The British Lung Foundation has called on councillors in Edinburgh to adopt ambitious proposals for a low emission zone in the city, following publication of proposals to radically overhaul traffic and transport priorities in Edinburgh. Continue reading Breathe easy: city council urged to be bold with low-emission zone
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.”
The nervous wait is finally over today (Tuesday 7 August) as 8,000 pupils across Edinburgh receive their exam results. Early indications are very positive with candidates from City of Edinburgh Council schools once again making improvements on their performances in most areas from last year. Continue reading Exam success for city pupils
A dedicated street cleansing team has been pounding the streets in time for the launch of this year’s Festival. More than 40 additional staff have joined the existing 90 city centre street cleansing operatives to cope with demand over the busy summer period.
Continue reading Extra cleaning staff recruited to keep city centre spick and span
“Community planning is all about how public bodies work both together and with local communities to design and deliver better services that can make a real difference to local people’s lives” – Council leader Cllr Adam McVey
The views of capital residents and partners are being sought as part of a drive by the Edinburgh Partnership to plan and deliver better services for the community.
Continue reading Improving services? Have your say on Community Planning
“Residents are suffering because of short term lets. Finding solutions for our communities is a priority for this administration. ” – Housing Convener Cllr Kate Campbell
The city council is to set up a team dedicated to dealing with complaints about short term lets is to be set up by the City of Edinburgh Council. Continue reading City Council to seek powers to tackle short term lets
Miles Briggs, MSP, has called for Edinburgh City Council’s licensing authority to take into consideration of taxi drivers livelihoods when granting licenses extensions. Continue reading Let our cabbies make a living, urges Briggs
Edinburgh has maintained its pole position as the easiest city in the UK to travel in, according to the third annual ESP Group Easy Travel Index (ETI)*. But across the UK 34% of people sometimes don’t leave their homes due to concerns about travel, up from 30% in 2017.
Scotland’s capital has held on to the top spot for ease of local travel for a third year, while Birmingham claimed the top spot for ease of long-distance travel, displacing Edinburgh which dropped to second place.
The ETI, developed by ESP Group, a world leading transport and mobility services company, examines the ease of use of transport in cities across the UK. Respondents in 45 towns, cities and regions across the country were asked to rate how easy they find travelling within their local area as well as ease of travelling further afield.
Dublin experienced the biggest improvements in their score and ranking for ease of local travel climbing 25 places. Nottingham also stood out, improving 20 places to reach the top three.
Edinburgh and Nottingham’s publicly owned bus companies and strong integrated networks have significantly contributed to their success through stable and accessible bus and tram services, competitive prices and easy to use ticketing, through integrated smart ticketing and travel apps. This ensures that public transport is easy to use and affordable. Throughout the UK the rising cost of transport is the biggest difficulty facing respondents; 34% of people report that cost of transport affects their local travel which rises to 44% for long-distance travel.
There was also a strong increase for Hull (from 33rd to 16th). As 2017’s City of Culture there was investment in transport and with a year-long series of events and exhibitions attracting visitors from across the country and abroad, there was a greater demand and interest in travel during this period.
Commenting on the results Dr Steve Cassidy, director of ESP Group, said: “Edinburgh has excelled itself once again, maintaining pole position in the rankings which is testament to the strong, integrated transport networks it continues to develop.
“Our latest Easy Travel Index demonstrates that high proportions of travellers feel routes and timetables can often make local and long-distance travel difficult. Numerous people in cities across the UK aren’t finding travel options easy due to a variety of network challenges, difficulties with interactions, touchpoints and the overall service offering.”
“There is much excellent work being done by authorities and operators to make travel easier. But not everyone is benefitting – in large part due to a lack of awareness and concerns about ease of use. 24% of people did not claim compensation for their delayed train because they expected it to be difficult, while 29% did not even know they could make a claim.”
Thirty percent of people who required assistance to travel by rail did not request help from the train operating company because they felt uncomfortable doing so. 22% did not even know that passenger assistance existed, and overall 34% of people in the UK sometimes don’t leave their home due to concerns about travel, up from 30% last year.
Dr Cassidy added: “Some of the statistics from the ETI report make alarming reading. There are so many initiatives to support passengers in using public transport and help them understand how to use the system and make travel easier – even when things go wrong. These include new forms of payment and travel apps as well as services to assist those needing a little more help.
“However, the impact of these services is being constrained due to a lack of understanding amongst the wider public: regular users may understand and use services but the occasional and new user still is not aware or is uncertain of use. Technology can help, but it’s not everything.
“Human contact needs to be blended with technological support, and ESP Group initiatives such as DelayCheck (a fast and efficient delay compensation solution used by many rail operators to manage delay repayments) and NaviGoGo (a travel planning, booking and payment app designed by young people) will take steps towards combatting these issues and provide solutions to travel anxiety. There are endless opportunities for the future of travel, and we’re committed to making these changes a reality for people up and down the UK.”
Edinburgh’s Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes, said: “This is extremely welcome news. That we have once again topped the national list for ease of local travel is testament to the quality of our award-winning public transport system and demonstrates the value of investing in improved transport links across the city.
“In the coming years we will see a range of projects unfold which will enhance both public transport possibilities and walking and cycling facilities, from the Central Edinburgh Transformation project to the City Centre West to East Cycle Link, and I am confident that this will help make getting from A to B even more effortless. The more people who choose to leave their car behind and, where possible, walk, cycle and use public transport, the better the city will function, now and in the future.”
Find out more about the Easy Travel Index online.
The judges clearly haven’t tried to negotiate Queensferry Road recently!
With warm, dry weather forecast to continue, visitors to Edinburgh’s parks, woodlands and nature reserves are being urged to take care to avoid the risk of fire. Continue reading Safety urged as hot weather continues
Residents are being reminded to sign up and pay for the new fortnightly garden waste service before registration closes at midnight on Sunday (22 July).
Continue reading Weekend deadline for garden waste registration
