Tag: Living Streets Edinburgh

City Mobility Plan: Councillors agree ten-year prioritisation programme

An ‘ambitious’ prioritisation programme for projects under the City Mobility Plan (CMP), over the next decade, has been agreed by city councillors.

This programme effectively manages the resources we have, to continue to deliver on the city council’s CMP objectives to:

  • Reduce the volume of traffic going through the city.
  • Improve how we move around the city, with more options for sustainable travel, including prioritising public transport.
  • Provide safer conditions for walking, wheeling and cycling.
  • Reduce harmful emissions.
  • Provide better access to local facilities like shops, schools and outdoor spaces.
  • Improve community and public spaces.

The council says it has engaged extensively on the CMP and its objectives over the years with a range of stakeholders.

This reports also outlines the future decision-making process, with an annual update report covering any proposed changes.

Prioritisation was scored against 15 separate criteria points across three key areas: Objectives, Deliverability and Financial. Some examples include impact on road safety, public transport, inequality, and capital raising challenges.

Over 70 projects are set to be taken forward, including:

  • Walking, wheeling and cycling connection from the Meadows to the Union Canal, including better public space around the King’s Theatre.
  • Public transport and active travel route between West Shore Road and Waterfront Broadway, complementing the Granton redevelopment.
  • Major city centre projects, including a trial to reduce vehicle traffic on the Lawnmarket, Cowgate improvements, Meadows to George Street walking and cycling upgrade, and the transformation of George Street.

Over 50 projects are recommended to be paused, the vast majority of which are already on hold or not started. There are also around five projects which are set to be paused for this financial year only. Again, these are all either on hold or not started.

The full list of projects and their statuses can be found in the report on the city council’s website.

The report was approved with amendments from the Administration and the SNP group, along with an addendum from the Green group.

Transport and Environment Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve agreed this bold programme for our city. Prioritisation allows us to work smarter with the resources we have available – making sure we have a clear and achievable path to achieving our objectives.

“This programme follows the successes of major infrastructure projects such as Trams to Newhaven and active travel projects including the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), Roseburn to Union Canal and Leith Connections.

“This is an extensive piece of work which allows the City Mobility Plan to be agile, and able to adapt in the future as necessary.

“However, one key element in this conversation is the fact that we remain dependent on external funding for many projects, particularly from the Scottish Government and by extension Transport Scotland.

“Complex projects which take years to plan and complete but which are subject to annual external funding decisions makes this situation inherently difficult, we need commitment and stability from the Scottish Government if we’re to deliver the changes which our city needs and deserves.

“We’ll now take forward these projects which will keep Edinburgh moving and make our city a safer, more sustainable and accessible place for all.”

Living Streets Edinburgh calls (again) for more investment in everyday walking

LIVING Streets Edinburgh wrote to city councillors prior to the meeting. The campaigners said: “We’re surprised, and very disappointed, to see no mention of some key initiatives which we were able to get included in the CMP delivery plan.

“Especially disappointing after the committee decided to freeze footway maintenance while increasing spending on roads, only last month.

“We’ve therefore sent councillors this message:

Dear Councillor

I’m writing in connection with the report on City Mobility Plan priorities, Item 7.5 on the TEC agenda for 22 May bit.ly/43ktlep  The recommendations do not adequately reflect the CMP’s ambition to effect “a transformational change in walking and wheeling in Edinburgh”.

Over two years ago, two new initiatives were introduced into the Active Travel component of the City Mobility Plan: ‘Action for Better Crossings” (ABC) and the “Edinburgh Accessible Streets Initiative” EASI). These programmes (both proposed by us) finally offered the prospect of a strategic, rather than piecemeal, approach to addressing some of the most fundamental problems with getting around the city as a pedestrian – for example:

  • the time that you have to wait for the green man at traffic lights,
  • the thousands of missing dropped kerbs on pavements,
  • narrow footways, 
  • pavement clutter, etc.

As we understand it, effectively nothing has been done yet to implement either initiative as a coherent programme. We had hoped that they would form a key part of this report. However, there is no mention whatsoever in the report of either ABC or EASI, despite Council having confirmed them as at the heart of CMP policy only last year (see attached).

Instead, some elements of ABC and EASI are simply noted as part of the ‘rolling programme’ in Appendix 4b. Paragraph 4.14 of the report states an expectation that these will be funded at “an overall level roughly equal to recent overall investment”. This isn’t good enough: there is no indication of how much money is budgeted for these schemes; certainly there has been no systematic investment at all in recent years in widening footways. Many of the other aspects like the pedestrian crossing programme and the crucial school streets reviews have huge backlogs owing to lack of resourcing.

