Welcome to Living Streets Edinburgh

Edinburgh, with its generally dense population and walkable distances, could be a European exemplar of a pedestrian-friendly city. But the many sensible walking-related policies of the City of Edinburgh Council too often don’t translate in practice into a safe and attractive walking environment on the streets. Motor traffic continues to dominate the vast majority of the city’s streets – yet there are clear economic, environmental and social benefits in prioritising pedestrian movement within a high-quality public realm.

Our overall aim is to:

Promote walking (including ‘wheeling’) as a safe, enjoyable, accessible and healthy way of getting around Edinburgh.

To this end, we want to see:

  • walking given the top priority over other forms of travel in all council transport and planning policies;
  • a reduction in the volume of motorised traffic and its impact on people using the street;
  • better designed and maintained pavements, road crossings and other pedestrian facilities;
  • more effective and joined-up monitoring and inspection of the walking environment by CEC;
  • planning policy which encourages dense, sustainable housing over car-dominated, dispersed development;
  • more effective implementation of pro-walking policies ‘on the ground’.

Our priorities for action in 2024 are to:

  • Campaign for increased budgets (capital and staffing) for the
    pedestrian environment by the City of Edinburgh Council, especially
    to:
    • widen footways;
    • tackle pavement clutter;
    • improve priority for pedestrians at signalled crossings;
    • improve accessibility by installing dropped kerbs and continuous
      footways.
  • Secure better enforcement of controls on parking (including new
    ‘pavement parking’ provisions) and speeding.
  • Support specific local campaigns for place-making and traffic
    reduction.
  • Develop our work on walk-friendly environments at and around
    schools.
  • Influence planning policy and practice to aid walking and wheeling
    and reduce motor traffic.
  • Grow the number of our supporters and range of our campaigns.

If you would like to get involved in our work in any way, please email us at:
 edinburghgroup@livingstreets.org.uk

 

Council spend on roads outstrips funding for pavements

Living Streets Edinburgh is calling for a re-set of capital spending to focus on everyday walking, following recent analysis of council budgets by the group which campaigns for everyday walking. While ‘walking and wheeling’ remains top of the transport hierarchy in theory, the percentage of the roads budget spend on footways has in fact fallen year on year since 2022.

Although there was a significant uplift in budgets for footway maintenance following the last council elections in 2022, as promised in the Labour administration’s manifesto, total roads spending has almost doubled. Carriageway maintenance (roads) budgets have continued to increase significantly. With footway budgets at a standstill since then, only 13% of the overall roads budget now goes on footway maintenance, compared to 21% in 2023.

Living Streets Edinburgh Convener David Hunter said: “We know that there’s a lot of concern about potholes and the state of the roads in Edinburgh, but it’s frustrating to see so little of the roads budget targeting pavement improvements. In every city neighbourhood, there are cluttered, narrow pavements full of trip hazards which make it hard for people to get out to the local shops health centre or to catch the bus.

We’re expecting the Council to announce its plans for spending on the City Mobility Plan and active travel shortly. If the Council is serious about getting people out of cars and supporting sustainable, inclusive local communities, it’s got to do more to improve local walking environments.”

LSEG 2024/25: Some highlights and key events

Over the past year, since our last public meeting in May 2024, we’ve been busy!  Some key events and milestones:

May 2024

  • Met Cllr Arthur on our concerns about the impacts on walking and buses for major Meadows-George Street scheme (a theme for many other active travel schemes)

June

  • LSEG stall at Edinburgh Climate Festival, the Meadows. Lots of good conversations and new supporters enlisted.

July

  • LSEG FoI request reveals £85 million active travel underspend planned by Transport Scotland – subsequently, big cuts confirmed by Scottish Government.

September

  • ‘Polwarth roundabout project’ promoted by Merchiston Community Council secures initial funding from Council (£100k) with support from LSEG.
  • LSEG supports Sight Scotland’s call for ‘green man’ phase at Strachan Road (Blackhall) – one of 70+ junctions without any pedestrian facilities on at least one arm.

