Tag: streets

New ‘school zone’ to bring safer streets for Dalry Primary pupils

Pupils at Dalry Primary School are set to benefit from safer streets and improved air quality with the introduction of a new ‘school zone’.

Following the results of a School Travel survey, the City of Edinburgh Council is introducing the initiative in both side streets of Dalry Primary School, covering two pupil entrances on Springwell Place and Cathcart Place.

School children shared their ideas to improve the school zone with the parents, carers and local residents following a day of engagement on 5th December.  

The Council will receive £46,000 from Sustrans’ Temporary School Streets Fund to widen the footpath outside the school and reduce vehicle traffic in the immediate area surrounding the school. 

Such ‘school zones’ offer a number of benefits for everyone, including increasing walking, cycling and active lifestyles for pupils, parents and carers, while also reducing the speed of traffic, congestion and pollution around school gates.

Dalry Primary School is working with the Council and Sustrans to collaboratively design the project, which could include some playful elements such as artwork, planters and benches or seats, so children feel safer and more relaxed.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “As part of our recent survey, parents have told us that the streets surrounding Dalry Primary School can be busy with traffic and difficult to navigate safely at certain times of the day.

“This new ‘school zone’ is part of our 20-minute neighbourhood approach in the local area to create a safer, more relaxed environment for everyone to move around and spend time.

“We have seen from other similar initiatives across the city that many parents have enjoyed being able to walk and cycle more easily with their children every day, and we look forward to monitoring the results of this project and hopefully delivering the same benefits right across Dalry in partnership with local residents and businesses.

“I know that many other schools in Edinburgh suffer from the same problems, so I hope that they will be able to learn from Dalry Primary School. No parent should have to worry about their child walking to school.

Elaine Honeyman, Headteacher at Dalry Primary School, said: “The safety and wellbeing of our students is a top priority. 

By reducing traffic at pick-up and drop-off times, parents and children will feel more empowered to walk, wheel or cycle to school.

“Older pupils making their way to school on their own will be able to cross the roads much more safely. 

Limiting car access also reduces noise and air pollution, creating a more pleasant and sustainable atmosphere for both our school and the surrounding community.

Eilish MacKay, P7 Pupil at Dalry Primary School, shared her thoughts: “I think this will improve safety around our school. 

“It will encourage more families to do exercise, and walk, cycle or scooter to school. 

“The improved width of the pavements will allow families to walk more safely without being squished up. 

“If we can reduce the traffic in the streets around the school, it will decrease the pollution and give us cleaner air to breathe.”

Dr Cecilia Oram, Head of Behaviour Change, Sustrans Scotland said: “Creating a safe environment for young people is so important. Our latest Hands Up Scotland Survey revealed that nearly 50 percent of school pupils are travelling actively to school, either by walking, cycling, scootering or skating.

“Through the Temporary School Streets Fund, we can encourage even more families to leave the car at home in favour of cleaner air and safer streets.”

The school zone outside Dalry Primary School will reduce motor traffic on Cathcart Place and Springwell Place (where the school has its entrances) on school days between 8:15 and 9:15am, Mondays to Thursdays between 2:30 and 3:45pm and Fridays between 11:30 and 1pm.

Local access will continue for residents of Cathcart Place and Springwell Place, emergency services and blue badge holders. 

An online survey is available until 15 January 2024, where residents, parents and carers can share comments on the current safety levels of Springwell Place and Cathcart Place, alongside their feedback and suggestions for the school zone project.

The project is due to be delivered in March 2024.

Council to close Waverley Bridge to daytime traffic every weekend until New Year

Council public safety officers have approved a series of temporary changes on Waverley Bridge to ensure safety and accessibility at peak times during weekends over the festive period.

Waverley Bridge will be vehicle-free from 11am until 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays from 16/17 November to 4/5 January. The Waverley Bridge five-bay taxi rank will be relocated to Market Street (East bound opposite Motel One) during this time and the Tour and Airlink buses normally stationed on Waverley Bridge will now operate from George Street and St Andrew Square respectively.

These measures have been planned following recommendations from the Council’s Event Planning and Operations Group as well as an independent crowd safety consultant working with the Council and Underbelly to manage the entry and exit points and the busy junction on Waverley Bridge.

Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes (above) said: “The festive season is extremely busy in the city centre with Edinburgh’s Christmas in full swing in East Princes Street Gardens as well as a significant increase in shoppers and other seasonal activities.

“In a thriving and busy festival city such as ours we must make sure we put in place appropriate plans to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the many residents and visitors who pass through our streets every day.

“These six-hour-long daytime Saturday and Sunday closures on Waverley Bridge will ease congestion on the busy pavements and crossings, making it much easier for everyone to move around in a relaxed, welcoming and festive atmosphere.

“This ties in with our broader aims to make Edinburgh a more attractive, people-friendly place, prioritising walking, cycling and public transport.

“It’s crucial that we also maintain transport links for the people who live and work here and we have been working closely with residents and businesses to make sure these measures allow them to continue with their usual daily routines.”

A spokesperson for Underbelly said, “We welcome the decision to close Waverley Bridge during the busiest periods in the city centre.

“During these busy times, on Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 5pm it will allow us to make the primary East End entrance to East Princes Street Gardens on the corner of Market Street and Waverley Bridge, where crowd management controls including queuing systems will be in place to manage entry.”

Blinded by the light?

Definitely not sweetness and light: new street lighting gets thumbs down from local residents 

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Some images of the new ‘eco lights’ in operation in Easter Drylaw – that’s them peeking out behind the ‘old’ street lamps!

Which do you think is the more effective?

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The new lights don’t seem to be lighting up the lives of local residents. Comments so far include:

‘I’m a car owner. I don’t have a garage or a drive in so I have to park on the street. My car has been vandalised three times in the last year- if it wasn’t that I need my car to get to work I would have got eid of it ages ago. These new lights will make it even easier for the neds to run wild.”

‘They are not bright at all. It’s very scary coming home when it’s dark. There’s not much light – I think they should be brighter for everyones’ safety’

‘They are not bright enough’

‘It looks really nice but it’s also very scary and dangerous at night when walking home alone’

‘I am always careful about letting my children out after tea in the evening. That won’t be happening at all now, not until the clocks go forward. It’s a disgrace.”

‘These lights are nowhere near good enough – the streets are far too dark and pity help any kid who tries to cross a local road in the evening. It’s plain dangerous’.

‘I don’t like them. The streets look darker now unless you are standing directly under the lights. There are spots in which the light doesn’t hit. I think it’s a bad choice and I won’t be surprised if the crime rate increases.’

‘I don’t like the new lights and I think the council should go back to the ones we had. There have been a lot of break-ins in Drylaw and I think these lamps will just make things even easier for the criminals to get away’

‘I know the council is trying to save money but they are cutting the wrong things. They have got a duty to keep people safe. These lights are a bad idea.’

‘I don’t know if it’s just this part of the town or not, but I will bet my last penny that they won’t be putting up with this sort of crap in Corstorphine or Morningside. It’s a disgrace’

No doubt there will be more to follow …