A Community Street Audit of the busy Cowgate throroughfare was carried out by Living Streets Scotland earlier this year, sponsored by the City of Edinburgh Council and with the Old Town Community Council as a key partner.

The main problems identified were:

• domination by fast, heavy traffic
• narrow and cluttered pavements, and difficult road crossings
• poor ambience and environment.

The report makes a number of detailed recommendations at specific locations – such as the introduction of one-way chicanes (allowing wider pavements) under South Bridge and George IV Bridge. It also goes on to raise some wider issues about how traffic and waste collection are managed in the city.

The full report can be downloaded here (pdf, 1mb) – Cowgate Edinburgh Street Audit – Final Report

Side note 2021

Our colleagues at Living Streets Scotland were asked by the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Walking, Cycling and Buses to survey the pedestrian route from Waverley Station to the Scottish Parliament building, through the heart of the Old Town. 

You can read the findings here 

This highlights many problems for everyday walking and wheeling which need to be tackled as part of the ‘City Centre Transformation’.

We will work with LSS, the local community and other stakeholders to promote solutions which put people first.