October

  • Met new Transport Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson (following Scott Arthur’s election as an MP), and Interim Head of Place, Gareth Barwell (following Paul Lawrence’s appointment as Chief Executive) calling for more priority given to walking.
  • Corstorphine LTN, including wider pavements at the primary school, made permanent – minus the Manse Road ‘bus gate’.

November

  • LSEG comment on new Leith Connections cycleway (Hawthornvale-Salamander Street); plans again compromise walking with narrow pavements and poor bus stops.
  • Cowgate fatal collision leads to decision to bring forward evening closure to traffic from 10.00pm (not yet implemented).
  • LSEG establishes from BT the location of 80+ obsolete phone kiosks cluttering pavements which they are committed to removing.
  • Highlighted the problems for pedestrians remaining on Leith Walk and other streets after the tram extension to Newhaven; including challenging inaccurate measurements reported to council which understate how narrow some sections of pavement are.

December:

  • launch of ‘Roseburn-Canal’ (Dundee Street) cycleway: big improvement to Dalry community park and no negative impact on bus users and pedestrians!
  • long-awaited (ie years late!) pedestrian crossings installed at Stockbridge (Leslie Place) and Fountainbridge (Yeaman Place).
  • Met Lothian Centre for Independent Living, who are supporting a group of disabled people and carers advocating for more accessible streets.

January 2025

  • We established a clear process and understanding with the Royal Mail and council on the removal of unused ‘mail pouches’ which add unnecessary clutter to pavements

February 2025

  • Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) confirmed permanent. Significant credit due to our affiliated group ‘Liveable Leith’.
  • We responded to a major consultation on Princes Street expressing disappointment at the lack of proposals to increase the size of pavements and opposing the idea of a cycleway outside the shops, complete with floating bus stops.

March 2025

  • Stall at ‘Schools clean air’ project at City Chambers.
  • Engaging with Equal Footing Porty and supporting their deputation to TEC – another group advocating for accessible streets in Portobello
  • We secured a council motion (by Cllr Aston) calling for a major review of phasing of traffic signals, which have great scope to give more priority to pedestrians (and buses).

April 2025

  • Persistent – but ultimately unsuccessful – efforts to persuade the Council to increase budgets for footway maintenance, tackling dropped kerbs etc. We hope that they have made an impact which will influence future capital budgets. 
  • Commitment secured at TEC (by Cllr Booth) to investigate improved pedestrian routes through Gorgie/Westfield /Roseburn.
  • Welcomed the announcement to introduce significant traffic restrictions on the Lawnmarket/Johnstone Terrace once resurfacing works are complete this summer.
  • We spoke at a major event organised by the Cockburn meeting on city streetscapes on the design and management of the city.

Communications as at April 2025

Local mailing list: 359 members

Social media followers:

X (twitter):      4,999

Facebook:        1,900

BlueSky:            589

***

Living Streets Edinburgh – Public Meeting

Living Streets Edinburgh Group

Public Meeting – 6.30pm, Thursday, 29 May 2025

Friends Meeting House, Victoria Terrace

AGENDA

  1. Introductions / apologies.
  2. Minutes of last AGM, 16 May 2024.
  3. Treasurer’s report.
  4. Convenor’s report including Liveable Leith – reflections and lessons.
  5. Election of Convener, Treasurer and committee.
  6. Guest speaker:  Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, Convener of Transport and Environment Committee, City of Edinburgh Council.
  7. Questions and Answers
  8. AOB.

Finish: 7.50pm

LSEG 2024/25: Some highlights and key events

Over the past year, since our last public meeting in May 2024, we’ve been busy!  Some key events and milestones:

May 2024

  • Met Cllr Arthur on our concerns about the impacts on walking and buses for major Meadows-George Street scheme (a theme for many other active travel schemes)

June

  • LSEG stall at Edinburgh Climate Festival, the Meadows. Lots of good conversations and new supporters enlisted.

July

  • LSEG FoI request reveals £85 million active travel underspend planned by Transport Scotland – subsequently, big cuts confirmed by Scottish Government.

