transport – Page 28 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

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.”

Item_7.14___Draft_Parking_Action_Plan___FINAL

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.

Participate in the consultation online.

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 30^thOctober 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

New bus stops at Royal Infirmary

Two new bus stops will open at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh from tomorrow (Monday 25 May). The new routes will see buses coming from town, and out of town. travelling through the site.

One of the new stops will be located on Little France Crescent, with the other situated between the University of Edinburgh Chancellor’s Building and the University of Edinburgh Queen’s Medical Research Institute (click here for large map).

The main bus terminal moved from the West to East side of the site in May 2014 and the loop road, which runs around the site, has now been redeveloped to allow buses to pass through.

This development forms part of a programme of works which have been carried out to prepare the site for the new £150 million Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences.

Work started on the new hospital in early 2015 and the new building is anticipated to open to patients in autumn 2017.

Brian Currie, Project Director, Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences said: “The majority of the road works have now been completed and I would like to thank patients, visitors and the public for their understanding as these developments have taken place.

“The new hospital will conjoin the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh via a link building between both adult and child Emergency Departments. This link building will run across Little France Crescent and therefore the need to reconfigure the bus routes has been an important part of the construction programme.

“We would again like to thank you for your understanding as construction of the new hospital and work to redevelop departments within the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh continues.”

www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/riecampus for more details.

Taxi! Keir calls for tighter legislation

‘Public safety is everything’ – SNP MSP Colin Keir

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Western Colin Keir has called for tighter legislation of taxis and private hire cars during a Holyrood debate on the Air Rifles and Licensing Bill.

Mr Keir is supporting moves to introduce a test for Private Hire Car drivers as well as tightening the legislation on booking offices. He also called on vehicles which are currently exempt from the licensing system to be included on the grounds of public safety.

Mr Keir said: “The legislation which deals with taxis and private hire cars was drawn up as a part of the 1982 Civic Government Scotland Act and needs to be amended. The use of mobile phones and apps were not known years ago and the law and the trade have to adapt to modern circumstances.”

Mr Keir added: “Everyone who uses a taxi or private hire car must know that it is safe to get into a vehicle and must have confidence that there’s a fit and proper person behind the wheel – public safety is everything.”

Life-saving defibrillator installed at Edinburgh’s bus station

Edinburgh’s transport leaders were treated to a first aid master class yesterday as they unveiled a brand new defibrillator for the city’s bus station. The life-saving equipment, which is used on people who have had cardiac arrests, was installed this week.

Public access defibrillators (AEDs) allow trained individuals to treat casualties in areas where ambulance access is difficult or while awaiting paramedics, increasing the likelihood of survival.

Staff at Edinburgh Bus Station, which sees between five and seven million customers a year, will now be given training to use the potentially life-saving equipment.

Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “Safety is of utmost importance to us as a Council, so it makes absolute sense to install this life saving equipment in such a busy area of the city.

“The bus station welcomes a real variety of people through its doors each day and if the new AED were to save just one of these lives, it would be worth every penny.”

Alongside the unveiling, St Andrew’s First Aid offered councillors and members of the public first aid tips and advice, as well as demonstrating the use of the AED.

Jim Dorman, Operations Director from St Andrew’s First Aid said: “We are absolutely delighted that City of Edinburgh Council has arranged to have a defibrillator placed within the city’s bus station. It is the perfect place to site an AED bearing in mind the central location of the station and the amount of people passing through the station each day.

“Defibrillators are proven to save lives and having one readily available will enhance the chances of survival for someone should they have a cardiac arrest in or near the station.”

The Council recently agreed to install defibrillators in all of the city’s high schools, partly paid for with fundraising by parents and the local community.

Find out more about St Andrew’s First Aid and the courses on offer

on their website.

Pictured: St Andrew’s First Aid trainer Annemarie Pattison demonstrates the new equipment to Councillors LesleyHinds and Adam McVey.

