Tag Archives: Pavement Widths

Dundee Street Fountainbridge Active Travel Project: briefing by LSEG

News, Road Safety, Spaces for People, , , , ,

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/dundee-street-fountainbridge-active-travel/

Overview

The chief overall objective is to provide an attractive east-west route for cyclists as an alternative to the increasingly-congested Union Canal towpath. The proposals are in two parts: the main section is on Dundee Street/Fountainbridge from Ardmillan Place in the west (‘Diggers’) to Ponton Street in the east, past Fountain Park, Boroughmuir High School and Tollcross Primary School. The central feature is a new continuous cycleway on both sides of the street with separated kerbs. There are ‘continuous pavements’ installed on side roads, some additional pedestrian crossings, some restrictions to traffic movements and nine ‘floating’ bus stops.  A second section consists of a ‘quiet cycle route’ from from Ashley Drive, Shandon to Fowler Terrace. Polwarth.

Dundee Street/Fountainbridge

Pavements (footways)

Some sections of the carriageway (road) are re-designated as footway: there are continuous pavements across side roads to enhance pedestrian priority; the cycle kerb separators; floating bus stop ‘islands’. There are footway build-outs at some junctions.

There appears to be little if any general widening of the footway along the main road (Dundee Street/Fountainbridge), including  at some of the narrowest sections heavily used by schildren at Boroughmuir High and Tollcross Primary schools.

Some sections of footway will remain less than 2 metres wide – the “absolute minimum” considered acceptable by the Council’s Street Design Guidance (for example, 1.5 metres at Edinburgh Printmakers). There appear to be at least 10 sections of footway which are actually being reduced in width – by as much as 2.4 metres (north side, east of Gilmore Park) – in order to accommodate the cycleway.

Pedestrian /cycle crossings

New or upgraded signalled crossings for both pedestrians and cyclists are proposed at the junctions with Henderson Terrace/West Approach Road, Yeaman Place, Gardners Crescent and Grove Street. A zebra is proposed over Drysdale Road. Continuous footways will affirm and assist pedestrian priority at side roads.

Cycleways

The cycleway mostly operates one way in each direction and is 1.5 meters wide. A hard kerb separator (technically designated as footway) separates it from motor traffic. Cyclops-style crossings (“Cycle Optimised Protected Signals”) which give cyclists priority are introduced at major junctions (Gardners Crescent, Grove Street). The cycleway crosses sections of footway at these junctions and at Lochrin Basin.

Buses

The nine bus stops on the route are being retained, but often moved. They will all have cycle bypasses (‘floating bus stops’) so that the cycle lane passes between the pavement and the bus stop. Shelters are not marked drawings. There appear to be no specific bus priority measures.

Traffic management

Some restrictions to motor vehicle movement are proposed: general traffic (except buses and cyclists) on Dundee Street will not be permitted to turn into Ardmillan Place, Henderson Terrace or Fowler Terrace. The right turn lane eastbound into Viewforth is removed, with Dundee Street becoming a single lane in each direction.

Ashley Drive to Fowler Terrace

This second part of the project proposes a cycle ‘quiet route’ (mostly without segregated cycleways) from the Union Canal at Ashley Drive near the boathouse to Dundee Street via North Merchiston streets.  Some restrictions to motor traffic are proposed, for example a ‘filter’ on Harrison Gardens will stop general through-traffic; there will be no vehicle access to/from Dundee Street from Fowler Terrace). Three zebra crossings are proposed (on Ashley Terrace, Harrison Gardens and Harrison Road) along with several pavement build-outs. Local footways, which are mostly between 1.5 and 2.5 metres wide at present, will not generally be changed.

Key Issues

The most welcome features for pedestrians are additional crossing opportunities, including at the notorious Henderson Terrace (Diggers) junction, and narrowed side roads with continuous footways which calm traffic and enhance walking. The overall volume of motor traffic may be reduced by the traffic management measures.

The chief design concern is the lack of footway widening on Dundee St/Fountainbridge, including several sections which are heavily used by children fromBoroughmuir HS and Tollcross PS school children. Indeed, there are several sections of footway made significantly narrower.*

Pedestrians/passengers will have to cross a cycle lane at every (’floating’) bus stop, a known problem especially for blind and disabled people, and in sections of footway where cycle lanes go through footway areas (like Lochrin Basin).

The scheme is very heavily engineered and expensive at £10million. The main objectives – for both cyclists and pedestrians – could surely be met by a much simpler, cheaper design?

