Twenty folk attended TCC on 9 November. Here’s an update … Continue reading Trinity Community Council: November update
Tag: transport
Tram to Newhaven?
‘We are satisfied there will be no impact on Council budgets in the short or long term.’ – Council leader Cllr Andrew Burns
Councillors will discuss proposals to extend the Edinburgh tram line to Newhaven at next Thursday’s full council meeting.
If recommendations are agreed, a nine-month period of project development will commence, including the beginning of procurement processes for external support and site investigation. However it is unsure at this stage whether the SNP group on the city council – Labour’s partners in the Capital Coalition – will support the proposal to extend the line.
Once the first stage is complete, a report will be brought back to Council recommending the way forward. If Councillors agree to continue with the extension a second stage, scheduled to take 21 months and costing approximately £8.3m, will include further site investigation and working with the Council’s advisors in carrying out procurement and enabling works.
While the Council is yet to identify specific resources to fund the borrowing costs required for the project, the business case concludes that these can be funded from wider Public Transport revenues with no impact on Council revenue budgets in the short, medium and long term.
Council Leader, Councillor Andrew Burns, said: “The updated Outline Business Case provides further justification for bringing the tram to Leith, clearly demonstrating the social and economic impact the extension could have on this key area of the city.
“This first stage of project development for the extension will allow us to take another step towards achieving this. A significant period of work will ensure robust governance, allowing financial evaluation and risk analysis to be carried out.
“By obtaining funding for these initial stages from the city’s Public Transport revenues, we are satisfied there will be no impact on Council budgets in the short or long term.”
In June, Councillors considered the emerging conclusions of the draft Outline Business Case, which proposed a formal market consultation and further, detailed analysis of project finances before any decision was made.
A report, to be heard by Council on Thursday, 19 November, details the findings of the Outline Business Case for the extension to Leith.
It is recommended that Councillors approve, in principle, extending the tram to Newhaven over alternative options to end the line at Ocean Terminal, the foot of Leith Walk or MacDonald Road.
The Outline Business Case, based on a formal market consultation process, audit of the financial model and identification of funding options, concludes that extending the existing tram line to Newhaven will boost the city’s economy while delivering a range of wider benefits in relation to employment, population growth and social inclusion.
Spur lines to Leith and Granton’s Waterfront were an integral element of the original masterplan for Edinburgh’s tram network back in 2003, but these were dropped as the project ran into well-documented financial difficulties.
Back then the then Labour-led Scottish Executive allocated £375m for proposed tram routes linking the city centre to both Edinburgh Airport and Leith. Original projections indicated that trams would be running on city streets by 2009.
The project was years late and millions over-budget: the project cost taxpayers £776 million and trams did not run until 31 May last year – and then only on a single line, not a network.
An inquiry into what went wrong, to be led by Lord Hardie, was announced by then-First Minister Alex Salmond in June last year.
The Inquiry is attempting to find out why the Edinburgh Trams project – with a final bill of £776m plus over £200m in interest on a 30-year loan taken out by the council to cover the funding shortfall – was delayed and went so badly over-budget. The Inquiry also aims to establish why, through reductions in scope, the project delivered significantly less than projected.
The official terms of reference for the Inquiry are to:
- Inquire into the delivery of the Edinburgh Trams project (‘the project’), from proposals for the project emerging to its completion, including the procurement and contract preparation, its governance, project management and delivery structures, and oversight of the relevant contracts, in order to establish why the project incurred delays, cost considerably more than originally budgeted for and delivered significantly less than was projected through reductions in scope.
- Examine the consequences of the failure to deliver the project in the time, within the budget and to the extent projected.
- Review the circumstances surrounding the project as necessary, in order to report to the Scottish Ministers making recommendations as to how major tram and light rail infrastructure projects of a similar nature might avoid such failures in future.
The inquiry, which was converted to a statutory inquiry almost exactly one year ago, is ongoing: the process has been broken down into ten separate stages and the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry team is currently working on stages 4 and 7. This includes gathering material, retrieving and reviewing documents; and reviewing written evidence which will be considered by Lord Hardie to decide what further evidence is required at oral hearings.
No date has yet been set for publication of the report of the inquiry’s findings – these will be made available ‘at the earliest opportunity’.
When Alex Salmond announced the public inquiry last year he promised MSPs it would be a “swift and thorough” inquiry.
Swift? Perhaps not, but anyone who has any knowledge of the lengthy and complex nature of the Edinburgh trams story knows that speed has never been the driving factor. But thorough? The Scottish taxpayer, the businesses and citizens of Edinburgh surely deserve nothing less.