Making transport more accessible

and there’s still time to share your views on making it better

Over 140 people, including many disabled people and their representatives, took the opportunity to have their say on making transport more accessible at a summit in Edinburgh yesterday.

The Transport Accessibility Summit, hosted by Transport Scotland, brought together interested parties, including local and central government, to discuss a range of key issues raised by disabled people.

The conference also enabled transport operators across different modes to hear the personal stories behind the issues and to share best practice.

Transport Minister Derek Mackay addressed the audience of over 60 disabled people, their support, disabled groups and transport providers to highlight the need to work together in partnership to make end to end journeys better.

He said: “Transport accessibility is important for everyone but disabled people face particular barriers. Statistics suggest that a non-disabled adult is 50 per cent more likely to make any kind of journey than a disabled adult – that is something we aim to address.

“By hosting this summit, our aim is to enable everyone involved to gain a better understanding of why so many disabled people are put off making journeys and how we can work together to make end to end journeys more accessible.

“Many of the people attending the summit support the statement – ‘nothing about us without us’ – and I will ensure that my Transport Scotland officials strive to make that happen, as well as commending this approach to transport providers in Scotland.

“Disabled people should enjoy the same rights, choice and opportunities to use travel as everyone else. I want a Scotland where disabled people know they can travel in comfort and safety and with the confidence of knowing they will be helped to complete that journey successfully and according to their needs. Today’s summit is a small but a positive step towards that vision.”

In the lead up to the summit Transport Scotland, together with Scottish Disability Equality Forum (SDEF) and other stakeholders, held a series of meetings which raised almost 50 issues for discussion including:

making journeys to and from stations much better, this includes train stations, bus stations and ferry terminals;
providing accessible toilet facilities like changing places toilets near transport hubs;
challenging hate crime on public transport and make sure disabled people know about any breakdowns or changes to travel.
offering other accessible transport or help to finish the journey;
talking to disabled people about how to change attitudes of staff.

Susan Grasekamp, Chief Executive of, SDEF said: “The high level of engagement and contribution which the early events enjoyed reinforces how vital accessible transport is to improve quality of life and independent living for disabled people in Scotland.

“The summit has been a great step towards gathering the right people around the table to effect real and positive change in accessible transport, taking into account the vast differences between rural and urban area transport issues in Scotland.

“SDEF and its members are delighted to have been part of these events and we are hopeful that the Accessible Transport Summit marks the beginning of a more collaborative, open and transparent process in the planning, design and implementation of future transport services.”

Keith Lynch, Chair of People First said: “Barriers to transport can be physical, due to inaccessible provision of information or because of the attitude and approach of society towards people with an intellectual impairment.

“People First welcome the opportunity to work with local authorities, transport providers, and other organisations to improve accessible information and also to raise public awareness of the impact and the seriousness of hate incidents and crime.”

Jenny Miller, Chief Executive PAMIS said: “We are delighted to be involved in this accessible transport summit – a real partnership venture working with Transport Scotland teams and with transport providers. We really hope that this is the beginning of a new way of working that will enable all people in Scotland to be able to access transport no matter what specific needs they have or where they live.

“People with profound and multiple learning disabilities are some of the most socially excluded people in Scotland, in order for people to travel and access the community there needs to be a network of accessible Changing Places toilets, including at transport hubs.

“Transport Scotland has supported this message with transport providers and PAMIS is already seeing the difference this is making with transport advisors contacting us to find out about how they can provide the right solution.

“We are excited to be involved in the summit and look forward to continued working partnerships as we all pledge to make Scotland’s transport accessible for all.”

People with an interest in accessible transport but who could not attend the summit can still have their say via the SDEF website – go to

http://your-say-on-disability.org.uk/survey/

A report of the summit and a plan of action will be produced later this year and will be taken forward in partnership with disabled people and transport providers.

See city streets exhibition

A touring exhibition tracing 100 years of town planning in Edinburgh opened at the historic Museum of Edinburgh on Saturday.

The 100 Years of Planning temporary display, which launched at the city council’s Waverley Court headquarters in September before touring different corners of the city, takes the visitor through ten decades of the Edinburgh skyline from 1914 to the present day.

