small concession to the bloc motoristique.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Where's the council HQ again, remind me?
East Market St/New St.
Anyone going from Calton Rd to New Street has to either go into Waverley car park, or turn down East Market St. I'd guess most of these people are therefore going to council HQ or Waverley car park.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Continuous pavement with single file entry would sort it out, but no doubt there would be tears that this would impede traffic flow up to Princes St.
Ped and cycle provision really needs sorted on that stretch given how it's going to be shopping mecca of eastern Scotland.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Refer to my post in bad driving yesterday and some dots can be joined
Posted 7 years ago # -
Is New Street still shut at the top?
Calton Road/Market Street/Lawnmarket/Johnston Terrace is an interesting E->W (but not W->E) rat run which quite effectively bypasses the often congested Queen Street, Chambers Street and Cowgate corridors and spits you straight out at the WAR or Morrison Street. Lawnmarket should probably be pedestrianised (or a total car ban implemented on JT) to cut it off.
N-S options still exist via the Royal Mile and North Bridge, or George IV bridge, so a closure at the Calton Road end is probably wise too.
At least the plans are for Calton Road to be signalised - hopefully, like the Omni parking junction used (unusally) to do, it can be configured to maximise green man time across the side road.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Klaxon, if the car had not been going so fast I would have been sorely tempted to whack the wing mirror, believe me. Then again the last thing I need on the way to work is a UKIP-style punch up with some irate driver.
Posted 7 years ago # -
WARNING: Skip lorries, waste disposal trucks and assorted building trade HGVs are now using Calton road as a rat run. They are going full tilt too. My it fun as a pedestrian, dodging certain death by inches on the
motorway slip roadjunction with Leith Street.Posted 7 years ago # -
Council could have curtailed the rat run a bit by making New Street one way the other way. Given the location of the council HQ car park I wonder if that had something to do with it.
Very surprised there hasn't been an accident at Leith Street / Calton Road junction yet. Presume there'll be one by end of St JAmes works.
Posted 7 years ago # -
What they really need to do is put a signalised pedestrian crossing at the top of Calton Road. Also redesign the junction and make the left turn a sharper angle, so vehicles have to slow down.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Something like this Crowriver?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Klaxon, that would do the job nicely. Any chance you could send that to someone at the roads dept. of the council? :-)
Posted 7 years ago # -
A complete new set of traffic lights will be installed there as part of St James works. The new entrance and exit to the 1,800 space car park will be on the opposite side.
The St james plans are a real pain to wade through so no picture from me.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"The new entrance and exit to the 1,800 space car park will be on the opposite side."
Which will turn Calton Road into even more of a rat run, therefore the traffic signals will be even more essential.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Just what the area needs, 1800 car drivers (600/hour?) trying to get in and out in the run up to Christmas
Refer to Newcraighall Rd from now to Christmas for obvious Leith St consequences. Can be stationary one in one out all the way back to Niddrie.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Just what the area needs"
Apparently, sadly.
Not even (just) about the extra business taxes that will roll in - might take a while to cover the various government subsidies that make this development happen.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I wouldn't mind the 1800 spaces so much if they actually removed 1800 on-street spaces and converted them to pedestrian space.
#DreamOn
Posted 7 years ago # -
Part of the trouble may be the station has been turned in to a shopping centre, so a lack of space of taxis. There is a choice of 6 different places to get a sandwich when one British rail cheese sandwich would have done in the past.
Posted 7 years ago # -
There are no new shopping areas in the station to my knowledge. The former taxi rank is just empty road space now. It's more pedestrian-friendly because there are no lorries and coaches parked in the middle of the concourse.
Posted 7 years ago # -
As has been much discussed, the old taxi rank is to turn into two new platforms next year.
Posted 7 years ago # -
From personal anecdata I can confirm that the rat running traffic on Calton Road very rarely has anything to do with Waverley station.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Google almost invariably claims it's quicker to make progress south through the city via Calton Road and Holyrood Park than via the Bridges.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Surprised no-one has mentioned this -
Posted 6 years ago # -
I've stopped going that way since the works started. Prefer Regent Road/Waterloo Place now that the good weather is here: more scenic, less pollution.
May have to go that way though once the Leith Street diversion is fully in place: I imagine Regent Road will be hellish for around a year from September...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Cycled through those cones a few times. You might have to go on the pavement if traffic coming at you.
Posted 6 years ago #
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