Still time to have your say on parking proposals
City Council’s parking consultation closes on 31 October Continue reading Still time to have your say on parking proposals
Auld reekie: Edinburgh road wins unwelcome accolade
Corstorphine chokes – and it could get worse
Corstorphine’s St John’s Road is officially Scotland’s most polluted road – and local residents fear the air quality will get even worse as a planning application for a massive new supermarket with 140 parking spaces is to be considered by city councillors next week.
The developer’s own figures reveal that up to 22,000 car trips will be made in and out of the supermarket every week – with up to 70% of this new, rather than passing, traffic. Local campaigners argue that streets which are already congested will be unable to cope
New figures have revealed that St John’s Road has the worst air pollution in the whole country. According to estimates, poor air quality is causing 3,500 thousands premature death in Scotland every year.
Friends of the Earth Scotland air pollution campaigner Emilia Hanna said: “Last year, Edinburgh Council approved its new Transport Strategy which commits to achieving clean air across the city. But these results show that levels of air pollution, which were already at illegal levels, are reaching appalling new heights. St John’s Road is now Scotland’s most polluted road, and traffic congestion is the reason why.
“These worrying figures further the case for refusing planning permission for the supermarket. The developer’s plans would see 3000 new vehicle visits to heart of the Pollution Zone each day, worsening traffic congestion and further adding to the soaring levels of pollution. The developer’s documents are riddled with flaws and fail to predict air quality impacts of the supermarket in key locations. We are confident that when Councillors consider the evidence, they will turn down the proposal.
“Air pollution has been linked with asthma attacks, strokes, heart attacks, and cancers. It can lead to children’s lungs not growing to their full potential. Schoolchildren would have have to walk in front of the proposed car park entrance each day on their way to Corstorphine Primary School, if it were to go ahead.
“For the sake of people’s health, St John’s Road needs a transport transformation. Priority should be given to walkers, cyclists and public transport users, and car use should be restricted through a Low Emission Zone, which would require vehicles to meet cleaner emission standards or pay a fine. This would create a cleaner, safer, and more attractive environment where everyone could breathe clean air.”
Local resident Becky Lloyd, a mother of two who chairs the Corstorphine Residents Action & Information Group, said: “The Birmingham-based developers want to build a massive supermarket and multi-storey carpark which is out of scale with its surroundings and which can only be accessed from a street so narrow it is currently one-way.
“We trust the Council will come to the same conclusion as residents and rule this development entirely inappropriate for the site. Corstorphine is saturated with supermarkets and there is no demand or need for another one.
“This development would cause more congestion and pollution on a street already ranked the most polluted in Scotland. Buried in the developer’s own figures is the true picture: an estimated 22,000 car trips in and out of the supermarket every week, with up to 70% of this new, rather than passing traffic.”
Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, has today urged the Scottish Government to take urgent action on dangerous air pollution levels in the capital.
Ms Johnstone, who is the Scottish Green Party candidate for Edinburgh Central for Holyrood 2016, said: “It’s shocking that we keep hearing news about alarming levels of pollution in our cities while thousands of Scottish people are dying prematurely because of poor air quality. We’re not just talking about a minor environmental nuisance here – we’re talking about a public health crisis.
“Despite continued warnings from health professionals, charities and community groups over the years, both Labour and SNP governments have failed to take this issue seriously.
“Green Councillors in Edinburgh have worked hard, with others, to get the city to introduce 20 miles per hour zones and to invest properly in cycling and walking infrastructure. We know that these policies work, and they now need to be implemented on a bigger, bolder scale. The Scottish Government must recognise its responsibilities and take urgent action to tackle this crisis.”
The city council’s Local Transport Strategy commits to clean air across Edinburgh. Transport convener Cllr Lesley Hinds said: “We monitor air quality continuously across the city and the Air Quality Management Area enables us to direct actions more effectively at those locations. We are aware there are improvements which can be made to limit emissions across Edinburgh including at St John’s Road and Clermiston Road junction.”
School Streets initiative hits the road
Six city schools kick off safer school streets pilot
Cramond Primary is among six city schools taking part in the School Streets initiative in Edinburgh, which aims to create safer travel to the city’s primary schools by banning cars from surrounding streets during certain times.
Colinton Primary School pupils celebrated the launch of the safety scheme this morning, when Super Cyclists and Wonder Walkers assembled at the front gates via newly car-free streets.
Traffic will now be prohibited on the roads surrounding the first phase of schools involved in the scheme at the beginning and end of the school day.