These vital programmes need to be considered alongside, and on the same level playing field, as the active travel and public transport listed in Appendix 1. 

Councillors should be able to consider whether investment in school streets, road safety, ABC or EASI is more or less worthy than these projects, whether they be George Street, Hawthornvale-Salamander Street, the Lindsey Bridge or Dalry 20 Minute Neighbourhood.

Otherwise the opportunity to consider where best to invest both staff time and capital funding is lost and a ‘silo’ approach is entrenched.

We also have serious concerns with the overly-complex methodology for assessing projects in Appendix 1. It gives no weighting to walking and wheeling (“top of the travel hierarchy”) and doesn’t sufficiently value schemes relatively modest but important to pedestrians such as Calton Road and the Causey.

These projects fail to score highly enough only because work on them has already been “paused’ for years.

However, the fundamental weakness of the report is to take too narrow an approach to evaluating a limited set of projects. We would therefore like to see the report deferred perhaps for two cycles, and a new report brought forward with a more strategic approach to future investment, including the programmes mentioned above.

David Hunter – Convener

Pavement parking ban in Edinburgh hailed a success one year on

5153 PENALTY NOTICES ISSUED FOR PARKING ON PAVEMENT

The benefits of the pavement parking ban have been praised by Guide Dogs Scotland and Living Streets Edinburgh.

The Council previously worked with these organisations to lobby for the introduction of controls in Scotland.

Earlier this week (January 29) marked a full year since enforcement began against parking on pavements, at dropped kerb crossing points and double parking.

The council introduced these rules to make our streets safer for pedestrians and road users. Pavement parking particularly impacts people who use wheelchairs and mobility, those who are blind or partially sighted and people pushing prams or buggies. This practise also damages pavements, which are expensive to repair and become a trip hazard for everyone.

Parking attendants have the powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) to vehicles parked on pavements, some verges, at crossing points or double parked. A parking ticket will be issued at the national level of £100 but reduced to £50 if paid within the first 14 days. This follows a similar process to existing parking tickets issued in Edinburgh.

You can find out more about these rules and report incorrectly parked vehicles on the city council’s website.

Up to 26 January 2025 there had been 5,153 PCNs issued for footway parking, 1,612 for dropped kerb parking and 1,629 for double parking.

Since enforcement began there has been an overall decreasing trend in PCN fines being issued for pavement parking – with the exception of the busier summer months.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “Since we first introduced these changes one year ago, we’ve seen many residents and visitors modify their parking habits accordingly, with the problem of pavement parking disappearing in many streets across our city. The overall gradual decrease in PCN fines for pavement parking also shows we’re headed in the right direction, ultimately we want to see zero fines.  

“Every driver is responsible for parking their vehicle considerately, and where this would not cause an obstruction to the pavement or road. We brought the pavement parking ban in to provide a safe and accessible environment for everyone, especially those with sight impairments, mobility issues or pushing buggies.

“We’ve also heard from many people who really appreciate clearer, wider pavements and who no longer need to walk on the road as a result of the ban.

“I’m proud that we took this decision to make our streets as safe and accessible as possible – and that local authorities across Scotland are now looking to Edinburgh’s lead and implementing schemes of their own.”

Transport and Local Access Forum Convener, Councillor Kayleigh O’Neill said: “The pavement parking ban has been so well received in Edinburgh, and I am so grateful to everyone who has played a part in making that happen.

“Strong awareness, resident co-operation and Council enforcement has meant that disabled people, elderly people, those with buggies and prams, all have an easier time getting around.

“So many streets that have been blighted in the past are now free and accessible for people who move around the city like me who uses a power wheelchair.

“Pavements are for people and the enforcement of this ban reinforces that. It is great to also see that Glasgow has followed us and are beginning enforcement on their city streets from January 29.”

Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs Scotland, Mike Moore said: “One year on from the enforcement of pavement parking restrictions in Edinburgh, people with sight loss say it has made a real difference.

“By keeping pavements clear, the new rules have helped to ensure that people in the capital can get out and about safely, without the fear of being forced on to the road by inconsiderate parking.

“We welcome the start of enforcement in Glasgow this week, which marks an important step towards a consistent approach across Scotland. With both of Scotland’s largest cities now taking action, we hope to see continued progress by local authorities to make our streets safer and more accessible for all pedestrians.”

Living Streets Edinburgh Group Convener, David Hunter said: “The City of Edinburgh Council deserves credit not only for being the first in Scotland to apply the national ban on pavement parking, but also for adopting a “no streets exempt” policy.

“This been the most significant change to make Edinburgh a safer and more attractive city for pedestrians since the introduction of widespread 20mph speed limits.”

