Sunday 2nd September from 1 – 4pm in Inverleith Park
Do you enjoy walking, cycling, getting a bit more active and having fun? Would you be interested in finding out more about opportunities for doing these things? Continue reading Inverleith Festival of Walking & Cycling
Daisy Narayanan, who is leading the City Centre Transformation project on behalf of the Council during a secondment from Sustrans Scotland, shares her vision for Edinburgh: Continue reading Transforming Edinburgh: putting people at the heart of city design
A major public consultation planned to kick off next month will spark discussions all over the city about how people want the heart of Scotland’s Capital to look, feel and function.
If approved by the Transport and Environment Committee today, the eight-week consultation commencing in September will bring together three inter-related placemaking projects being led by the City of Edinburgh Council and supported by numerous partner organisations.
Responses and suggestions will be sought on: the Edinburgh City Centre Transformation, the City Mobility Plan (successor to the current Local Transport Strategy) and plans for Low Emission Zones in the Capital.
The consultation, entitled “Edinburgh: connecting our city, transforming our places”, centres on a prospectus which has been developed following extensive engagement with stakeholders between February and May 2018 – ideas and proposals contained within it have come directly from public feedback.
The prospectus sets out ideas to create a more active and connected city, a healthier environment, a transformed Edinburgh city centre, and improved neighbourhood streets. Among the ideas up for consideration are pedestrianised streets, restrictions on ‘through’ traffic, bus and freight ‘hubs’, widened pavements and improved public spaces.
The Transport and Environment Committee report about the planned consultation also seeks members’ approval for regular vehicle-free days in the city centre and town centres across Edinburgh.
It also updates members on the award of £760,000 to the Council from the Scottish Government through Sustrans’ Community Links Programme to help deliver the Edinburgh City Centre Transformation project.
Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This prospectus is a truly ambitious document which is bound to generate some lively debate right across the city about what kind of place we want Edinburgh to be. It’s a powerful opportunity to make some really transformational changes to our city centre and town centres for the benefit of everyone who lives and works in or visits them.
“Frankly, the status quo is just not an option anymore. As a Council we are serious about tackling poor air quality, reducing congestion and making it as easy as possible to get around Edinburgh, especially by walking, cycling and public transport.”
Transport Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “The ideas in this hugely significant consultation have come from a series of workshops held in the spring with a huge range of organisations and interest groups, including transport providers (public transport, freight, taxi, private hire and community transport), private sector companies, third sector bodies, Edinburgh Access Panel, community councils, neighbouring local authorities and school pupils.
“We’re very pleased to have been awarded more than three quarters of a million pounds from Sustrans to help us progress what is sure to be one of the most far-reaching revamps of the Capital’s city centre and town centres in many, many years.”
Sustrans Scotland Deputy Director Grace Martin said: “We are very encouraged by the proposals laid out in the Council’s City Centre Transformation report.
“It is fantastic to see our capital city developing solutions to make the city a better place for people to live, work and visit. We are particularly pleased to be able to support a vision of more walking and cycling with funding through our infrastructure and behaviour change programmes.
“By making it easier and safer to travel around on foot and bike, improving air quality and creating more attractive and dynamic public spaces, the proposals set out how Edinburgh can grow and prosper.
“We hope this ambition will inspire other towns and cities within Scotland to promote active, sustainable and healthy lifestyles.”
Richard Hall, Managing Director of Lothian (formerly Lothian Buses), said: “We are really pleased to have been working in conjunction with the City of Edinburgh Council on this ambitious project so far.
“Buses and other forms of public and active transport are the best solution to move people across and through our city. Their integration into future design and planning is critical to ensure seamless connectivity which in turn drives economic investment and growth. Innovative and brave approaches and solutions need to be taken and delivered collaboratively by the city and all public and active transport organisations.”
A fund which supports the introduction of new walking and cycling infrastructure will be more than doubled, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has announced. £36m will be available through the Community Links Fund in 2018/19, the highest amount since it was launched in 2010.
