Tag: transport and environment

Car Free Day: We’re reimagining streets for people, says Transport Convener

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, writes about the opportunity to consider green, healthy ways to travel this Car Free Day:

Today we’re marking World Car Free Day, which is an opportunity to think about greener, healthier ways to travel for everyday journeys, and the benefits these can have for our quality of life and our capital.

Here in Edinburgh, we’re celebrating alternative modes of transport with everything from cycle training in Sighthill Park to nature storytelling at Bridgend Farm. In fact, there will be a whole month of events, coinciding with Love to Ride’s biking challenge, Cycle September, helping people to explore the benefits of walking, wheeling, cycling and travel by public transport.

Of course, it takes more than one day, or even a month, to change travel habits, and to make sure people feel safe and able to make the leap to new modes of transport.

In Edinburgh, we’ve committed to supporting safe, sustainable and fair travel as part of the City Mobility Plan to 2030. Transport is the largest producer of carbon emissions in Scotland, so if we are to reach our Net Zero 2030 targets, as well as reducing congestion, improving air quality and helping to encourage healthier lifestyles, we need to improve the way people move around, to and from the city.

Luckily, the wheels are already in motion. Across the city we’re implementing changes, small and large, which will help to deliver attractive, reliable and sustainable transport options.

Perhaps the most high-profile development in recent months has been the landmark completion of the Trams to Newhaven project, which is now providing a high capacity, low emission route to Leith’s densely populated heart.

In fact, our award-winning Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses services are the reason public transport in Edinburgh is so good – indeed, if you are on a bus in Edinburgh look out for Gary Black (Lothian Buses) and Thomas Gilhooley (East Coast Buses) – both won recognition as Scotland’s best bus drivers at the UK Bus Driver of the Year Competition. We want to continue to make these services even better and more reliable through the Public Transport Action Plan.

This is alongside ambitious plans to transform walking, wheeling and cycling routes connecting every corner of the city. Projects like City Centre West to East Link and Roseburn to Union Canal are already well underway and, on the horizon, George Street and First New Town, Meadows to George Street and West Edinburgh Link, amongst other exciting developments, will help boost the city economy and make a truly connected cycling and walking network a reality.

It’s about the way we manage the city too – strategies such as our review of parking will have a real impact on creating walkable streets, while road safety actions are helping people to feel confident to choose travel by foot, wheels or bike.

Work to create and enhance School Travel Plans for every school will address the barriers to children and families making active, healthy journeys. School Travel Plans are key, as I feel good habits start early in life. 

I know that for some people, particularly those with mobility issues, travel by car is the only option and we don’t want to stop that. In fact, many of the measures we’re working to introduce will free up space for those who really need it, while creating welcoming places for people of all abilities.

This Car Free Day, we’ll be joining towns and cities around the world in reimagining our streets for people.

Who’s returned to Picardy Place? It’s elementary …

Sherlock Holmes has returned to keep a watchful eye over Picardy Place, as his newly refurbished statue is unveiled.

Marking the nearby birthplace of the super sleuth’s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the life-sized bronze sculpture was removed in 2018 while Trams to Newhaven works were carried out. It has been renovated by Black Isle Bronze in Nairn.

On Wednesday, 13 September, Conan Doyle’s relative and creator of the Sherlock Homes Tartan, Tania Henzell, helped to unveil the statue in position on the newly redeveloped Picardy Place island, which will open to the public next week.

The island includes new pedestrian routes and cycleways, ‘rain gardens’ and trees and shrubs, which will be planted on the island in October, during planting season.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Sherlock’s return has been the finishing touch for Picardy Place island – I’m pleased to welcome him back to his creator’s birthplace, taking pride of place in this transformed public space.

“For so long this area has been disused and unloved, so it’s wonderful to see it brought back to life. Not only will it link walking and cycling routes to and from the city centre, but will provide a spot to relax, meet up and enjoy some of the fascinating cultural artefacts on display.”

Tania Henzell added: “I am pleased to see that Sherlock Holmes has returned to the new location, Picardy Place island, to keep a watchful eye in the heart of Edinburgh. Many of his followers have asked where he had gone; to the north of Scotland to solve a long running case, I replied!

The Holmes statue was sculpted by Gerald Ogilvie Laing and was originally installed near 11 Picardy Place, where Conan Doyle was born, which has since been demolished.

The reconstruction of Picardy Place has been delivered as part of the Growth Accelerator Model Agreement for the St James Quarter development.

