Additions and Updates to this site www.spokes.org.uk Frames version
 

The Lothian Cycle Campaign

SPOKESWORKER SPECIAL 13 08 03

Spokes, The Lothian Cycle Campaign, St Martins Church, 232 Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2JG 0131.313.2114 http://www.spokes.org.uk/

Spokesworker is an occasional ("roughly monthly") news sheet, with stop-press news of forthcoming events, and of road, traffic and planning matters. It is not automatically sent to all members. A copy is enclosed if we are writing to you anyway, and copies are handed out at working group meetings. You can make sure to get a copy by sending us 10 or so stamped addressed envelopes. Spokesworker also appears on our Internet web site - if you wish to be notified of such updates by email, contact spokes@spokes.org.uk.

A public consultation is underway about the on-road details of the West Edinburgh Busways scheme (WEBS), which is intended for rapid implementation, and later conversion to tram in various sections.

This is a special Spokesworker, being sent to all members in West Edinburgh as well as all the usual Spokesworker recipients who have sent us a supply of SAE's. We hope as many members as possible will take part in the consultation by going to the exhibitions and the public meeting, and sending in written comments. Closing date for comments is Weds 5 September.

The busway will be partly off-road on a 'guideway' and partly on-road with bus lanes and other priority measures. Although the consultation is officially only about the on-road measures, please take the opportunity to send comments on all aspects that concern you.

We have not at this time seen the plans, and would greatly welcome a copy of your comments so that we can take them into account in the Spokes submission. However, we would like to see the WEBS opportunity taken to install parallel cycleroutes in the off-road sections - this should not have to wait for the tram project. Also, the details of the on-road cycle facilities proposed will need careful scrutiny. There is also the question of bike parking at the WEBS bus stops.

Unfortunately the promoters of WEBS have not printed enough copies of the consultation leaflet to give us the 140 copies we needed - more are being printed, but we have decided instead to send out this letter so as to give you maximum time to attend the exhibitions and meeting. Below is reproduced the exact wording of the consultation leaflet, but not its pictures or its rather sketchy map. The whole document is available as a pdf file on www.tiedinburgh.co.uk, or single copies from 0800.328.3934. However, to see the details of the scheme you must go to one of the exhibitions. Further info on contacts, exhibitions and the public meeting are at the end of the document below.

Dave du Feu 12 August 2003

INTRODUCTION

The City of Edinburgh Council's Local Transport Strategy seeks to address the issues of traffic congestion, parking problems, road safety, the environment and social inclusion. The Council has created a new body, Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (tie) to deliver improvements under the council's Integrated Transport Initiative.

The West Edinburgh Bus ways (WEBS) project is part of that initiative. Key features of the project are the provision of an off-road, two-way, guided bus way (guideway) parallel to the existing road network generally between Hermiston Gait and Stenhouse Drive and the introduction of a series of bus priority measures in the Gyle area and between Stenhouse Drive and West Approach Road. Design and delivery of the guideway is under separate development and further information will be made available in the near future. It is being designed for future conversion to tram which has been the subject of separate consultation. However, proposals for the on-street bus priority measures are now at an advanced stage. Intended to compliment the provision of the new guideway, the on-street measures are also proposed to assist pedestrians and cyclists as well as buses and their passengers.

Before undertaking these onstreet measures, tie is consulting the public about this element of the scheme. As a part of this process, please read this leaflet and, if you wish, forward your comments on the proposed on-street measures to us using the contact details provided. If you wish to find out more about WEBS, further information is available on the detailed plans mentioned at the end of this document.

ON-STREET MEASURES

BUS LANES

Bus priority lanes will be provided along sections of South Gyle Crescent, South Gyle Broadway, Stenhouse Drive, Stevenson Drive, Balgreen Road, Stevenson Road, Westfield Road and West Approach Road. Operating hours for the proposed bus lanes will be 7.30am - 6.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am - 6.30pm Saturday. All vehicles except buses, taxis, cycles and emergency vehicles will be prohibited from driving in the lanes between these times. The priority lanes and their times of operation are intended to make bus services more reliable during both peak and off-peak periods.

BUS STOPS

Bus stops along the WEBS corridor will be improved to allow buses to pull-in closer to the kerb. This will allow easier boarding and alighting for all passengers, especially those with mobility difficulties and those with pushchairs. A number of the existing bus shelters along the WEBS corridor will also be upgraded.

PARKING, LOADING AND WAITING RESTRICTIONS

Together with the guideway and bus lanes, appropriate waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced to improve WEBS overall performance.

Where the guideway connects with Cultins Road and Bankhead Drive, waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced to ensure unrestricted access for buses. Restrictions will also be introduced on Bankhead Terrace and Bankhead Drive. These will include one-way operation on Bankhead Terrace and sections of Bankhead Drive and Cultins Road. A contra-flow bus lane will also be introduced on part of Bankhead Terrace. On South Gyle Crescent, parking and loading restrictions will be introduced to ensure junctions and access-ways remain clear of parked vehicles throughout the day.

PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS

Other measures are also proposed to assist pedestrians and cyclists...

• side road entry treatments
• new cycle lanes and cycle advance areas at signalised junctions

These will improve safety in general and provide safer routes to local amenities.

CONSULTATION PROCESS

If you would like further leaflets, or have any comments on proposals outlined in this leaflet, please respond, using the following contact details, on or before Friday 5 September 2003.

Freephone: 0800 328 3934

Email: webs@halcrow.com

Post: WEBS, Freepost SCO 2985, Edinburgh EH3 0BR.

MORE INFORMATION

Detailed plans of the proposed on-street measures are available to view at the following locations:

City of Edinburgh Council, 1 Cockburn Street 11-29 August

Opening Hours: 9.00am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday, 9.00am- 3.30pm Friday

WEBS consultant available: 12.30pm-2.30pm Monday to Friday

Gyle Shopping Centre 13-15 August

Opening Hours: 9.00am-6.00pm Wednesday to Friday

WEBS consultant available: 12.30pm-2.30pm Wednesday to Friday

Balgreen Library 20-23 August

Opening Hours: 1.00pm-8.00pm Wednesday 10.00am-5.00pm Thursday & Friday 9.00am-1.00pm Sat

WEBS consultant available: 1.15pm-3.00pm and 5.30pm- 7.45pm Wednesday; 12.30pm- 2.30pm Thursday and Friday; 9.15am-12.45pm Saturday

PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting will be held to discuss the proposals: Date: 27 August

Time: 7.00pm

Venue: Stenhouse St. Aidan's Church Hall, Gorgie Road. For a reason of disability or impairment, transport can be arranged to the public meeting by calling 0800 328 3934 by 19th August.

You can get more copies of this document in English by calling 0800 328 3934. 0131 242 8181 transport initiatives edinburgh 91 Hanover Street, EDINBURGH EH2 1DJ www.tiedinburgh.co.uk

You can get this document on tape, in Braille, large print and various computer formats. Please contact ITS on 0131 242 8181 and quote ref 03542. ITS can also give information on community language translations.

Some of the roads and locations directly affected [taken from the map by the pdf conversion software]...

Gyle Roundabout, South Gyle Broadway, South Gyle Crescent, South Gyle Access, Hermiston Gait Roundabout, Cultins Road, Bankhead Drive, Bankhead Terrace, Bankhead Avenue, Broomhouse Road, Broomhouse Drive, Saughton Road, Stenhouse Drive, Saughton Mains Street, Stenhouse Cross, Balgreen Road, Westfield Road, Roseburn Street, Stevenson Road, West Approach Road, Morrison Link, Canning Street, Lothian Road, EICC, Fountain Park Leisure Centre, Edinburgh Park Rail Station, Stenhouse Drive, Saughton Park

STOP PRESS

The following comments are notes by Chris Hill who has just visited the exhibition. They are not official Spokes comments, but Chris is very active in lobbying the Council on cycling matters, and has paid particular attention to West Edinburgh in recent years.

I find it slightly bizarre that the plan is for a guided section. One of the supposed benefits is that a guided route can take up less space - which really isn't an issue on the WEBS section. One 'reason' is that they will be installing infrastructure that can be converted into a tramway - but so could an ordinary road.

I was told at the exhibition that LRT [Lothian Region Transport - now Lothian Buses] was insisting on having several stops on the WEBS section which is sensible from their point of view, but again removes one of the supposed benefits i.e. a speedy bus bypass.

What I didn't realise was that there is an intention to build a section of road from Bankhead Drive (alongside WEBS) to Hermiston Gait partly for the purpose of serving EP [Edinburgh Park] station (many months after it opens of course) BUT that this will create a new route for cars to HG and EP (once entry permission is sorted), so a new rat run. The Halcro guy [NB - Halcro are the consultants for the consultation] didn't seem to realise this consequence.

The whole pedestrian/cycle access around Cultins Road is still far from clear - I know Matthew [council Cycle Officer] is trying to get this sorted (before/during October).

Of more concern is the Stenhouse end where it is unclear how the cycle path will be connected to the road network. I pointed out that the cycle route should be extended so that it can continue into Stenhouse Drive West and then on to nicely traffic calmed Whitson Road. He said that this was not in the project brief but he would take it back to TIE [the promoters of the project, on behalf of the Council].

It is intended to widen Stevenson Drive and install a bus lane - so that might be an improvement for cyclists who can deal with bus lanes.

I also pointed out that there should be a crossing at Whitson/Balgreen to the path at the Bowling Green and that the route over the railway though Carrick Knowe Golf Course should be sorted - but of course we can't expect joined up thinking - especially now that big projects have been 'privatised'.