Inverleith’s talking transport

Transport remains a hot topic in Inverleith and the subject will top the agenda at next week’s Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership public meeting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre …

Come along and find out what’s happening in your area and have your say on all things transport!

Road works
Meet your local roads team
Road/path improvements
20mph zones
and more …

Tuesday 4 March, 7 – 9pm

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Groathill Road North

For papers and agenda call Elaine on 529 5270

or visit www.edinburghnp.org.uk/inverleith

Take an hour to get ready for winter

Scots urged to use the extra hour to prepare for winter

A campaign launched today urges people in Scotland to use the extra hour as the clocks go back on Sunday (27 October) to get ready for winter.

We can’t be sure what weather Scotland will see over the winter period right now. But the campaign reminds people that severe weather can strike at any time, so taking action now will serve them well in winter, and all year round.

While 44 per-cent of people in Scotland say they feel prepared for severe weather according to new research published today, people are being asked to consider how prepared they are for all kinds of challenging conditions through this year’s Ready for Winter campaign.

The campaign sets out the simple steps we can all take in the home, before a journey (whether driving, cycling or on foot), at work and in our communities. It also encourages people to look out for others, especially the more vulnerable, when bad weather strikes.

Findings from the survey carried out jointly by the British Red Cross and the Scottish Government show that:

There’s a five per cent increase in public preparedness for extreme weather on last year – 44 per cent in 2013 versus 39 per cent in 2012.
People are most concerned about extreme weather, power cuts and being cut off from their water supply.
Many car owners think they’re doing enough just by having an ice scraper and de-icer.

In the last four years, parts of Scotland have been badly affected by severe weather – from high winds and blizzards that affected the country last February, to the snow and freezing temperatures of previous winters.

Launching the campaign, Minister for Transport and Veterans, Keith Brown, said: “While we can’t stop the weather causing disruption, we can be well prepared to deal with it. Our winter preparedness campaign reminds us of this and the simple actions we can all take to prepare ourselves. With the clocks changing next week, the campaign calls on everyone to use the extra hour to get ready in the home, before a journey, at our place of work and in our communities. This will serve us well not just throughout the winter months, but all year round and in a range of emergency situations.

“As we have seen in Scotland, severe weather can strike quickly and at any time of year. In March, we saw the impact of severe snowstorms on communities in Arran, Kintyre and Dumfries and Galloway. The weather can cause a range of problems but we can be ready for them. So whether it is making your home energy efficient, protecting your pipes, packing an emergency kit for the car or looking out for vulnerable neighbours, we can all play our part in helping Scotland get ready for winter.

“I’m delighted the campaign is again being run in partnership with the British Red Cross and will be supported by a variety of other partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors in Scotland.”

David Miller, operations director for the British Red Cross, said: “At the Red Cross we know that severe weather, including snow and floods, can happen quickly and have serious consequences. However, with a few simple steps you can make yourself and others more able to cope with the disruption it can bring. You can prepare an emergency kit for your home and car, jot down your emergency phone numbers and check on any neighbours, family or friends to see if they will need any help.

“Each year the Red Cross helps people across Scotland cope with the effects of severe weather and this winter we’ll be prepared and ready. We urge everyone to take some time to get ready too.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Education & Young People, Cllr Douglas Chapman, said: “The past few years have demonstrated how unpredictable our weather can be and the risks of being underprepared for it. Councils have contingency plans in place to minimise the effects of severe weather on services this winter but we encourage individuals to also work together to ensure their communities are prepared.”

Inspector David Carballo, Trunk Road Policing Group, Police Scotland, said: “Winter safety is not just about severe cold weather. We all know that the Scottish weather can be very unpredictable and drivers can sometimes experience a variety of different driving conditions during a single journey.

“Effective planning plays a huge part in everyone getting safely to their destination and, in support of the Ready for Winter campaign, Police Scotland will be working with road safety groups and organisations to offer free advice to road users.”

Phil Evans, the Met Office’s Director of Government Business, said: “We are pleased to continue to work with the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, SEPA and many more agencies this year. By working together we can ensure the Scottish public are well informed and able to prepare for any severe weather ahead. Members of the public can stay up-to-date by checking the forecasts and warnings on our website – www.metoffice.gov.uk.”