Commenting on Sherlock’s return, Barry Young of The Sherlock Holmes Society of Scotland said: “It’s wonderful to see Conan Doyle’s most famous creation back in the heart of the capital.

“We understand that in his absence Holmes has met the head lama in Tibet, travelled through Persia and sorted out a spot of trouble with the Statue of Liberty, the results of which he has communicated to the foreign office.

“He now retakes his rightful place in Picardy Place, overseeing the teeming metropolis and ready to undertake the investigation of whatever mysterious domestic issues might be puzzling the authorities.”

City Archaeologist John Lawson said: “We are delighted to see this statue back in place, now due to the creation of this new island we were now able to place closer to the original birth place of Arthur Conan Doyle.“

Pupils get creative to encourage responsible parking in Leith

Primary school pupils in Leith have helped create colourful solutions to parking issues in the area, which they unveiled yesterday (Tuesday 22 August).

St Mary’s (Leith) RC Primary School P5 class shared a series of posters they’ve created to discourage people from parking in an area blocking communal bins on Links Gardens. Links Gardens is a ‘School Street’ where traffic is restricted at the beginning and end of the day to help people walk, wheel and cycle to school safely.

They also helped celebrate the completion of a vibrant public artwork on the street, installed as part of Leith Connections, a project making changes across the area to support safe and easy walking, wheeling and cycling.

The colourful on-street painting is one of three installations designed in collaboration with the community, local school children and Scottish art firms Bigg Design and Fun Makes Good.

Similar artworks have popped up at Leith Primary School on St Andrew Place (another School Street) and John’s Place, where a new public space has been created for people to relax and play.

Designs across the three sites have been inspired by Leith’s heritage and natural attributes and feature local wildlife, references to the area’s shipbuilding history and Leith’s ‘Persevere’ motto, amongst other elements.

The project is being funded through Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure programme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Sustrans.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We really want to bring the local community along with us to enjoy and interact with the changes introduced through Leith Connections, so it’s great to be able to involve the youngest generation to help brighten up the area.

“As well as contributing to these fantastic artworks, St Mary’s (Leith) RC pupils have also been thinking about the impact of irresponsible parking in their School Street. I’m sure their striking posters will have a real impact on all road users.

“By creating safer, more welcoming spaces to walk, wheel and cycle in Leith, as well as for spending time with friends or visiting local businesses, we want to benefit everyone who lives in and visits Leith.”

Simon Strain, Head of Programme, Sustrans said: “Making it easier and safer for children to travel independently to and from school is of the utmost importance. The simple crossing improvements and road layout changes delivered as part of Leith Connections not only deliver more accessible everyday journeys but also provide new creative spaces for children and adults to enjoy.

“It’s great to see the creativity and talent of these local pupils now on show. We’d like to thank the school and the wider Leith community for their support in making this project a success.”

Primary 5 pupil Leon added: “We as a class made lots of different designs for the pavements and posters. We had this piece of paper and we were drawing our designs and seeing which ones were the best.

“The road paintings are really cool, I think it’s really nice that we made them.”

Changes implemented as part of Leith Connections include improved pedestrian crossings, pavement decluttering and planting and seating in newly created pedestrian spaces.

This is alongside new traffic layouts in several streets to prioritise people travelling by foot, wheel or bike. Under the scheme Sandport Place Bridge has been closed to motor traffic, bus gates introduced at the Shore and Links Place and measures added to prevent through traffic in some areas. All residential and business properties are still accessible by motor vehicle, while blue badge parking will be unaffected.

Leith Connections designs draw from two years of engagement with the community and local stakeholders, encompassing online co-design workshops, public drop-in sessions and focused meetings. Some of the measures, around Leith Links, will be implemented on a trial basis under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).

Find out more about Leith Connections online.

Help shape Edinburgh’s transport future – AGAIN

‘Gathering views from our communities and businesses, alongside data and technical evidence, will be critical to these decisions’ – Transport Convener Cllr Scott Arthur

A major consultation to help shape the way people move around, to and from Edinburgh is now underway.

An integrated suite of action plans designed to transform transport in Edinburgh was approved for consultation by councillors during December and February.

Together, the Active Travel, Public Transport, Parking, Road Safety and Air Quality Action Plans aim to create cleaner, greener, safer, more accessible and affordable travel choices, while cutting congestion, reinforcing the Capital’s net zero 2030 goals and boosting the economy.

