🚲 edi.bike | issue 106 | 18th Aug ‘25
your weekly edinburgh cycling digest
📰 News this Week
🎭 Dion Owen’s Fringe Artist Bike Programme - Coverage, and Storage Help Needed
”Dion Owen, who lives in Montreal, Quebec, where he runs a bike maintenance shop alongside his comedy career, is in his third year running the Cyclopath Free Bike Programme for Fringe Artists. The scheme involves him renovating dozens of used bikes to hand out to artists and producers during the festival season”.
Some lovely coverage for Dion and his bike programme, in conjunction with The Bike Station, over in The Scotsman this week. He was also featured on BBC Radio Scotland’s Out Of Doors recent episode, at around the 50-minute mark.
After the success of the programme this fringe, Dion is looking for help with storage - for around fifty bikes. If you have any leads or can help, be sure to contact him via his website.
His Fringe show, Cyclopath Stand up and Songs is on daily at 2:45pm until this Sunday 24th, at 📍 The Lounge at Laughing Horse (Counting House).
2️⃣ Two-for-one on edi.bike Missives This Week
🔮 Expect a second mailing from us this week; tomorrow (Tuesday) we’ll have some news to share regarding the East Areas cycle lanes and the pretext for their delayed approval. For now, if you’re so inclined, you can take a look at the transcript we’ve produced of the Traffic Regulation Orders Sub-Committee’s special meeting on August 7th.
🏰 Local Bits
📜 A fascinating Edinburgh Transport thread by edi.bike contributor Robbie Ainsworth, over on Bluesky - Trams, Bicycles, and Edinburgh before automobiles;
🏔️ New term for School of Rocks!
Edinburgh School of Rocks is a women-led off-road cycling community. Every Autumn and Spring we run a 6 week term for novice off-road female, trans and non-binary riders to develop their skills in a supportive environment.
Our Autumn term is starting on the 26th August until the end of September. We meet every Tuesday night at 6.30pm at various locations around the City to make the most of Edinburgh’s best urban gravel trails.
To get involved please DM us on Instagram @edinburghschoolofrocks or email us edinburghsor@gmail.com
We look forward to introducing women to the joys of off-road riding and getting involved in this term. It’s likely to be a little darker and muddier than our spring term so come prepared.
🏡 Social Bite’s 100 Mile Challenge: Walk, run, or cycle 100 Miles from September 1st to World Homeless Day on October 10th to help end homelessness. Your fundraising has a tangible impact on helping break the cycle of homelessness across the UK by helping Social Bite provide meals, jobs, homes and support to people who are experiencing homelessness — More Information »
🤬 Silverknowes Rd North being returned to cars, this week - who needs safe, segregated cycling space when you could take your chances mixing with general traffic instead?
Spokes shared some of the confusing history in the area - where nearby, segregated lanes are being added while these lane defenders and the cycleways they created are being removed.
🦋 SW20 doing a solid job of setting the Edinburgh Evening News straight this week - this time on the nature and purpose of Consultations »
🎥 Coming to Summerhall Cinema on the 24th & 26th September (7pm), and again on October 5th (5pm): ‘BIG BIKE FILM NIGHT: SCOTLAND’ sees a curated evening of cycling short films (teased on their website) to inspire and move. Tickets and more information on their website »
🎪 How Think Circus transformed their outreach with the Cycle Access Fund - Edinburgh-based circus with purpose and their cargo bike journey over at Cycling UK »
🧡 There’s a range of adult cycle training and much more being offered by The Wee Spoke Hub during August - check out their full list of events here »
🥡 Via the Edinburgh Minute: Tuesday 12th saw a meeting of the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, who amongst other things discussed a referred report from the Transport & Environment Committee (TEC) about Delivery Cyclists in the capital.
This shift in committee makes sense; if you ask anyone who’s experienced a food-laden, throttle-driven whiz-cycle fired past them at close quarters what’s happening, they’d identify it as an issue in the realm of roads, traffic signals and safe riding - and squarely inside TEC’s remit. In reality, there’s an awful lot that contributes to the perceived qualities of cycling prevalent among food delivery riders in the city, and the main one is actually the sadistic demands of the technology start-ups masquerading as hot food services that place unrealistic deadlines on their deliveries. This from the Workers Observatory:
“We agree with the view that appropriate cycling infrastructure would improve working conditions of delivery cyclists and reduce conflict with other road users. However, as we stated in our deputation to Full Council on 20 March 2025, the key driver of occasional unsafe behaviour from workers is the immense pressure put on them by delivery platform companies.”
