[chrisonabike]

I was inspired by another poster today and reminded that up here in Scotland several of our cities have more than 1/3 of the space devoted to motor vehicles.  That’s a lot of space we could use!

… and it seems even the local council’s started eyeing it up too.  That’s great for me because I don’t even pay road tax!

So what examples have people got of things you can do with some road – other than driving on it, having a traffic jam on it or parking on it?

I’ll kick off with some examples I spotted on my evening pootle in Edinburgh.  (apologies – I’ve just realised that of course the more recent comments appear at the top, so the order is back to front, whatever.)

Topic

[chrisonabike]

“Instant LTN” treatment. 

“Instant LTN” treatment.  Quick and pretty cheap.  However this is actually a bit of an exception – this is a “second coming”, due to the massive decade-plus of disruption on parallel Leith Walk.  (approximate dates – Streetview) In 2011 it was blocked with concrete blocks, by 2014 it had a neat pavement and bollards treatment (low kerb but no ramp for cycling, grr).  But by 2022 this had disappeared to allow this to be a route (one way) to bypass Leith Walk.

No idea they couldn’t fix it for cycle access this time (perhaps “we’ve given you cycle paths on Leith Walk, don’t get cocky”?).  The concrete blocks over a decade ago were fine…

Cambridge Avenue off Pilrig Street (Streetview jumps about in time!)

[chrisonabike]

Or a slalom?

Or a slalom?

Actually – don’t do as we did it.

Still do it!  Just do it properly.  Because once the dust has settled people will get on with their lives as always.  And after a few years – if their attention is drawn to it – it lots will say that the place is nicer.  Drivers will probably complain, but we’re always complaining.  It’s never like it is in the adverts, and you’re spending time driving, with all those other drivers…

And give the people behind this thanks for sticking their necks out.  Sincerely – amid all the shouting of “not one less square inch from the hard-pressed motorist!  We’re not cash cows!” or “you’ll force us out of business” or “pedestrians are seriously worried; I know folks trapped in their homes” etc.

BUT then get those designers – or more pertinently the managers and councillors who actually do the horse-trading about what’s requested and prioritised – a couple of hours of BicycleDutch videos, or NotJustBikes, or (because UK) Ranty Highwayman etc.  Or even better a junket to NL, Scandinavia, or even some places in Germany to actually use different modes and be in these spaces.

[chrisonabike]

Or some public “art” or

Or some public “art” or features?  In the UK we seem to have not just “maximum capacity for motor traffic” but “maximum permeability for motor traffic”.  Hence shouts about LTNs.  But really – with a car you don’t have to pedal.  Yes, inefficient to go further but … actually, we need it not to be so convenient for us.  Because it’s already too convenient to drive so we all do and that ruins it for us all.  And especially for those who really have to drive.  (Not “it was raining / I was late / I’d just got my suit back from the cleaners so I had to drive”.)

So … no need for this side street also to exit onto Leith Walk.  So a nice, relaxed continous footway, and probably nicer for residents with no through traffic too.

Iona street – compare in e.g. 2018 (access) v.s more recently.

[chrisonabike]

Leith Walk.  It’s a mess…

Leith Walk.  It’s a mess… it really seems like some designer was given a few pictures of stuff in The Netherlands and told to work it out.  They pulled out some details right, but they clearly didn’t look at a video…

So – good detail: two-way cycle path, to save crossing over a very wide street.

But the junctions, the horror… the one at the foot of the walk is actively dangerous if you don’t their intended line (e.g. you were heading north and then want to go west up Great Junction Street).  Some of them actually seem to keep cyclists waiting longer than any other mode.  If you obey the cycle lights (another detail from NL – looks like the pictures…)  Which none of the delivery cyclists who’re the main cycling lifeform in the place do.

If I was from NL I’d recognise design elements.  I suspect they might ask “is this a wind-up?” though.  And be unable to believe it’s been such an effort given it’s one of the wider, straighter streets in the city and clearly a “place”…

London Road junction.

[chrisonabike]

OK, we’ve mentioned the C

OK, we’ve mentioned the C-word.  More road space than we know what to do with and yet it’s still congested at the busy times?

Maybe more road isn’t going to fix this?  Sounds crazy but perhaps try the opposite.  Maybe traffic evaporation is really a thing?  Could we… narrow the carriageway a bit and then use that to make some actual separate cycle path?

Yeah, this one’s not exactly top Dutch quality; over-fussy, as if cyclists were simultaneously vulnerable as small children and also as unpredictably dangerous as old explosives – but it is separate and continuous, with forgiving kerbs, for a bit.

Portobello Road.

[chrisonabike]

Getting radical now, but what

Getting radical now, but what about… some public bike parking?

(Note: this isn’t on the tram route – I checked, all the examples elsewhere were dug in not bolted down and the proper design with a bar across.  It’s those tram-py billionaires who’re making a nonsense of things, cheaping out on the Sheffield stands, ignoring the council’s own “standard” etc.)

Also corner of Leith Links.

[chrisonabike]

A bit of mini-park?  Turns

A bit of mini-park?  Turns out that we have some massive open spaces in Edinburgh, we just can’t see them for the vehicles.  But we also have some small areas where e.g. we’ve got more than double the road we need.  They won’t notice it’s gone!

Couple of planters, some space for kids…

North west corner of Leith Links.

[chrisonabike]

Or… how about some more

Or… how about some more space for the bins, and a bit of hopscotch?  It should take those proud in their nostalgia back to those days of kids playing in the streets in cobbled closes, jumpers for goalposts… A Britain (or even Scotland) we could be proud of, if that’s the cut of your jib.

By Leith Links.

[chrisonabike]

A cycle lane?  Useless unless

A cycle lane?  Useless unless “mandatory”, you better hope it has some “protection” and that’s not actually a liability itself (Orcas or “aaarrrmadillos!”).

Still, you’ll find the odd car there, and quite often buses.  Or in the case of this one suddenly find a whole built-out bus stop appearing in place of your lane.  Junctions? Faggedaboudit…

London Road.

[chrisonabike]

A bus lane.  Hmm… better

A bus lane.  Hmm… better make it 24 / 7.  And actually, it might need some bollards…

At Jock’s Lodge.

[chrisonabike]

An ASL and some tatty

An ASL and some tatty “advisory cycle lane”.  This bit’s actually just to access the ASL but you get the idea (“what is it good for?  Absolutely nothing!”).

Here in Trinity.

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