Each of the plans sits under the emerging Circulation Plan and its associated Streetspace Allocation Framework, which underpin the transition towards a less congested, more liveable, healthy and sustainable capital.

The city council is now seeking feedback on all the plans collectively, including via an online survey, public drop-ins, focus group and key stakeholder discussions and a toolkit to support community involvement.

The consultation will run until 9 July and outcomes will be reported to Transport and Environment Committee later this year, culminating in the finalisation of each plan.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Edinburgh is a growing, evolving capital, facing the same challenges as cities around the world – from climate change and poverty to traffic congestion and poor air quality.

“We want to transform the way people move around the city, which we hope will go some way to addressing this, and we’re looking at how we can create safer, sustainable and affordable transport options. This is also about working to support economic growth and building people-friendly spaces across the city, while helping to end poverty and isolation. We’ve put people, particularly those with a disability, at the heart of these plans.

“The draft action plans set out a range of actions to achieve this, and we want to collaborate with people and businesses in Edinburgh to shape how we deliver these plans. Combining all the plans into one big citywide conversation means we can really capture the interrelated issues and ensure actions are mutually supportive of each other.

“As a city we know and agree that we must cut congestion, boost the economy and hit net zero. This consultation is a chance for people to both comment on our proposals and also make alternative suggestions for delivering these key policies. Doing nothing, however, is no longer an option as we have a duty to face these challenges.

“We need to balance different travel needs with the limited street space we have, and that’s going to involve some real dilemmas. I’m particularly pleased, however, that making public transport more accessible and reliable is at the heart of these plans.

“Gathering views from our communities and businesses, alongside data and technical evidence, will be critical to these decisions. Whether you’re interested in improved public transport links, better walking, wheeling and cycling routes or making our streets more accessible and pleasant places to spend time, I’d urge you to take part in our consultation.”

Residents and businesses can share their views on proposals and priorities in a range of areas, including making streets more accessible, improving public transport and enhancing active travel networks, as well as achieving ambitious accident reduction targets and creating people-friendly, thriving neighbourhoods and shopping streets.

These actions support Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan and aim to help drive down the number of kilometres travelled by car in the city by 30% by 2030, reduce air pollution and improve public health.

Find out more about plans to shape Edinburgh for future generations and take part in the consultation online.

Work on Roseburn – Leith ‘improvements’ starts on Monday

On Monday (7th February), work starts on a major new cycling and walking route linking the east and west of the city (including other improvements to the area) – from Roseburn to Leith via Haymarket and West End.

The project is divided into  three sections:

Section 1 – Roseburn to Haymarket

Section 2 – Haymarket to Randolph Place

Section 3 – St Andrew Square to Picardy Place

Find out  more about the traffic management arrangements and works planned. 

All project and roadworks information is on the city council’s website:

http://edinburgh.gov.uk/ccwel

Plans to reform Edinburgh’s public transport companies

Recommendations for the reform of Edinburgh’s Transport Arm’s Length External Organisations (ALEOs) would deliver a more efficient, better integrated public transport offering while retaining the identities of the Capital’s much-loved transport companies, according to a new report.

Reform of Transport Arm’s Length External Organisations, to be considered by the council’s Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday (19 August), proposes reconstituting the Lothian Buses legal entity to allow the management of all Council-owned public transport modes in the city, while retaining the brands and operational services of each of the transport companies.

While the changes wouldn’t result in any immediate changes for passengers or front-line staff, they would lead to improvements through easier ticket purchasing, integrated routes and customer services plus better collaboration and less competition between companies, as well as efficiencies for the business.

Proposals have been informed by a working group formed of Council officers and Non-Executive Director representatives from each of the Transport ALEOs (Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and Transport for Edinburgh).

They’ve been working to a set of guiding and transition principles, which include creating a customer focused unified public transport approach through service integration, route optimisation and fare ticketing optimisation.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “The reform of our Transport ALEOs offers the chance to significantly enhance and streamline our public transport offering to the benefit of the public. These changes would result in integrated ticketing and routing and the opportunity to expand into new transport modes , amongst other improvements.

“Of course, we know how important the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams brands are to the people of Edinburgh, demonstrated by their consistently high customer satisfaction ratings, and we’ve no plans to change that. Any restructuring behind-the-scenes will only lead to a better experience when using the services we all know and love.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “The last year and a half has been extremely challenging for our public transport providers. Our plans for their future aim to support their continued recovery, delivering efficiency savings which can be reinvested in the services.

