City of Edinburgh Council looks set to consult the public on an east–west cycleway across the capital.
The route – stretching for over 4km – would link the new cycle facilities expected at the top of Leith Walk to the off-road path network at Roseburn. George Street would be a key element at the centre.
‘The aim,’ says CEC’s website, ‘is to provide a cycle route which is designed for less confident cyclists who may be concerned about safety.’ In our experience, nearly all cyclists are concerned about safety.
Preliminary design
The draft plan envisages:
- protected cycleways from Picardy Place to George Street via York Place/North St David Street, and from Waterloo Place to George Street via Princes Street and South St David Street
- a protected cycleway from Roseburn Terrace, along West Coates and Haymarket Terrace, as far as Roseberry Crescent
- a link via Roseberry Crescent, Grosvenor Crescent, Palmerston Placea nd Manor Place to Melville Street
- a section of protected cycleway along Melville Street, with potential for a major public realm project at the junction of Melville Street/Walker Street
- a link via Randolph Place to Charlotte Square, where protected cycle provision would lead to George Street
- a route linking to Rutland Square and the International Conference Centre area via Coates Crescent and Canning Street.
Fine intentions
The relevant Council report (see pdf at foot of page) says the proposal aims to:
- deliver a high-quality cycle route (including significant sections of protected cycleway where cyclists are segregated from motor traffic) providing safer, more direct and convenient access by bike to key destinations in the city centre
- improve cycle connectivity across the city, by being fully integrated with the existing cycle/pedestrian network and completing a significant missing link
- integrate with planned segregated cycle facilities on Leith Walk and streetscape improvements along George Street
- improve conditions for walking whilst improving the street environment.
What next?
The Transport and Environment Committee will probably approve this next step on Tuesday next week, triggering a further series of workshops and drop-in sessions for stakeholders including cycling groups, businesses, community councils, public transport, taxi and road freight operators.
Individuals will also be encouraged to participate, and an online survey will form part of the consultation package.
The project timeline appears below.
Some way still to go
Much remains to be decided, not least because possible extension of the tram route to Leith and the future design of Picardy Place have not been confirmed.
Consultants predict a 90 per cent increase in cycle use of the completed corridor, resulting in a 16 per cent increase in cycle activity in the city as a whole.
Edinburgh’s Active Travel Action Plan, approved in 2010, aims for 10 per cent of all trips and 15 per cent of journeys to work being made by bike by 2020.
The devil will of course be in the detail, but overall, the scheme is what we transport and travel experts term a ‘good thing’.
And if it helps get cars off the roads and cyclists off the pavements, it should please pedestrians as well.
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk and @theSpurtle and Facebook
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@theSpurtle @GASPurves Is that idiot texting on a bike?
@deoradh1 GASPurves Yes. Who says men can't multitask?