Construction is estimated during 2026-28 but this seems unlikely given that there is no funding in place and the current public consultation on the concept design continues into 2026.

A presentation was held via Zoom on 3rd November to discuss the changes. You can see the recording here – https://youtu.be/5uz__Os0vZs

* The City of Edinburgh Council consultants have provided a table summarising changes in footway widths

Dundee-Street-Fountainbridge-Active-Travel-Project-consultants-summary-of-changes-to-footway-widthsDownload

Living Streets Edinburgh Group: our asks for Holyrood 2026 elections

News, Press Release, , ,

Living Streets Edinburgh campaigns to make walking and wheeling better, safer and more accessible in Edinburgh. We support national calls for the Scottish Parliament to give more priority to active travel and have four specific changes we want parties and candidates for the elections to commit to:

  1. Engine idling

The penalty for breaking the law against engine idling hasn’t increased since 2003 – still standing at £20. This means that it’s not economic for councils to enforce compliance and it is no surprise that there is effectively zero enforcement. This is absurd given the time money and effort spent in recent years on raising awareness of air quality issues in Scotland and introducing Low Emission Zones.  We want to see the penalty raised to an effective level, and index-linked to future inflation.

  • ‘Continental-style’ zebras

We want to see cheap, simple zebra crossings (i.e. ‘paint-only’, without Belisha Beacons) permitted on Scottish streets. This is a quick and cost-effective way to give pedestrians priority, especially on side roads where pedestrian priority is now confirmed in the Highway Code. Evaluations of the design by Edinburgh Napier University and Transform Scotland have demonstrate their potential (https://transform.scot/2023/12/04/new-research-would-european-style-zebra-crossings-work-in-scotland/). The Scottish Government says that it has no devolved powers to even trial these zebras – in which case, the Scottish Government must press immediately for such powers.

  • Roadworks

While roadworks are inevitable both for maintenance of streets and to maintain and improve public utilities, they cause severe and often unnecessary problems for all modes of travel – including pedestrians. The Scottish Road Works Commissioner has stated that 2/3 of works are on footways.  This not only disrupts pedestrians (especially disabled people) but also often results in long-lasting damage to roads. We want to see a ‘lane rental’ system introduced, as permitted in England, where the works undertaker pays for the occupation of the road on a daily basis. This will encourage works to be completed as quickly as possible, minimising disruption, and also increase resources available for inspection of works, improving the standard of reinstatements.

  • Safety Cameras

Two thirds of safety cameras (for speeding and red light jumping) in Edinburgh are ‘bagged’ (out of commission);  8 cameras were bagged in 2025 alone. https://www.livingstreetsedinburgh.org.uk/2025/08/25/bagged-speed-and-red-light-cameras-in-edinburgh-result-from-our-foi-request-august-2025/   This sends a green light to motorists that there are no consequences for speeding and jumping lights. Police Scotland, which operates the cameras, bears the cost of maintaining and upgrading them – but receives no income from penalties, which ultimately goes to the UK Treasury. So Police Scotland currently has a financial incentive to minimise the use of cameras, which are an essential tool to encourage safe and legal driving. We want MSPs to lobby for change on a UK basis so that the revenue generated by safety cameras is retained by the enforcement agency – normally Police Scotland.

Living Streets Edinburgh Group

October 2025.

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Leith Connections (Hawthornvale-Salamander Street): Comments from LSE on draft proposals

Consultation Response, ,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the new ‘Leith Connections’ proposals from Lindsay Road in the west through Commercial Street, Bernard Street and Baltic Street to Salamander Street in the east. https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/leithconnections/  

We acknowledge that the proposals would bring some significant improvements for pedestrians – such as ‘continuous footways’ over side road junctions, a single-stage crossing over North Junction Street at the Ocean Drive junction, and a new pavement at the eastern side of North Junction Street. 