Respect! Road users urged to embrace the Nice Way Code

Transport Minister Keith Brown was joined by representatives from Cycling Scotland and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) yesterday to officially launch a ground-breaking new campaign aimed at all road users.

Starting on 5 August, the Nice Way Code campaign will target pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and ask them to respect one another while out on the road. It asks people to make small changes to their behaviour on the roads, in order to make them a safer and more pleasant place for everyone. The campaign asks drivers to give cyclists more space and overtake them with care, and to look carefully for pedestrians crossing, while cyclists are asked to obey red lights and not cycle on the pavement. Pedestrians are included too, with messages about not trying to cross the road while looking at your phone.

The campaign uses TV ads, accompanied by a poster campaign which uses a humourous take on everyday road signs to deliver the serious messages in an upbeat way which encourages road users to be more respectful of each other, with the key message of ‘Let’s All Get Along. Follow the Nice Way Code.’

Funded by Transport Scotland and initiated by Cycling Scotland, the Nice Way Code campaign has the backing of major organisations that represent road users, such as the IAM, Sustrans, Paths for All and the AA.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The Nice Way Code campaign seeks to build a culture of tolerance and patience between cyclists, motorists, pedestrians and all other road users across Scotland.

“While the numbers of road casualties in Scotland are at their lowest ever level there is still simply no room for complacency. One death on Scotland’s roads is one too many and our focus is on working with key safety partners to reduce the numbers further. I believe this campaign will play its part in making Scotland’s roads safer for all users in the future and raise awareness that road safety really is everyone’s responsibility.

“I am also pleased to announce an additional £200,000 worth of funding for implementing the learning from the pilot partnership programme ‘Smarter Choices, Smarter Places’ which will be allocated to local authorities to introduce local mapping, branding and signage to increase local active travel journeys.”

Ian Aitken, chief executive of Cycling Scotland, said: “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and it is important we move away from the ‘us and them’ mentality of some drivers, cyclists and pedestrians when in fact almost everybody falls into at least two of those categories.

” Road safety is most effectively achieved through a combination of the three E’s – engineering, education and enforcement, so we see this as being a key step towards educating people about the need for consideration of other road users. In conjunction with measures such as Police Scotland’s recent enforcement campaign to support vulnerable road users and a continued programme of infrastructure investment, this campaign will help everyone know how to respect each other in our shared road space.”

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the IAM, said: “The IAM supports the Nice Way Code campaign because we believe that sharing the road safely is the key to encouraging more cyclists on our roads.

“IAM research suggests that half of drivers already own a bike but only 19% of them actually use it regularly mainly due to safety concerns. If everyone on the roads can work together to reduce stress, give each other more room and stick to the rules then many more people will be encouraged to dig out their bikes and get back in the saddle.”

AA president Edmund King added: “We have been campaigning for years to break down the tribalism which exists on our roads between some drivers and some cyclists. Road users being individuals are all different, so sometimes they don’t conform, make mistakes or fail to show respect for others.

“When we’re on the roads we should be more at one with each other, sharing the space thoughtfully not provocatively. The Nice Way Code is a brilliant way to encourage all road users to get along in harmony, making our journeys calmer and safer.”

Ian Findlay, chief officer of Scottish charity Paths for All said: “We believe it’s important for all users of roads, paths and pavements to respect each other. It makes good sense, nobody wants to be responsible for an accident or be hurt themselves.

“Our goal is for more people to be active through walking and cycling in their everyday lives and we’ll only succeed if it’s safe and welcoming for all of us to do so. If drivers, cyclists and walkers unite in respect and consideration for one another, getting from A to B will be safer and more enjoyable for everyone.”

Superintendent Iain Murray, head of road policing for Police Scotland, said: “Mutual respect among road users can have a positive effect on road safety and I would encourage it at all times. Police Scotland recently held an initiative aimed at improving the safety of vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians and received positive feedback for our efforts in education and enforcement.

“We have seen in recent weeks the tragic consequences of cyclists and pedestrians being involved in road traffic crashes and incidents and there is a responsibility on all road users to be prepared, act responsibly and be aware of others around them at all times. Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe on Scotland’s roads and will continue to support campaigns and initiatives which help meet that commitment.”