Aiming to create a safer, more pleasant environment the scheme promotes travel to school by walking and cycling, in turn reducing congestion and pollution in the area. The first couple of weeks will be education/raising awareness before enforcement starts.
City of Edinburgh Council Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “I am delighted to see School Streets in action and that so many pupils have taken this opportunity to walk, use scooters and ride their bikes safely into school.
“Promoting active and sustainable travel is one of our main priorities, and by creating a safe and relaxed atmosphere near our schools, we are encouraging this from a very early age.”
Final plans for the School Streets pilot, which is a commitment of theLocal Transport Strategy 2014-19, were approved by Transport and Environment Committee in August.
More than 30 schools across the city originally expressed an interest in participating in the pilot and eleven were eventually selected. All of the chosen locations had been experiencing road safety issues due to the number of drivers bringing cars too close to school gates.
Chris Thompson Schools and Projects Coordinator at Living Streets says: “It is vital that more children walk to school however traffic levels and safety are key concerns for parents. By closing the immediate streets outside school gates, the City of Edinburgh Council and participating schools are sending a resounding message that walking to school, even for the last few minutes, is good for health and the city’s environment. I expect other councils across the UK to follow this bold and imaginative approach to healthy school travel.”
Chief Inspector Stevie Dolan, from Police Scotland, said: “We are committed to working alongside our partners and the public to ensure the safety of all road users, including schoolchildren.
“Whenever a complaint is received in relation to motorists driving within the prohibited areas, without a valid reason for doing so, our officers will respond accordingly.”
Six primary schools are included in the first of two phases – Abbeyhill, Colinton, Cramond, Duddingston and St John’s RC with Sciennes starting in October.
The second phase of the pilot is due to begin in March and will be implemented at Towerbank, St Peter’s, Clermiston and Bonaly Primary Schools.
Residents in streets next to participating schools need a permit to drive in or out of the street while restrictions are in place, which can be applied for on the Council website.
Have your say on parking proposals
Draft Action Plan is now out for consultation
Edinburgh residents’ views are now being sought on a raft of measures aimed to help improve parking in the city.
A public consultation is under way on the draft Parking Action Plan, which is intended to develop a cohesive vision of parking in Edinburgh, encouraging active travel and supporting the city’s economy while safeguarding residents’ spaces.
Proposals for the plan, approved by the Transport and Environment Committee in August, are based on consultation with the public and take into account the priorities of those living in the city.
Amongst actions suggested are the roll-out of shared-use parking for permit holders and pay and display customers, visitor permits and the introduction of parking restrictions in the evenings and on Sundays.
Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “We’ve been evaluating parking in Edinburgh over the last few months, studying the use of city centre parking by residents, shoppers and visitors to see where the most demand for spaces is. We’ve really listened to the public to create the new Parking Action Plan, and have responded to their concerns.
“This is about relieving demand for residents’ parking as well as promoting sustainable travel into the city centre. Our proposals would reduce the negative impact of uncontrolled parking, encouraging parking turnover near local businesses and helping to encourage active travel and use of public transport.
“We want to involve the public in the Parking Action Plan, so I would urge anyone interested to participate in our consultation.”
The draft Parking Action Plan (above), which affects the Controlled Parking Zone, was drawn up following a series of information gathering exercises, including interviews with drivers and pedestrians, vehicle counts on key streets and internal workshops.
Amongst the findings it was shown that, when parking is uncontrolled on a Sunday, people stay for a long time, reducing the turnover of business for shops, making it harder for residents to find spaces and impacting on traffic. It also indicates that parking pressures in the evenings are similar, if not greater than during the controlled hours.
In addition, of 535 drivers interviewed on a Sunday, 43% said they would travel by public transport, walk or cycle if they were making the same journey during the week, while 42% indicated that free parking was not important to their decision to visit the city centre that day.
The draft plan is now out for consultation, engaging the public, stakeholders and other interested parties. Views gathered will influence the finalised Parking Action Plan, expected to be considered by committee in January 2016.
It’s September, so it must be Cyclefest!
Two wheeled transport takes centre stage in the city
This month, Edinburgh will enjoy a month of non-stop cycling action, culminating in the first ever CycleFest Edinburgh.
National Cycle to Work Day will kick things off on Thursday (3 September), with people all over the city ditching the car for a more eco-friendly commute.
Then on Sunday (6 September) it’s time to get back in the saddle, this time for charity, as Pedal for Scotland sweeps the nation.
Cycling will continue to dominate the Scottish capital as the Edinburgh stage of the Tour of Britain rides into town on Wednesday 9 September.