As faced by Officers in the Council’s transport arm when preparing the initial report, Cllr Susan Rae shared that neither Deliveroo nor Just Eat have responded to requests to meet with The Worker’s Observatory, in spite of them representing folks working directly for those companies — sounding ever more like a faceless, exploitative and unaccountable black box of strict delivery time windows and meagre wages. Councillor Lesley Macinnes raised an excellent point that Officers, when bringing reports to TEC and elsewhere, would do well to explicitly note the benefits of safer routing and travel for cycle delivery traffic that new infrastructure brings to the city - as this mode increases, this will only become more important (take note, TRO Sub-Committee).
Officers at the Committee shared that a round-table discussion is scheduled for the 27th August, focussed on the ‘gig economy’ that delivery riders are subjected to instead of fair employment contracts, and that The Worker’s Observatory are among the stakeholders who will take part in that meeting. It’s great to see a holistic approach to this issue coming from the Council: rather than allowing the conversation to become limited to the symptoms of the issue, visible and problematic as they are.
🩲 In Brief
- ⛅️ Some truly ethereal photos from Edinburgh Dawn Patrol shared this week » [IG]
- 🧺 Lovely photos from Porty Community Energy’s Picnic ride out to the Meadows » [FB]
- ℹ️ The Bike Station posted these excellent community tips for anyone getting into cycling » [IG]
🇬🇧 National
🚸 “The magic of sharing something that matters: encouraging active travel in schools” — Sustrans on the ‘I Bike’ Schools Programme »
🤝 Cycling and Society 2025 Symposium
Negotiating limits: finding, creating and renegotiating space for cycling: Wednesday 3rd & Thursday 4th September, Glasgow Caledonian University - More Information »
🕳️ [Paid Access / Paywall] "A stark postcode lottery": Cycling lawyers demand action on pothole "crisis" putting cyclists in danger, at Road.cc »
🛣 Route Closures and Issues
ℹ️ Encountered unexpected road issues? Find out how to report them with this guide from Spokes. The team at Edinburgh Travel News are also keen to hear about cycle path alerts and can be contacted on Threads or Facebook.
🦋 On Bluesky? Follow the #EdTravCyc feed - anyone can use the #EdTravCyc hashtag to share route issues they encounter;
📪 The week’s road closure info - many thanks to regular contributor Robbie for collating and preparing these:
🔥 Holyrood Park: closure of High Road until further notice amid concern that the recent gorse fire has damaged the rockface. Full closure of footway and road past Dunsapie Loch. Beware of bi-directional emergency services on remainder.
🏞️ Water of Leith Path: Closure by Balgreen resumes today, August 18th, until late 2025. The great folks at the WOL Conservation Trust have provided 2 diversions, though they may not be signed.
🎤 Murrayfield: ACDC concert this Thursday, 21st August. Various Road closures from 5:30pm. Exercise caution and consider dismounting if possible on CCWEL to Water of Leith Path around 4pm-8pm and 10pm-12am. Roseburn Path to Union Canal open throughout.
🏡 Whitehouse Loan: Section of Greenbank-Meadows QuietRoute expected to be obstructed by footway resurfacing works from today, 18th August until end Sep. cycle access should be possible, but beware of removed modal filters and construction vehicles.
🚧 Stockbridge: Hamilton Pl closed for emergency repairs by Scottish Power until late August at Saxe Coburg St, roughly between Lannan’s Bakery and the Giant/Liv bicycle store. Update 18th August: Arboretum Avenue reopened early, but may close again in future.
🚧 Albion Road: Obstruction of Quietroute 20 by repairs of burst sewer until late Aug. At time of writing, cycle access is possible. However, the Crawford Bridge may offer an alternate route.
🚧 Cargil Terrace: Closed at Wardie Primary School for SGN works until 31st August. Part of Wardie Road may also be closed. If you’re travelling between Wardie and Trinity, Darnell Rd or the Ferry Road Path may be alternatives.
Festival Closures:
🎪 Summertime Streets: Expanded closures for the August festivals this year. High St closed from 10:30am daily. Lawnmarket closed and Cowgate closed daily from 3pm, however access will be maintained for loading. Cycle access on Cockburn Street Between North Bridge and Waverley Bridge expected to be retained. Exercise caution and consider dismounting if you can on High Street.