The initiative goes live on 5 August.

Local support for Leith Walk revamp

Local residents and organisations have given the thumbs-up to council plans to improve Leith Walk. Ambitious plans would see upgrades and improvements along the full 2.2km length of the famous Leith thoroughfare.

Following a comprehensive public consultation earlier this year, the Council announced it would be seeking additional funding from the Scottish Government in order to give Leith Walk the best possible revamp.

At a 6 June meeting in McDonald Road Library, an enhanced design – which would make the thoroughfare more cycle and pedestrian-friendly – was presented by the Leith Programme team to local residents, business leaders and community groups.

Features of the enhanced scheme include:

clear pedestrian priority over 1.8km, including safer crossing points;
significant sections of uninterrupted cycle space (both dedicated on and off road sections);
redesigned, simplified junctions;
largely segregated cycle provision from Pilrig Street uphill for around 1km to Picardy Place;
two-way segregated cycle provision from Annandale Street to the Omni centre;
replacement of London Rd roundabout with a signalled junction to significantly enhance conditions for both pedestrians and cyclists;
1.75m wide cycle lane provision on the road in both directions between Foot of the Walk and Dalmeny Street (into town) Pilrig Street (out of town);
Narrower road environment with frequent zebra crossings, with a design that supports slower vehicle speeds;
a simplified streetscape more conducive to community activity, trading and business; and
better connectivity for sustainable forms of travel between the waterfront and the city centre.

Given the scope of this new design and the need to obtain a Traffic Regulation Order to implement the changes, stakeholders were advised that opting for the enhanced design would affect the timescale.

For anyone wishing to view the designs in detail and speak to the project team about any aspect of the programme, a drop in session will be held at

McDonald Road Library on Tuesday 23 July, from 2 – 8pm.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It was very useful for us to be able to present this potential enhanced design for Leith Walk to local stakeholders tonight. It prompted a lot of interesting debate and we are pleased that there was such overwhelming support for the plans from those present.”

Sustrans Scotland Director, John Lauder, said: “Sustrans Scotland wants to see Leith Walk reach its full potential as a busy, vibrant shopping and residential street. In order to achieve this aim, the City of Edinburgh Council, in partnership with ourselves, has put forward an ambitious proposal to Transport Scotland for the full 2.2km length of the street.

“Sustrans strongly backs the features of this ‘enhanced design’ for Leith Walk, including the addition of new crossing points, wider pavements and better cycle lane provision. We now call on the Scottish Government to carefully consider the Council’s ‘enhanced design’ proposal and fully back its implementation.”

Keith Hales, Vice Chairman of the Leith Business Association, who attended the meeting, said: “This is a massive improvement on what we thought the designs were going to be and we will be commending the designs to the membership.”

Charlotte Encombe, Chair of Greener Leith, said: “Greener Leith welcomes the improvements shown in these exciting new draft designs for Leith Walk, which will give pedestrians and cyclists a vastly improved public realm and help to revitalise the economy of the area. We are also delighted that officers and councillors have included local people’s priorities for the street and have made real changes to the design. We look forward to collaborating on the detail of the designs as the project moves forward.”

Belt up in the back! City cabbies graduate as tour guides

Three Edinburgh taxi drivers have just graduated as elite tour guides.

Cabbies Simon Reid, David Watt and Dougie Gray received their Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers Tour Guiding Certificates from Councillor Eric Milligan at a ceremony in the City Chambers.

Under the watchful eye of course director Bob McCulloch, the trio -two from Central Taxis and one from City Cabs – spent twelve weeks learning all there is to know about Edinburgh, its history, its buildings and its people.

The black cab drivers can now display a special sticker on their vehicles and take tourists and visitors on a unique and personalised tour of the capital. Edinburgh now has 16 qualified taxi tour guides.

Tony Kenmuir, boss of Central Taxis and a graduate of the scheme himself, said: “These drivers really have gone the extra mile to get these certificates. They care about the city and they want to show visitors the best of Edinburgh.”

Extra Royal Mile, surely?

Have your say on Edinburgh’s transport policy

Want to have your say on city transport? A six-week public consultation starts today (Monday 4 February 2013) as part of the development of a new transport strategy for Edinburgh.