Keeping the cycling celebrations going, the Edinburgh Corn Exchange will host an action-packed, adrenaline-fuelled weekend for cycling novices and experienced riders alike on Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 September.
The inaugural CycleFest Edinburgh will showcase a multitude of exhibitors stocking the very latest bicycles and accessories, plus there’ll be a plethora of workshops, celebrity appearances and stunt displays to keep you gripped all weekend.
Making a very special appearance at the show will be BMXer Champion and Guinness World Record Holder, Matti Hemmings, AKA Matti Axel from the hit Nickelodeon show, ‘Get Your Skills On’. He’ll be there to present breath-taking tricks from bunnyhops and sliders to grinds and foot jams, kicking out all the moves in the specially created outdoor track area.
Adding an extra nail-biting edge to the weekend will be Savage Skills, a freestyle mountain bike stunt team with eight World titles and 25 British Championship titles to their name. Jaws will drop as they wow the crowds with their repertoire of interactive tricks, jumps and stunts.
All this plus the chance to learn to ride like a pro with the likes of Redscar and important advice on staying safe with Cycle Law Scotland. CycleFest Edinburgh is also throwing in cheerleaders and a bagpiping, juggling, unicyclist for good measure!
Yes, Edinburgh’s all set for a cycling jamboree!
CYCLING GRANTS AVAILABLE
Community groups across Scotland are now able to apply for a Development Grant of up to £20,000 to help them overcome barriers to cycling and work towards becoming a Cycle Friendly Community. Applications can be submitted at any time up to Friday 30thOctober and will be assessed on a first come, first serve basis, dependent on available funding.
For more information visit Community Development Grants
What should we do with George Street?
Have your say on the future of George Street
Edinburgh residents are being invited to help shape the future of one of the city’s best-known streets. An open day to be held tomorrow will offer an opportunity to meet the designers working on a long-term vision for George Street.
Participants can give their views on a year-long trial in the street, which has seen the introduction of a dedicated two-way cycle lane and a one-way system for general traffic and buses.
They will also be invited to contribute ideas and opinions on a permanent layout, with the drop-in session featuring four themes for George Street: A Civic Place, A Place for Living, A Place for Enterprise and A Place for Movement.
Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “Throughout this trial we have involved the public to ensure changes take into account the users of the street, and I think that’s reflected in the positive feedback we’ve received along the way.
“Now, as the trial draws to a close, we want to include those who live, work and travel on George Street to help us decide its future, and that’s why it’s so important that people come along to our open day to give their views on a long term plan.
“Making the city centre a great place to be is about striking a balance between work and leisure, practicality and atmosphere – and I think that by working together we can achieve that.”
Throughout the trial, regular ‘stakeholder engagement’ and on-street interviews with passers-by (approximately 100 per month) have gathered feedback from the public.
Amongst the findings were the importance of cycling facilities to the future of the street to respondents, the need for George Street to be accessible to all and the preference for symmetry in any long-term designs.
Ironside Farrar have been appointed until October 2015 to turn the information gathered into design principles, which will be presented with the concluding report on the George Street Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) to Committee in November.
The George Street ETRO finishes on 6 September, when the street’s layout will revert to that of pre-September 2014, when the trial began. This means both sides of carriageway will be open and the cycle lane removed, as will all marquees and decking. An interim cycle facility will then be introduced, as approved by Transport and Environment Committee on 2 June.
The open day will be held at the Roxburghe Hotel
on Thursday 13 August, from 3pm to 7pm.
Tram to Newhaven?
The city council is to consider taking the tram network into Newhaven, Ocean Terminal or the foot of Leith Walk.
The line currently stops at York Place, but councillors will consider options to extend the route from the city centre along part of the originally planned route – a plan scaled down when the project ran into financial difficulties -at a meeting next week.
Extension cost estimates are £144.7m to Newhaven, £126.6m to Ocean Terminal and £78.7m to Leith Walk.
Transport Convener, Cllr Lesley Hinds, said: “I am extremely pleased with the progress of the business case, which already shows the clear economic impact the extension of the tram line could have on the city.
“In the tram’s first year of operation we have seen passenger numbers increase, demonstrating a growing demand for public transport in Edinburgh and making the case for extending the tram to benefit people elsewhere in the city.
“But we don’t want to make any rash decisions about the future of the project, and that’s why further due diligence is required to ensure a robust financial case that can be used as a basis for an informed judgement. We will also be exploring all avenues for funding, and considering a series of new and innovative options with a view to delivering best value.