The fund has previously helped projects like the cycling and walking path between Elgin and Lhanbryde, a cycle path linking Glasgow City Centre with its southern suburbs, and plans to redesign Stirling Road in Dunblane.
Mr Yousaf said: “We want Scotland to be an active nation, where people lead healthier and more active lifestyles. Cyclists often tell me they want to see more safe cycling infrastructure, which I fully endorse and is one of the reasons why this is the highest amount we’ve ever invested in the Community Links Fund.
“We want this extra money to create pleasant and safe routes which make it easier for people of all ages to choose to walk and cycle as part of their everyday lives.
“This is a great opportunity for organisations to bring forward projects that will encourage people to make active travel a bigger part of their daily lives and realise the health and environmental benefits that come with it.
John Lauder, National Director for Sustrans Scotland, which delivers the fund, said: “Increasing everyday levels of active travel can hugely benefit a person’s health and wellbeing, boost local economies and create greener, more pleasant local environments to live and travel through.
“This increased funding for active travel routes from the Scottish Government demonstrates its continued commitment to creating safe and accessible walking and cycling routes across the country.
“We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Transport Scotland, local authorities, community trusts and other partners up and down the country to help deliver the Scottish Government’s vision for an Active Nation.”
Essential work to resurface worn sections of path and improve drainage across Edinburgh’s North Edinburgh Path Network is due to get underway on 7 March for 12 weeks (weather permitting, of course!) Continue reading North Edinburgh’s path network resurfacing to begin next week
Draft detailed designs for a section of the approved City Centre West to East Link will be on public display on street in Roseburn today. Continue reading Roseburn designs on display today
Families across the UK are being asked to comment on their walk to school throughout October’s International Walk to School Month to help build up a picture of our streets. Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, hopes to use the month to identify the barriers which prevent families from walking to school, with the help of their ‘Rate Your Walk’ online tool. Continue reading October is International Walk to School Month
Two innovative City of Edinburgh Council active travel projects have been awarded millions of pounds in funding, it was announced yesterday. The West Edinburgh Active Travel Network and Meadows to George Street proposals were among five Scottish schemes named as winners of the Sustrans Scotland Community Links PLUS funding by Transport Minister Humza Yousaf at a ceremony in Glasgow. Continue reading Green light for Edinburgh active travel projects
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has announced a new active travel campaign which encourages people to walk for short journeys at least one day a week.
The campaign focuses on long-term behaviour change and is calling on people to walk to work or school by leaving the car so they reap the health and environmental benefits.
Continue reading Minister launches Walk Day Wednesday challenge
Expect all things active travel at Inverleith Park this Sunday, when the first Inverleith On Foot and By Bike festival will take place.
From unicycling to orienteering, walking football and bike proficiency, the event will feature a range of activities aimed to change local people’s walking and cycling habits.
Organised by Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and funded by Transport Scotland through Paths for All, the family-friendly event will also feature a live broadcast of the Tour of Britain finale via a bike-powered cinema!
Transport Convener and Champion of the Inverleith Active Travel Forum, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “Increasing walking and cycling is a key priority both in Inverleith and for the Council as a whole, and what better way to encourage the public than through a variety of free, fun and creative activities.
“I hope to see lots of people, of all ages and abilities, coming along to Inverleith Park this Sunday to discover just how rewarding active travel can be.”
The Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership is working towards four key objectives identified by the local community, which will improve the quality of life of people living, working and visiting the area. These are:
Sunday’s event will tackle all four priorities, welcoming people of all ages and abilities, whether they have never considered walking for fun or if they want to chat about taking their cycling skill to the next level.
Other activities on offer will include taster jogging sessions, bike security marking and the opportunity to ‘bling up your bike’. In addition, a range of prizes will be up for grabs, such as a day’s bike hire, a month’s gym membership or new pedometers and backpacks.
The Inverleith On Foot and By Bike festival is run by the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership with support from local bike shops Ronde, Gamma and Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative, as well as a host of walking, cycling and physical activity organisations, and takes place on Sunday 13 September from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
Find out more about walking and cycling in Inverleith.