Slower Speeds, Safer Streets for Edinburgh: Living Streets group launches Action Plan

Action Points for the City of Edinburgh Council

1  CEC  should set a ‘Vision Zero’ target of no deaths or serious injuries on its roads, within its new Road Safety Plan, with a target of 2030 for realising that vision.  (A more ambitious target than the national one is realistic in Edinburgh, where speeds are lower and road  safety problems are less diverse.)  

2   Excessive speeding is the principal source of the collisions that result in casualties. Realising this vision will require stronger and more comprehensive actions to reduce speeds on the city’s roads. Stronger measures both to enforce speed limits, and to redesign streets are essential. 

3   Maximum use should be made of both fixed and mobile speed cameras, and red light cameras for enforcement.  Suitable technology should be employed to ensure that the breaking of all speed limits (from 20 to 70 mph) can be enforced. Successful schemes on main roads using average speed cameras, such as that on Dalkeith Rd, should be rolled out across the city. But camera deployments must also be targeted by evidence of highly excessive speeds, not just by whether these have yet resulted in collisions.

4  Enforcement of 20mph limits across the city is never likely to be a priority for the police however, and CEC initiative and support will be essential. Involvement of the public and community groups, through initiatives such as ‘Speedwatch’, is vital for the identification of speeding problems and targeting of enforcement efforts on residential streets. 

5  With the necessary legal powers, the council could readily undertake enforcement actions, alongside and co-ordinated with the police, under a system analogous to that for parking offences. Lesser speeding offences should be subject to fines issued by council wardens, with evidence of more serious abuses passed on for action by the police. CEC should seek the necessary devolved powers for such an enforcement system, with the fines set to fully fund the costs of enforcement. 

6   A renewed emphasis on street redesign is needed, with the full range of traffic calming measures flexibly used wherever required. More use of soft measures such as speed indicator signs can be helpful, but they are no substitute for the hard engineering measures such as humps, cushions, and speed tables that effectively curb speeds. A single road hump on the approach to a sharp bend for example can eliminate a serious risk. Perceptions of safety are also very important for pedestrians and are an additional benefit on traffic calmed streets.

7   Raised crossings should become the norm on residential streets with 20mph limits. There should be a presumption that all new crossings, whether formal or informal, should be raised, with appropriate tactile paving, making them safer and easier to use for pedestrians.  Especially where located at the approaches to junctions the slower speeds would have additional traffic calming benefits. 

8   The current CEC safety review of major junctions is very welcome and needs to be made comprehensive. There are also still a multitude of more minor junctions with dangerous wide splay entrances that need to be redesigned. A new targeted review and investment programme is needed to systematically improve them, with tighter radii, build outs and raised entrances, as appropriate.

9   School safety plans are needed that provide for safer routes and for the safer school entrance areas that are needed at many of the city’s schools. Wider pavements should be provided that allow for the concentration of pedestrian activity these areas inevitably attract, with reduced parking and less use of guardrail.  

10   Many pavements in the city are sub-standard, and often far too narrow.  A comprehensive review and investment programme is needed to widen pavements and meet minimum design standards wherever possible. Where narrower carriageway widths result this will often also help to slow traffic speeds.

Action Points for the Scottish Government

1   ‘Vision Zero’ has strong public support, but to be realistic it requires more resources to support camera enforcement of speed limits at national and local level. Fines should be set at increased levels to ensure that finance will be available to support sufficiently comprehensive enforcement efforts, independent of the more general state of public finances.

2    Fines and license penalties should be graduated by the degree of excessive speeding involved and should be applicable to employers as well as individual drivers, where there is evidence of repeat offending.

3   Powers should be devolved to local authorities to allow them to undertake proportionate enforcement actions through wardens and levy fines for offences including speeding, red light jumping, pavement cycling and illegal use of e-scooters in co-ordination with the police. This will be vital for effective enforcement efforts where 20 mph limits apply across residential areas, with police resources and priorities necessarily being stretched.  

4   National driver and employer education campaigns should be undertaken on the consequences of speeding, aimed at making speeding as socially unacceptable as driving with excess alcohol has become.

5   More advice and resources should be made available to local authorities to support the creation of safer streets through redesign and traffic calming. There is still a massive design deficit in terms of safety, but local authority road safety budgets and teams have been severely cut over recent years. Without strong and prioritised central government support, ‘vision zero’ will remain a mirage on many local authority streets. 

Living Streets Edinburgh Group

School run no more?

walking to school

A pilot scheme to ban parking outside city primary schools has led to an increase in the number of pupils walking to school, according to a report to the city council’s Transport & Environment Committee. The evaluation of the School Streets scheme also showed lower vehicle speeds on surrounding roads and a reduction in the number of cars around schools. Continue reading School run no more?