🎪 George Street: Usual annual closure between Hanover St and Frederick St for Fringe venues, with temporary cycle path. Note that non-permeable barriers are expected to be erected in the cycle path, requiring cycles to go around them.
🎪 Hill Square: Fringe Festival will close Hill Place westbound from 14th July until end Aug but cycle access will be maintained. Be aware of temporary road signage in the contraflow cycle lane westbound and an increase in pedestrians. Nearby Roxburgh Place will also be closed, which may create a pleasant low traffic area.
Longer Term Closures:
🏗️ London Road: Eastbound cycle lane closed at Jocks Lodge from 1st September until end 2027 for building works.
🏗️ Edinburgh Park Station: Quietroute 8 cycle path between Hermiston Gait and the Gyle Centre closed for works in preparation of the Edinburgh Arena development. It’s only possible to go around by carrying your bike up roughly 20 steps. It’s been queried whether the cycle path will reopen or remain closed long term.
⚡ Marchmont Road: Closed southbound between Marchmont Cres and Strathearn Rd for Scottish Power works until late September, affecting the old faint on-street cycle lanes. Greenbank – Meadows QuietRoute may offer an alternate route but be aware of works on Whitehouse Loan.
🚂 Waverley Bridge – Issues with cycle access following the road being temporarily re-opened to airport buses. A new temporary arrangement has been installed for the festival period. Officers are looking to install similar long-term arrangements in September.
🌉 Harrison Road: two bridges closed due to structural concerns with micro-cracking in the original cast iron beams. Access to cycles is being restricted:
- The north-west bridge over a small path is having its deck rebuilt and will be closed to pedestrians and cycles for rebuilding until November. Update 2nd August: Work delayed and paths remain open for now.
- The south-east bridge over the Union Canal has been closed for investigations, with fencing placed across the bridge and a gap for cycles. Update 18th August: Beware of trial pits dug on bridge to ascertain weight-limit ahead of reopening.
🌉 South Gyle Road: Bridge between modal filter and Quiet Route 9 expected to close for repairs until April 2026. When asked about cycle access, a spokesperson for Network Rail Scotland said: "Plans for South Gyle station bridge are still at an early stage, with work expected to begin late summer. We understand the importance of this route for cyclists and are developing proposals for a temporary bridge to maintain access throughout the work. Further details will be shared with the community as planning progresses". It is expected to be required to dismount and use a temporary bridge during the works.
🏗️ Port Hamilton Cyclepath: Shared use path between Union Canal and West End closed until 2026/27 for building works. A diversion is advised via Gardeners Crescent and Semple Street.
🏗️ Craighall Road: Closed until May 2028 for the Refurbishment of Trinity Academy. Access to the Victoria Path is expected to be maintained. A diversion will be signed along Newhaven Road, however the removal of parking for improved traffic flow may lead to this being a wider and faster road, less suitable for cycles.
⚡ Ongoing: The questionable Network Rail ban on ebike parking at Waverley Station - best to make alternative parking plans if travelling from this station at present;
📣 Help edi.bike ✍🏼
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🎉 Events and Happenings
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
📰 Regarding Smokey Brae, Marionville Rd/Ave and Restalrig Avenue:
As part of the consultation process for the proposed changes to Marionville Road we are hosting an engagement event to ask for your views on the proposals. You can meet the team to discuss the proposals for Marionville Road and the wider plans for Smokey Brae, Marionville Avenue and Restalrig Avenue.
The engagement event will take place this Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 📍 Craigentinny Community Centre (9 Loaning Road, Edinburgh, EH7 6JE) from 17:30 to 19:30. The format will be an open drop-in session between 17:30 and 18:30, followed by a presentation and Q&A session between 18:30 and 19:30.
In order to ensure that people who attend the engagement event have time to consider the details and discussions prior to submitting feedback, we have extended the end date for the Marionville Road consultation to Sunday 31 August 2025.
☀️ Some lovely summer Sunday family rides throughout August with Porty Community Energy:
Why not join us for one of our led family picnic rides every Sunday from 10th August.
Learn some good, family friendly local cycle routes and enjoy a picnic (🤞🏽for☀️).
Borrow a cargo bike for you and your family for the ride if you'd like (book in advance), or come on your own bikes.
FREE but please BOOK in advance »
Remaining rides from Portobello to 🏖️ Morrisons Haven Beac, 🌳 Leith Links, and 🌾 Bridgend Farmhouse on Sundays still to come.
🧘 More upcoming rides and movement / yoga sessions from Detour [IG]:
- 30th August - Yoga by Bike, Porty to Longniddry - 🎟️ Details and Tickets »
- 20th September - Yoga by Bike, Porty to Longniddry - 🎟️ Details and Tickets »
- 28th September - Yoga by Bike, East Linton - 🎟️ Details and Tickets »
🚶🏻♀️ Wester Hailes Walk, Pedal and Thrive Project June to October Events at ScoreScotland - mainly based at 📍 Gate 55, 55 Sighthill Rd, and booking required - call / text Madhavi on 07496 190 752 or email madhavi@scorescotland.org.uk.
- 🚸 Play Together on Pedals (3 to 6 year olds): Fridays from 2pm to 4pm;
- 🧭 Led Cycle Rides: Saturdays from 9:45am to 1pm;
- 🚲 Adult Beginners / Family Cycle Training: text for an appointment.
🎟️ Festival Show: ‘CADEL: Lungs on Legs’:
ONE ACTOR. ONE BIKE. ONE HOUR. Connor Delves is Cadel Evans. The epic true story of the first Australian to win the Tour de France, live on stage. — Tickets at Underbelly »
🎫 Via Edinburgh Festival of Cycling: Fringe Show ‘The World at 15mph… ish’: Burnt out and needing change, non-athlete Naomi cycled 20,000 miles through 26 countries, with a man she'd met just three times — Tickets at edfringe.com »
🚌 Every Sunday until 26th October: “Inner Forth Bike Bus - the route, between Alloa and the Forth Bridges, encourages cyclists to travel more sustainably within the Inner Forth. See this video on Instagram for more. The concept of the Inner Forth Bike Bus was developed to enable local people, and visitors, to help them cycle (or walk) part of the 'Round the Inner Forth' route, hop off at fascinating heritage sites, and return home or to a bus stop / train station for their onward travels.” Read more from Markus Stitz at The Times - or see Info and Timetable »
🖼️ New Venue: The ongoing ‘Pedal Power’ exhibition about cycle campaigning in Edinburgh co-curated by Spokes, Infrasisters, Bike Buses and Edinburgh Critical Mass has moved on from Duncan Place, and can now be found at Norton Park (📍 57 Albion Road) — having been transported across by cargo bike (of course!) in April;
⛰️ Bikepacking event Dirt Dash’s 2025 return wraps up in September - check out the gorgeous video they put out previously [IG] too:
Dirt Dash’s summer programme concludes with the Lezyne Dunoon Dirt Dash on 27 & 28 September. Organised by round the world cyclist Markus Stitz, these self-supported rides are designed for cyclists who love off-road riding and are seeking new experiences on their bikes, whether for seasoned gravel riders or anyone new to bikepacking.
💙 Riding LEJOG in memory of Tim McKenna — and raising money for charities Mind, Sustrans and Flight Free UK in his honour. Has just passed through our neck of the woods over the weekend - folk can still join for some or all of the route by reviewing the itinerary. Thanks to John Robson for the link;
⚙️ In September, Spokes will be hosting a Cargo-bike-focused event, showing the film Motherload and hosting a discussion;
A special Spokes public meeting, discussing further development of cargo bikes in Edinburgh – as always the meeting is open to all, but local groups who we know to be involved in cargobikes will be specially invited. The evening will include a screening of MOTHERLOAD, a 90-minute documentary film which captures a new mother’s quest to understand the increasing isolation and disconnection of modern life, its planetary impact, and how cargo bikes could be an antidote. The showing and discussion will be on Tuesday September 2nd from 7pm - 9.30pm at Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge EH1 1EL. Further information from Ian »
🎉 For six months starting in September, the ‘Towpath talks’ team will be returning:
Cycling community Talks are back - with the closure of Biketrax in January, the regular cycling talks by MacKenzie Barker (@rekrab82 [IG)] and hosted by Izabela Murtagh (@iza.murtagh [IG]) will be making a return in September using a new venue — Gamma Transport Division in the Comely Bank / Stockbridge area"
Great news. Announcements currently via the Towpath Talks account on Instagram, and we’ll publish dates when available!