“We really value the public transport staff who’ve made every effort during this time to serve the city too, and we would be working closely with boards, management and trade unions to support a smooth transition to a new structure.”

A report to Policy and Sustainability Committee in July 2020 set out arrangements for the management of the Council’s Transport ALEOs, highlighting challenges and setting out objectives for future public transport provision.

As well as supporting public transport integration, a reformed structure could respond to new opportunities as they arise and facilitate mobility across the city and region. ALEO reform also aligns with Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan, which outlines greater integration in areas like pricing, ticketing and routing, as well as expansion of the rapid transit system and a bus network review.

In addition, the commercial sustainability of any new arrangement is considered crucial, particularly given the likely recovery period for public transport in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Efficiency savings as a result of reform are particularly important.

If the proposed Transport ALEO is approved, the Council would maintain formal political oversight through the existing committee structure.

Read the full report, Reform of Transport Arm’s Length External Organisations, on the Council website.

You can watch discussion of the report by Transport and Environment Committee live from 10am on Thursday, 19 August via webcast.

I remember there has been opposition to this in the past. Back in 2016 concerns were raised that Lothian Buses profits would be used to plug the black hole that was Edinburgh Trams finances, to the detriment of the popular and efficient bus company. Changed days? We’ll see how the Capital Coalition ‘fares’ next week – Ed.

The Great Deluge: cleaning up the Capital

Edinburgh’s flooding response as half of July’s rain falls in one hour

The City of Edinburgh Council’s roads and flood prevention teams worked throughout last night to respond to surface water and flooding as a result of Sunday’s extreme weather.

Officers, supported by additional resources, are working closely with Scottish Water, who are responsible for sewers, to check for blockages and clear surface water, with up to 37mm of rain – around half of the total average rainfall for the month of July – falling in less than an hour on Sunday.

As the clean-up continues, and with a yellow warning of rain in place for Monday, drivers are being encouraged to take extra care and avoid flooded areas, particularly to reduce further damage to homes and businesses from backwash from cars.

The flood prevention team has been monitoring river flows throughout the night, closing lower flood gates at Baird Drive and Stockbridge Colonies as a precautionary measure, as well as clearing some localised culvert trash screens.

With a flood alert issued by SEPA still in place, officers will continue to check river flows and weather forecasts and respond accordingly.

The city’s gullies are cleaned following a rolling programme and over the last fortnight the most sensitive gullies have been cleared, as part of more than 10,500 gullies cleaned since March. Intense rainfall of the kind experienced on Sunday is extremely rare and exceeds the capacity of roads drainage and sewerage systems, though it is becoming more frequent as weather patterns change.

The Council’s Transport leaders have praised teams for their efforts to tackle the impact of the dramatic downpours.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: Our roads and flood prevention teams have worked extremely hard, throughout Sunday and overnight, to minimise the impact of this intense, sudden downpour.

“This was in close partnership with Scottish Water, who are responsible for the city’s sewer system, and I’d like to thank all those involved for their swift response. No city’s drainage systems are designed to cope with the sort of short, sharp volume of water experienced yesterday.

“As it’s not possible to predict this kind of extreme weather, which is regrettably is becoming more frequent as climate change effects intensify, localised flooding was unfortunately inevitable.

“However, our sympathies are with anyone who has experienced damage to their property as a result of flooding, and officers, along with partners, are working flat out to make sure the aftermath is cleared as quickly as possible.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “Flash flooding like we experienced yesterday is extremely challenging, but we’ve been doing everything we can to minimise its negative effects across the city, along with Scottish Water.

“We’re now beginning the clean-up, but there’s still significant surface water in some parts of the city, so I would encourage everyone to take extra care if travelling today.”

Information from the Scottish Flood Forum on coping with the aftermath of a flood is available on their website.

Find advice on severe weather on the Council’s website.

Five thousand citizens have their say in city council consultation

More than 5,000 people put forward their views in a major public consultation aimed at shaping how Scotland’s Capital looks, feels and functions for generations to come. Continue reading Five thousand citizens have their say in city council consultation

£564,000 funding to encourage walking and cycling across Edinburgh

Events aimed at encouraging more and more people to walk and cycle are to be held in each of the four Edinburgh localities for the first time this year as part of a calendar of active travel events.

Continue reading £564,000 funding to encourage walking and cycling across Edinburgh