For the past five years, the Council’s transport projects, network maintenance and service provision have been guided by the Local Transport Strategy (LTS) 2007-2012, now extended to the end of 2013. Work has already begun to draw up a new five year policy document, an LTS for 2014 – 2019. This document will go through a number of stages before being finalised at the end of 2013.

The public consultation being launched today seeks residents’ views on 10 key transport Issues for Review, including a proposal to introduce parking charges on Sunday and options to reduce speed limits in residential streets to 20mph.

The Issues for Review report is the first stage in the preparation of the LTS. Its purpose is to seek views on the issues where change is needed, or the Council faces a significant choice in future direction.

Many of the policies and objectives in the current LTS are still valid and these will simply be continued or updated for the next LTS. There will be a chance to give feedback on those in a further consultation process later in 2013.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener, urged as many people as possible to take part in the consultation. She said: “Whether you’re a public transport user, a motorist, a cyclist or a pedestrian – or perhaps you might even be all of these things, depending on the journey – we want to hear what residents and businesses in Edinburgh think about the transport issues in this consultation.

“It’s vital for us to gather as many different points of view as we can so that we can be sure that the final Local Transport Strategy 2014-2019 document accurately reflects the City’s priorities for the next five years.”

People can respond to this consultation using the questionnaire available online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BPRZ5QK

Printed questionnaires are also available from libraries, or on request from: localtransportstrategy@edinburgh.gov.uk

Completed printed questionnaires can be returned to our Freepost address:

FREEPOST – RTCH – JJEK – TCCZ
Local Transport Strategy
City of Edinburgh Council
Waverley Court (C.2)
4 East Market Street
Edinburgh
EH8 8BG

A public drop-in session will also be held on Thursday 6 March at Edinburgh Central Library on George IV Bridge from 9am – 8pm.

The consultation closes on Sunday 17 March 2013.

On the Move in Inverleith

You may recall that we paid tribute to talented Broughton High School students in a previous post about the recent Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership community conference.

Well, on top of everything else the pupils did to ensure the conference was a success, they also took a few photographs of the event – correction, a few hundred photographs! A (very) small sample is included with this conference report by Broughton pupil Robbie Thomson:

It is always refreshing when Edinburgh youths and local residents alike are provided with the opportunity to pose any queries or concerns they may have in regards to their community. Even more encouraging is when people with the power to influence and change take the time out to listen.

Broughton High School was the venue for the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership Community Conference on 15 November, with a focus on transport. Presented by North Edinburgh News’ very own Mr. Dave Pickering, around 100 attendees were given an opportunity to engage in open discussion with key figures of transport in Edinburgh.

The set-up consisted of six different tables; parking, winter weather, road safety, road maintenance, walking/cycling and public transport. Attendees at each table rotated throughout the course of the evening, offering everyone the chance to make their voice heard.

Mr. Tony Lear of Edinburgh City Council discussed winter weather issues at length, and with an admirable clarity. He claimed £750,000 has been funded to the local authorities by the Scottish Government to prevent expansion and water retention in potholes throughout the winter, while also confirming that more funds are to be set aside from the revenue budget for off-road cycle paths. This winter will see pre-treatment and gritting on North Edinburgh cycle paths for the first time. Mr. Lear also noted that local care homes, sheltered accommodation and school access routes are to receive priority treatment.

As parents attended in large numbers, road safety was a particular topic of interest. Many parents raised issues over the poor lighting in local streets over the winter months, and the crossing difficulties at the bottom of East Fettes Avenue. Miss Helen Bourquin also addressed concerns over cycling restrictions in the Comely Bank area.

While the cycling infrastructure in the local area was generally praised, Mr. Phil Noble announced that design standards for walking and cycling in Edinburgh are soon to be revised. The Scottish Government have also recently increased the budget for the marketing of walking and cycling. Mr. Noble also stated that in the next year, 5% of the total transport budget (around £16 million) is to be spent on cycling, which would amount to around £1.5-2 million. There was also praise for Mr. Ian Bieniowski in regards to Lothian Buses pricing system, customer service and general consistency.