However, it is also very concerning to see some sections of pavement actually reduced, and no improvement to many pavements that are already less than 2 metres wide – the “absolute minimum” that the Council normally considers acceptable. These seem to include these streets (the number in brackets refers to the drawing sheet):

  • N Junction St 1.5m (1)
  • Lindsay Rd (S) 1.54m (2) 
  • Lindsay Rd (N) 1,67m (3)
  • Commercial St (N) 1.8m (3)
  • Salamander St  (N) 1.85m (14)
  • Salamander St  (N) 1.8m (14)
  • Salamander St  (S) 1.95m (16)
  • Salamander St  (N) 1.27m (17)
  • Salamander St  (S) 1.5m (17)

Pavements which are at least two metres wide is also the minimum recommended in national UK guidance such as Inclusive Mobility, allowing for adequate use by pedestrians using mobility aids including walking sticks and wheelchairs as well as by parents with small children, etc. bit.ly/IncMobility

There also appear to be ten ‘floating bus stops’ (which mean people getting on and off the bus have to cross a cycle lane when boarding or alighting).  We know this design is a serious concern to many disabled and blind people, as evidenced by calls from all the major visual impairment charities (RNIB, Guide Dogs for the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind UK) for a halt to their use and/or removal of existing stops.  Some of the bus stops proposed do not even appear to conform to the minimum standards for footway and/or island width as defined by the Council’s own Street Design Guidance. 

The plan would also remove some bus stops altogether, as well as significant sections of bus lane on Lindsay Road and Commercial Street. Many of these changes are not highlighted on the Council’s consultation. Many were raised as concerns needing to be addressed in earlier consultations for example in the minutes of the 2021 Community Reference Group. 

The size of the cycleway itself is also limited by the constrained street space, and is not continuous owing to the Bernard Street pinch point in particular.  We understand also that some parts (especially in Salamander Street) would require additional land take which brings a significant degree of uncertainty over the viability of the whole scheme.

In view of these multiple problems, we query whether this is the best route for the cycleway at all, and whether a different east-west route would be better. For example, running behind the buildings to the north of Commercial Street, over the newly traffic-free Sandport Bridge and along Leith Links, where there is already a well established cycle route which could well be enhanced. 

This would avoid introducing unwelcome impacts on pedestrians and bus passengers by trying to accommodate too many travel modes in an insufficient space – the problem we have seen all too clearly on Leith Walk. This would also provide more traffic-free sections for the cycle route and presumably be significantly cheaper to build.

Pedestrian crossing reports: Blackhall and Gardners Crescent

Council Policy, Street Audit, , , , ,

We have two new reports on our observations from the pedestrian’s point of view on two more road junctions. As so often, people walking have to wait too long to cross – this not only discourages walking but also encourages people to cross unsafely. Especially worrying is the lack of any ‘green man’ phase at Blackhall (a problem until recently at Gardners Crescent too). We’re encouraging the City of Edinburgh Council to invest much more in traffic signals so that they better reflect the ‘sustainable travel hierarchy’ (which has walking and wheeling firmly at the top).

Blackhall Junction

Blackhall

LSEG-Blackhall-Sep-2024-1Download

Morrison Street

LSEG-Morrison-Street-2024Download

Minute of Living Streets Edinburgh Annual General Meeting

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Quaker Meeting House, November 14, 2022
Approximately 25 people were present.

  1. A number of apologies were recorded
  2. The Minute of LSEG AGM 2021 was approved and adopted. There were no matters arising.
  3. David Hunter noted LSEG’S significant activity of the previous year.
  4. Isobel Leckie noted that financial activity this year was minimal. The bank account balance with Bank of Scotland is £1144.36.
  5. DH outlined the current structure of the Living Streets Edinburgh Group having no formal committee structure but individuals taking responsibility for particular aspects. A requirement of Living Streets is that local groups have two named office holders. It was agreed that David Hunter and Isobel Leckie continue in respective posts as Convenor and Treasurer.
  6. Guest speaker Cllr. Arthur made the point that personal transport is about having choices and that these should focus on sustainability. Although walking is the main mode for a third of the population it arouses least public comment. He wanted to get away from an ongoing battle between cyclists and motorists. and to focus more on walking and public transport.
  7. A number of questions were raised from the floor which Cllr Arthur responded to.
  8. DH spoke to a paper indicating LSEG proposed priorities for 2023:
    – Campaign for increased budgets for the pedestrian environment (capital and staffing)
    – Secure better enforcement of controls on parking
    – Support specific local campaigns for placemaking and traffic reduction – LTNs, 20 min – Neighbourhood plans
    – Develop walk friendly- environments at and around schools
    – Influence planning policy and practice to aid walking and wheeling and reduce motor traffic
    – Grow number of our supporters and range of our campaigns.
    – DH described ways in which individuals could become involved with LSEG campaigning and encouraged anyone interested to get in touch.
  1. There was no further business and the meeting was closed.