From the father of modern town planning, Sir Patrick Geddes, to the man who designed Edinburgh’s iconic police boxes, Ebenezer James Macrae, the exhibition takes a look at the personalities who have made significant contributions to the cityscape of the Capital.

Providing a remarkable insight into the changes which have occurred in the city over the last hundred years, the exhibition presents the opportunity to learn lessons from the past. As Edinburgh adapts to the changing social and economic conditions of the future, Sir Patrick Geddes’ concept of ‘Conservative Surgery’ – keeping the best from the past whilst improving the environment of the city for the future – will remain an important consideration for planning.

Edinburgh was at the forefront of town planning many years before the establishment of the Royal Town Planning Institute, and the New Town of Edinburgh, built between 1765 and 1850, is considered to be a masterpiece of city planning. Along with the Old Town, this area of Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Councillor Ian Perry, Convener of the Planning Committee, said: “This exhibition offers a fantastic opportunity to take stock of planning in Edinburgh over the last century. Our Edinburgh World Heritage site is part of the city’s international status and the display provides visitors with a great insight into how this has been achieved.”

Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of the Culture and Sport Committee, added: “Above the entranceway to the Museum of Edinburgh there is a an old Latin inscription which translates as Today to me, tomorrow to thee. To me, this sums up Edinburgh’s streets and buildings which change and grow as the city gets older and is inherited by new generations. A timeline will run through the exhibition so that visitors can understand the city’s architecture and streets in context with other events that took place in the city and the wider world over the last 100 years.”

The Museum of Edinburgh is housed in a series of 16th to 18th century buildings arranged around a close off the Royal Mile, making parts of the site up to 500 years old. The exhibition is free to enter and will remain in the Museum until 20 June 2015.

Visit the exhibition to find out about some of the important personalities that have shaped the streets and skyline of Edinburgh

1920s: Sir Patrick Geddes – Edinburgh is fortunate to be so closely associated with Geddes, the father of modern town planning in the 1920s.

1930s: Ebenezer James Macrae – Macrae was influential, both as an early adopter and promoter of the idea of conservation, and as the creator of large swathes of inter-war Council house schemes, numerous schools, and the iconic Edinburgh police boxes.

1940s: Sir Patrick Abercrombie – Patrick Abercrombie was an extremely influential figure in UK planning. Abercrombie’s proposals for Princes Street included the creation of three separate decks. The upper level was to be a service road with all traffic diverted from it. The middle level, in the gardens, to be a car park and promenade area, with traffic restricted to a tunnel a level underneath.

1950s: Councillor Pat Rogan – Rogan was a prominent campaigner in the move to improve slum housing in Edinburgh. He took Harold Wilson on a tour of the slums, and the future prime minister pronounced them the worst he had ever seen.

1960s: Sir Basil Spence – was one of the most important and versatile British architects of the post-War period. He is associated with many buildings of the period including the design of residential blocks on the Canongate (1961-69), Mortonhall Crematorium (1967), and Edinburgh University library on George Square (1965).

1970s: Desmond Hodges OBE – Desmond Hodges became the first Director of the Edinburgh New Town Conservation Committee (ENTCC) in 1972. During his 22 years overseeing the project, the ENTCC carried out over 1,200 repair projects and offered over £7.5 million in grants.

1980s: Sir Terry Farrell – An architect, he has been influential in Edinburgh’s modern changes and was responsible for the Edinburgh Exchange District as well as designing the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

1990s: Professor David Begg – Professor David Begg was a Convenor of Transport who promoted innovative transport policies in the 1990s. His policies included giving buses priority on key ‘greenway’ routes, such as banning cars from driving along Princes Street. Many people strongly disagreed with his methods, but they set out the transport agenda that is still pursued today.

2000s: Enric Miralles – Miralles was a Spanish architect and graduate from the School of Architecture Barcelona, whose largest project came in the form of the Scottish Parliament Building.