Certainly worthy of a special thanks are Broughton High senior pupils Fraser Young and Calum Chapman. Voluntarily, they again devoted their time towards helping set up the technical aspects of the evening, an essential aspect in the event’s overall success – particularly the ‘warm-up’ musical performances from Broughton pupils. The pair regularly volunteer their technical knowledge and organisational acumen in all events throughout the school – they couldn’t have done it without them!

The only downside of an otherwise very encouraging evening was the technical issue with the event’s twitter feed. Broughton High School pupils who had volunteered to help out were given I-Pads to regularly update the event’s twitter feed through the hashtag #inverleithconf, but the server became unresponsive midway through the event.

Nevertheless, the evening generated very positive feedback, on the whole. It would appear that the future is bright for the local residents as far as transport is concerned.

Robbie Thomson, Broughton High School

Community talks transport at Inverleith conference

Around ninety people attended Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership’s ‘On the Move’ event held in Broughton High School last week. The theme of the evening was transport, and local residents were encouraged to share their opinions at the ’round-robin’-style event.

Participants moved from table to table to discuss a new topic, with each conversation supported by and helped along by an expert from that particular field. The six themes were public transport, winter weather planning, cycling and walking, road maintenance, road safety and parking – and unsurprisingly each topic generated healthy discussion and debate!

The views expressed at the event were all noted and the main findings and suggestions will help to guide transport planning policy both in Inverleith and further afield. Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership convener Councillor Gavin Barrie thanked organisers and participants and said: “It was great to see so many people here at Broughton High School, with everyone contributing to an interesting and informative debate. I’ve no doubt that all of the councillors and officers here this evening are listening ans want to hear what you have to say, but we can only do that when you talk to us and you’ve done that tonight. We may not like everything we’ve heard, but this has been a very useful and worthwhile exercise for all of us – thank you for participating.”

Broughton High School students were heavily involved in all aspects of the event, and they did a superb job – from providing the music and technical support to presenting and live ‘tweeting’ – posting discussions as they happened around the tables out to the worldwide web, sharing Inverleith’s thoughts on transport with the whole of cyberspace!

And the Broughton students haven’t quite finished yet – the NEN’s been promised a report and pictures of the conference; we’ll share these with you as soon as we have them!

Inverleith conference to talk about transport

Live in Inverleith? What are your views on local transport issues? Whether it’s bus services, cycling, car parking, potholes or routes for walkers Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership wants to hear your opinion!

Transport is the theme of the annual Inverleith Community Conference and organisers insist that views expressed at the meeting will help influence city council transport plans – senior transport officials will participate in informal workshops at the Broughton event.

‘On the Move in Inverleith’ takes place on Thursday 15 November from 6 – 9pm in Broughton High School and places are still available – to register for the conference call Anne Brown on 332 6316, email anne.brown@ea.edin.sch.uk or download a booking form at www.edinburghnp.org.uk/inverleith

With an evening of ‘lively debate, big ideas, fun and refreshments’ on offer, would you really want to miss ‘On the move in Inverleith’?

Transport’s the theme for Inverleith community conference

On the Move in Inverleith

Transport is the theme for this year’s Inverleith Community Conference, which will take place on 15 November from 6 – 9pm in Broughton High School.

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership development officer Elaine Lennon said: “Our fourth annual community conference is coming up and this year’s theme is local transport in all it’s forms. We are formatting it as world café style with table discussions around themes of: public transport, road safety, winter weather, walking and cycling and road maintenance and we hope to have Officers leading on each table who are ‘experts’ in the subject.”

An evening of lively discussion, community cohesion, information sharing and fun is promised, so please tell your friends and neighbours about the event!

Organisers add:

On the theme of local transport, there will be opportunities to discuss issues and ask questions on various aspects of getting around Inverleith in small table discussions –

parking,
public transport,
road repairs,
road safety,
walking and cycling,
winter weather.

We hope that you can join us in person or live on twitter on the night, by following #inverleithconf

A finger buffet and live entertainment will be provided, and transport related stalls and information will be available for browsing.

You can book your place online through the Eventbrite website, but if you prefer to register off-line, or want more information, please contact Anne Brown on 332 6316, anne.brown@ea.edin.sch.uk or Elaine Lennon on 529 5270, elaine.lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk