Edinburgh - A8 works

[Tetedelacourse]

If you cycle out of town along the A8 and turn off at Lochend Road past the end of the airport, heading to Kirkliston, then this might interest you.

This is a response from the council Cycling officer to me asking what's happening. A further barrier to road cycling in our area.

I have looked in to the closure of the right turn lane on the A8. Apparently this turn was actually banned around 10 years ago and the current work is to fill in the central reservation. This is being done to prevent vehicle drivers from moving the temporary barriers and to make the central reservation consistent along this length of the A8. As the work has already started I would expect it to be completed in the next 1-2 months.

Due to the high traffic volumes and the low number of cyclists on this section of the A8 the Council did not allow for cyclists to be exempt when the decision was made to ban right-turns at this point. The process of implementing the Road Traffic Order to affect this would have gone out to consultation at the time and the cyclist group Spokes would have been included...

The Council is implementing a number of schemes in this particular area to encourage cycling (the A8 and A8000 shared use paths) that is attractive to a wide range of cyclists of different abilities. Although your existing route will no longer be possible the A8 will soon have new off-road facilities on both sides. The footbridge adjacent to Station Road will enable you to make a safe, if less direct, crossing of the A8 and you are already legally able to complete the section between here and Lochend Road on the shared use path on the north side of the A8.

I hope that this route is satisfactory for you. The provision of a cycle facility in the central reservation of the A8 would encourage cyclists to think of this as a movement the Council considers safe for most cyclists. As this is not the case we do not feel able to promote this as a scheme.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Pah! Bloody W*nkers!

Well yes, of course crossing a bridge that will likely have steps or crunches, then riding along a shared path where you are not supposed to exceed 12mph is a totally fine way of cycling - if you want to tootle.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Exactly. The shared path in question is less than a metre wide, it has curbs at junctions and is uneven and not maintained. In short, on my roadbike, a joke. Exemplary of my council's view of cycling. The same area which has just abolished bridge tolls which it acknowledges will result in increased volumes of traffic, but doesn't want anyone driving in Edinburgh.

Someone's having a good laugh somewhere.

 

[MrGrumpy]

thats gonna be a pain in the arse, the paths both sides of the road are in no way good for use other than a full sus MTB, going to have to rethink my way home now, at night I like to go that way rather than the other joke of a cycle path.

 

[angusde]

I agree the path is pretty poor, and another hazard can be the overhanging vegetation poking you in the eye and slapping you about the face! Having said that my bike copes just fine without any suspension.

But, as often as not a steady 15mph or whatever still beats the traffic, Gogar to Newbridge/Ratho, which always puts a smile on my face...

When I think about the 8 years I lived in Germany and what proper cycle lanes and paths are like..... and that was 1986 the first time, so I reckon we are getting on 2 generations behind the rest of Northern Europe in "real" provision for cycling commuters.

**sigh**

Angus

 

[HJ]

Edinburgh council has a Cycling officer?? What does he/she do all day???

 

[Terminator]

If I end up there it will be one hell of a commute.

 

[Kirst]

Edinburgh council has a Cycling officer?? What does he/she do all day???

He's fairly new in post. He followed up my complaint about the crappy new speedbumps on the Union Canal path within 24 hours of me making it, and he's responded to my comments about the facilities for cyclists at Chesser House although he doesn't have much control over that. I forget his name but I can get it for you tomorrow if you like, so you can ring and discuss stuff with him.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

He is quite responsive, to be fair, but his job seems to be to back up decisions that have been made by the road (motoring) planners rather than fight a corner for cycling provision.

 

[MrGrumpy]

well whats his address so i can e-mail him about the closing of the dual carrageway down to 1 lane coming up the hill from Barnton, I`m gonna be left to go on pavement. Road planning of no clue when it comes to cycling.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Grumpy, I've just PM'd your ass.