September

  • ‘Polwarth roundabout project’ promoted by Merchiston Community Council secures initial funding from Council (£100k) with support from LSEG.
  • LSEG supports Sight Scotland’s call for ‘green man’ phase at Strachan Road (Blackhall) – one of 70+ junctions without any pedestrian facilities on at least one arm.

October

  • Met new Transport Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson (following Scott Arthur’s election as an MP), and Interim Head of Place, Gareth Barwell (following Paul Lawrence’s appointment as Chief Executive) calling for more priority given to walking.
  • Corstorphine LTN, including wider pavements at the primary school, made permanent – minus the Manse Road ‘bus gate’.

November

  • LSEG comment on new Leith Connections cycleway (Hawthornvale-Salamander Street); plans again compromise walking with narrow pavements and poor bus stops.
  • Cowgate fatal collision leads to decision to bring forward evening closure to traffic from 10.00pm (not yet implemented).
  • LSEG establishes from BT the location of 80+ obsolete phone kiosks cluttering pavements which they are committed to removing.
  • Highlighted the problems for pedestrians remaining on Leith Walk and other streets after the tram extension to Newhaven; including challenging inaccurate measurements reported to council which understate how narrow some sections of pavement are.

December:

  • launch of ‘Roseburn-Canal’ (Dundee Street) cycleway: big improvement to Dalry community park and no negative impact on bus users and pedestrians!
  • long-awaited (ie years late!) pedestrian crossings installed at Stockbridge (Leslie Place) and Fountainbridge (Yeaman Place).
  • Met Lothian Centre for Independent Living, who are supporting a group of disabled people and carers advocating for more accessible streets.

January 2025

  • We established a clear process and understanding with the Royal Mail and council on the removal of unused ‘mail pouches’ which add unnecessary clutter to pavements

February 2025

  • Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) confirmed permanent. Significant credit due to our affiliated group ‘Liveable Leith’.
  • We responded to a major consultation on Princes Street expressing disappointment at the lack of proposals to increase the size of pavements and opposing the idea of a cycleway outside the shops, complete with floating bus stops.

March 2025

  • Stall at ‘Schools clean air’ project at City Chambers.
  • Engaging with Equal Footing Porty and supporting their deputation to TEC – another group advocating for accessible streets in Portobello
  • We secured a council motion (by Cllr Aston) calling for a major review of phasing of traffic signals, which have great scope to give more priority to pedestrians (and buses).

April 2025

  • Persistent – but ultimately unsuccessful – efforts to persuade the Council to increase budgets for footway maintenance, tackling dropped kerbs etc. We hope that they have made an impact which will influence future capital budgets. 
  • Commitment secured at TEC (by Cllr Booth) to investigate improved pedestrian routes through Gorgie/Westfield /Roseburn.
  • Welcomed the announcement to introduce significant traffic restrictions on the Lawnmarket/Johnstone Terrace once resurfacing works are complete this summer.
  • We spoke at a major event organised by the Cockburn meeting on city streetscapes on the design and management of the city.

Communications as at April 2025

Local mailing list: 359 members

Social media followers:

X (twitter):      4,999

Facebook:        1,900

BlueSky:            589

***

LSEG calls for a review of tactile paving guidance

Written deputation from Living Streets Edinburgh Group: Tactile Paving at Continuous Footways (Motion 8.9, Cllr Caldwell)

At the January TEC, an official advised that the Edinburgh Street Design Guidance (ESDG) does not currently recommend tactile paving at the edge of side-roads with continuous footways. It was suggested that this would undermine the message to drivers that they should cede priority to pedestrians (as required by the Highway Code).

However, Factsheet G7 clearly states that tactile paving is recommended at continuous pavements (screenshot below). https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/13723/edinburgh-street-design-guidance

The use of tactile paving at continuous footways in Edinburgh is highly inconsistent: it is installed on CCWEL along the A8 on Wester Coates; but absent at most of the similar continuous pavement junctions on most of Leith Walk. This inconsistency is in itself a significant problem for blind pedestrians. We recognise that this is a relatively new aspect of street design.

