Tag: roads and pavements

Council catches up with bin collections as conditions ease

Council staff have been working around the clock to minimise disruption after this week’s heavy snowfall in the city – and now bin collections have resumed too.

Roads service teams have been out day and night to clear snow from priority pavements, cycle paths and roads, as well as outside COVID vaccination centres. Due to the volume of snowfall they often need to treat and re-treat the the network to keep it passable.

As a result of the severe weather and lying snow the council took the decision to suspend all waste and cleansing services and close recycling centres. During this time, waste and cleansing staff will help gritting teams to clear snow as quickly as possible.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said on Tuesday: “We had our full fleet of gritters and mini-tractors out yesterday and throughout the night, treating roads, pavements and cycle lanes and clearing priority routes of snow.

“The team have been focusing on COVID vaccination centres and key arterial routes to make sure anyone needing to make an essential journey or to receive a COVID vaccination is able to.

Frontline staff in both roads and waste and cleansing services have been working tirelessly in the face of heavy snowfall, which can at times pose a safety risk. For this reason, we have decided to suspend waste collections, close recycling centres and cancel special uplifts, due to lying snow, for the safety of staff and the public. In the meantime, waste and cleansing staff will be assisting with snow-clearing efforts to help keep the city moving.

“We hope that everyone will understand that these are exceptional circumstances and that, while it may produce a temporary inconvenience for some residents, it is a sensible decision to prioritise safety for our crews and residents alike. We will resume waste collections as quickly as possible and thank the public for their patience – we will keep our website and social media updated with the latest information.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “Roads services teams have been working extremely hard overnight and will continue treating the city throughout the day. They will often need to revisit key routes multiple times to make sure they are passable when poor weather persists.

“With further snow and bitterly cold weather forecast we’ll need to concentrate on priority routes, revisiting these where necessary when further snow falls and ice forms. Squads will benefit from the assistance of waste and cleansing staff during this severe weather.

“I would encourage residents only to travel if it’s absolutely necessary and to take extra care if they do.”

Anyone with a booking for a recycling centre or a special uplift will receive an email about rebooking their appointment.

Further information and tips on clearing snow and gritting priority routes is available on the Council website.

Today will be largely dry with a maximum temperature of 2 – 3%; but there will be a few snow showers in eastern areas lingering through the day. Cloud will be patchy allowing for plenty of sunny spells. A little breezy.

Transport Convener: We’re responding to the city’s desire to walk, cycle and wheel

Transport and Environment Convener Lesley Macinnes writes of council plans to make walking, cycling and wheeling safer and easier during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond:

One positive aspect of these last few, trying months is the city’s clear desire to get walking and cycling.

Not only has our own analysis shown pedestrian and cyclist numbers rocketing, but since launching the interactive Commonplace map we’ve received thousands of ideas for making it easier and safer to get around the city by foot, bike or wheelchair.

It’s clear there’s work to do – and we’re responding. Every suggestion, from removing guardrails on narrow pavements to pedestrianising streets, to speed reduction or pop-up cycle lanes, is extremely valuable.

This process is a very complex one and our teams are working flat-out to assess and consider responses, as well as linking them to those actions already identified across the city.

From inception to delivery, each scheme’s timescales can vary significantly, and we must target the projects that deliver the greatest benefits. For this reason, we won’t be able to undertake every suggestion, but each one gives us an invaluable insight into the kind of city people want to see post-COVID and we’re taking this on board.

We’re already delivering initiatives at a more ambitious rate than any other Scottish local authority.

In the last week we have installed more than 5km of pop-up cycle lanes leading to Edinburgh’s two main hospitals, adding to some road closures to help people walk, cycle and wheel to their local greenspaces and amenities.

These changes follow engagement with communities, mobility and active travel groups and local councillors. They’ve had a great response so far. We’re continuing to listen to the people that use them, tweaking the designs where necessary.

As we begin to tentatively emerge from lockdown, we must get the city moving. Before long, businesses will begin reopening and this will have a real impact on the way we move around Edinburgh. We want cafes, bars and restaurants, shops and other services to thrive, once they’re able to reopen, while also protecting people’s safety as Scottish Government advice on physical distancing remains.

We’re already preparing for this. From this week we will begin implementing several, major interventions in the city centre to help create a safer environment, encouraging people to spend time on foot or bike as restrictions ease.

These include footway widening and the introduction of bus, cycle and taxi gates on East Princes Street and South St David Street, reducing traffic volumes and aiding cycling and public transport, and the partial closure of Waverley Bridge.

This kind of real, tangible change, supported by similar, forthcoming measures across the city’s local high streets, will help us to move to the next phase of eased restrictions.

Reintroducing parking enforcement next week is crucial if these measures are to have the desired effect. By minimising often dangerous obstructions from our streets, we will be able to create and maintain spaces for people. What’s more, encouraging turnover of parking spaces means a higher and more varied footfall on our shopping streets.

Much of the work we are undertaking is to create quick, temporary changes to help people travel safely as we adjust to these exceptional circumstances. Emphasising clean, sustainable transport and people-focused spaces, where fewer cars result in less air pollution, supports our long-term city goals of a carbon neutral future where air quality is improved and healthy, and where walking, cycling and wheeling is the norm. We will get through this together and, if we are to make the right decisions now, we can harness these positive outcomes as we emerge from this crisis.

Find out more about Spaces for People on the Council website.

Kirk Loan residents celebrate walkable pathways – despite dent in new railing!

Corstorphine residents celebrated success recently following the completion of a successful partnership project, enabling residents to walk more for every day, local journeys.

Kirk Loan Residents Association have been working with Living Streets Scotland and the city council to get improvements made to local streets, meaning many residents can now reach the local shops and bus stop, instead of feeling isolated in their accommodation. Continue reading Kirk Loan residents celebrate walkable pathways – despite dent in new railing!