“It is essential that we learn from our past mistakes and I am confident that this process will deliver thoroughly researched, strategic options for a tram extension.”
Further work is now to be carried out, including a formal market consultation, testing and auditing of the financial model and an investigation of alternative funding options, ahead of the final decision in autumn.
Read more about the Edinburgh tram project online.
Edinburgh’s tram service began running in May last year, six years late and costing more than double (£776 milion) the original £375m price tag – and that price was for a trams network not just a single line.
A public inquiry was set up last year under Lord Hardie to establish why the Edinburgh Trams project ‘incurred delays, cost more than orignally budgeted and through reductions in scope deliverd significantly less than projected’.
A formal call for members of the public to provide written evidence was issued on 12 May this year and a list of issues has been published. An online survey has also been created to give people an easy way to submit this evidence.
For more info visit http://www.edinburghtraminquiry.org/
Happy birthday, trams?
Years late, £ millions over budget and there’s an ongoing public enquiry – but on Sunday (31 May) Edinburgh trams will celebrate their first year of operation. A Happy Birthday? Edinburgh Trams Director and General manager Tom Norris certainly thinks so …
In terms of our business there has been much noise about our performance. Our annual report will be out shortly for the year to end December 2014. On top of this we are releasing further data to give a view of the first full year. So what does it say?
Where did that year go? As I reflect on where we were in May 2014 and the amount of change our business has gone through since then, it is unrecognisable.
We carried 10% more passengers than expected in the first full year. 4.92m in year one.
Our passenger revenue was 3% ahead of target.
Passenger satisfaction was 95%.
In May last year we were totally focussed on the 31st of May go-live date and were in the midst of intensive staff training, testing, commissioning, press engagements and promoting our service. The whole organisation was geared towards this start day with a cautious eye on the One Direction concert at Murrayfield in our first week.
There was a whirlwind of media and external activity as we approached go live and it really seemed that the whole of the UK was looking on as everyone at Edinburgh Trams made their final preparations for that all important first day of service. My last engagement being STV news broadcasting live from the depot on the eve of our first day. As I finished what was a relatively challenging interview, I was hit with a realisation that there was nothing more I could do and it was over to the team to start passenger service.
I arrived at the depot at 0330 and after a quick briefing final preparations were put in place. A number of our key stakeholders were at the depot to be ready for the first tram. It was clear from our tram stop cameras that people started arriving at the Gyle Tram stop a long time before the first 0500 tram was due to arrive. The atmosphere on the first tram, and indeed throughout our first few weeks was electric.
The following year has passed incredibly quickly and I’m delighted to be able to say that it appears both Edinburgh residents and visitors to the city have really embraced our service. We’ve serviced major concerts, international rugby and European football events matches at Murrayfield. We felt truly involved in the summer festival season with festival goers and even performers using our services.
But that said, this year hasn’t been without challenges. Trams have broken down, systems have failed and incidents have occurred. In the scheme of things the disruption has been few and far between. We are very proud to report service reliability of 99% and passenger satisfaction of 95%. Our fare evasion rate is incredibly low. All of these measures can be benchmarked against other operators, and we come out very well indeed. That’s down to a team of committed staff working day and night across Edinburgh Trams, our sister company Lothian Buses, Siemens, CAF, our partners at the City of in Edinburgh Council, as well as and other contractors who support our services.
It’s really at this point I should give a nod to my team. The sheer amount of change our business has experienced over the past two years is more than most would experience in many years. On top of this all of the measures we have for the business are all in the right place. The team have been flexible, committed and it has been a real privilege to lead them over the past two and a half years. My team are superstars and as much as I can reflect and enjoy looking back on our first year, it’s been our people who’ve made it all come together. I simply couldn’t have asked any more. Well done and thank you.
We’re hugely passenger focussed and our staff have delivered exceptional passenger satisfaction scores. But we won’t rest here. There are many changes underway, timetable enhancements to speed up services where possible, relaxing some of the more overzealous rules for our passengers and continuing to build our passenger base by delighting more and more people. We do listen, and we do react. One of the catalysts for changing the rules on food and drink on our services was a letter that stuck with me that I received from a customer who had been feeding his child an oatcake and had been asked to stop. There is no criticism of our staff here, they were following the rules that had been set down. But the reality was that this rule just wasn’t aligned with our customer expectations and harmed the overall experience. That’s why it was changed. We listen to our customers and we act.
So year one of Edinburgh Trams is over. It has been an absolute honour and privilege to lead this team into passenger service and a highlight of my career. From me, a huge thank you out to our customers, our staff and our supporters.
#tramiversary