Our view is that it is more important for tactile paving to be present at junctions where there is continuous footway than at a conventional junction; otherwise a blind pedestrian has no way of knowing that they have left the footway and entered a space where they are likely to encounter a moving vehicle. Our view is that the presence of tactile paving won’t undermine the ‘pedestrian priority’ message to drivers, as drivers turning in or out of such a junction are highly unlikely to notice whether there is tactile paving, or not.

We therefore support the motion but also would ask that the ESDG policy is reviewed and clarified; and that new, consistent guidance is produced, after consultation with interested parties including the Edinburgh Access Panel and Living Streets.

LSEG response to Consultation on the National Speed Limit Review, March 2025

Consultation Submission submitted on behalf of the Living Streets Edinburgh Group (LSEG)

This submission is being made as a direct email rather than through your standard consultation form since the design of that form does not allow us to be able to adequately express our concerns for pedestrians. We trust that our views, as below, will nevertheless be considered seriously.

The LSEG very strongly supports the proposed lowering of the default national speed limit from 60 to 50 mph on single carriageway roads. Scotland has a very poor safety record on these roads, with a large proportion of all fatalities and serious injuries occurring on them, as evidenced in the Consultation Review report. The 60 mph limit is far too high for safe driving, other than where there are long stretches of strait road without intervening property entrances or side-road junctions. A 50mph limit will result in safer speeds on these roads and all the more so if the new limit is properly enforced. We note that an even lower, 60 kmph, national limit is now being introduced on rural roads in Ireland, many of which have similar characteristics to those in Scotland.

The benefits for pedestrians on such roads is unlikely to be great however, since traffic speeds at up to either 50 or 60 mph intimidate pedestrians, and without the protection of segregated paths, on what are mostly narrow rural roads, there is little pedestrian activity. Our principle concern therefore is that the introduction of the 50mph limit does not go nearly far enough to make conditions safe for pedestrians or to reduce the levels of suppressed pedestrian trips along these roads.

In many places there are extensive stretches of bends with the current 60mph limit but where the maximum safe speed around the bends is no more than 40, or 30, or even 20mph. All too often only ‘Slow’ markings on the carriageway are in evidence. For conditions to be considered at all safe for pedestrians, with their visibility restricted by bends, speed limits need to be set at the appropriate lower levels that match the road design / conditions, not simply set to 50mph. There are also still many places, in particular on the approaches to villages or other settlements, where the prevailing speed limit needs to be reduced from 60 to well below 50mph; and, as in the Scottish Borders, 20mph in the villages themselves  We therefore call for there to be a comprehensive review following on from the introduction of the 50mph limit, with the aim to have speed limits set to appropriate levels for safe driving throughout the network, and whether or not there have been casualties in a particular location. This is a fundamental necessity if more walking is to be encouraged, in line with government policy. 

Even with the setting of the most  appropriate speed limits conditions will still be challenging for pedestrians and potentially dangerous without the provision of segregated routes. There is also a clear need in many places for the provision of pavements or off-road paths alongside rural roads. This provision could encourage many more walking trips, for example between adjacent villages or from villages to the nearest town where distances are not too great. It is also the case that more recreational walking, by visitors as well as residents, would be encouraged by the provision of more off-road footpaths in rural areas throughout Scotland. It is notable that many of the islands are very suited by size for recreational walking (and cycling) trips, yet still with very little provision of safe, segregated routes. Provision of such routes could encourage the leaving of cars behind on the mainland perhaps, or even altogether. Promoting such active travel would help increased tourism to take place without a comparable increase in car use.

Finally much intensified efforts to enforce the improved speed limits are essential in order to eliminate excessive speeding. Funding for these efforts needs to be resourced by means that are protected, otherwise grant cuts are likely when, as now, overall national and local public sector resources are under pressure. Without this the Vision Zero aim to have no serious injuries or fatalities will remain just a vision. The current enforcement system is simply not fit for purpose and needs reform, as the LSEG has argued elsewhere:   https://www.livingstreetsedinburgh.org.uk/2021/11/17/slower-speeds-safer-streets-for-edinburgh-an-action-plan/

We need to have a more comprehensive approach, with policies for the road safety of walkers (and cyclists) integrated with those for tourism and wider economic development.