💯 Edinburgh RC celebrating its hundredth year in 2025 and have an ongoing challenge encouraging 100 women of all cycling abilities to ride 100km - offering help to anyone who needs it along the way;
🔁 Weekly Events
- 🍃 Mon, 12-2.30pm: Free, fun group ride on paths from Bridgend Farmhouse;
- 🌅 Tues, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol - Meet St. Andrew Square, same route each time - more info on their Instagram;
- ☕️Tues, 5pm: [National] Active Travel Cafe on Zoom
- 🛠️ Weds, 3pm: Bike Kitchen at Edinburgh Tool Library
- 🌅 Thurs, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol (same as Tues, details above);
- 🪨 Thurs Evenings: Edinburgh Gravel Cycling Club social group rides;
- ✴️ Thurs, 5-8pm: Bike DIY Session at The Wee Spoke Hub
- ⚙️ Sat, 2-4pm: ‘Bike Cleaning and Oiling’ drop-in session at The Wee Spoke Hub
- 🟰 Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council’s Edinburgh Cycling Club run weekly group rides and introductory classes;
🔁 Monthly Events
- 🚲 First Friday of the month: Inclusive social bike rides with A Wee Pedal, 1-3pm, from Bridgend Farmhouse;
- ✊Last Saturday of the month: Critical Mass Edinburgh, Family-friendly mass protest / group ride, 2pm, Middle Meadow Walk;
🫂 Help Needed
🚲 The Bike Station is recruiting new volunteers! 🚲
After the successful move into our new Tollcross shop, we are seeking the support of new volunteers to help us do the brilliant work of getting more people on bikes. The priority roles that we are seeking help with include:
🛒 Shop volunteers:
Helping with customer service and the smooth running of our Tollcross store.
📦 Cargo Bike Riders:
Independent and confident riders to help courier goods between our Edinburgh stores.
🛠️ Fix Your Own Bike:
Those experienced in bike maintenance to offer advice to those keen to fix their own bike.
✅ Benefits of volunteering:
Join a wide team of volunteers and staff passionate about cycling, discounts on parts, services and maintenance courses. Internal recruitment opportunities made available to volunteers as well as access to events and social rides to celebrate our work.
If you are interested in any of the above roles, or would like to know how else you may be able to get involved, please email jamie.henderson@thebikestation.org.uk
💸 Another fundraising opportunity for The Bike Station featured over on their Instagram:
🚶♀️ Ready to take on a challenge that really makes a difference?
You can sign up for the Edinburgh Kiltwalk this September — and walk in support of The Bike Station!
Every mile you walk helps create healthier, more sustainable communities through access to cycling, repair, and reuse.
📅 Sunday 14th September
📍 Edinburgh
🔗 Sign up at Kiltwalk »
✅ Choose “Bike Station” as your charity
💰 100% of funds raised (plus Gift Aid!) come straight to usLet’s walk for people. For the planet. For pedal-powered change.
Who’s in?
Ongoing: 🚌 Marshal for School Bike Buses | 🙋 Help with school programme ‘I Bike’ | 🗨️Join Spokes’ Planning or Resources group | 🆘 Donate money or bikes to Bikes for Refugees | 📦⚡️ Hire Community Cargobikes, E-bikes or Trailers from SW20, Porty Community Energy or Banzai | ♻️ Donate old bikes to The Bike Station, The Wee Spoke Hub or ‘Brake the Cycle’.
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
✨ This section of the digest will receive a revamp in the coming months to move long-running, detailed consultation information onto web pages, and instead publish a list of links for open and recent consultations (along with summaries for anything actually new). In the meantime, anything new or changed is found near the top. ✨
In Previous Updates:
(Issue 104) Eagle-eyed Harry Williams spotted an update to the website for ‘Meadows to Union Canal’, an infrastructure link project that’s suffered more than its fair share of delays in the last decade or so of its existence (a very ‘Edinburgh’ project timeline, even discounting the delays due to the Covid pandemic). The project now seems very closely tied in with the ongoing works to renovate the King’s Theatre, but this at least is joined-up in terms of not carrying out abortive work and taking into account public realm improvements at the Theatre’s entrance.
The second page of the site has a full bullet-list of changes coming to surrounding streets, which sadly doesn’t seem to include any improvements to the tiny ~1.5m shared footpath between Leven Terrace and the A700/Melville Drive, leading from the end of Valleyfield St to the Toucan Crossing onto North Meadow Walk’s cycleway.
🚧 Harry Williams also spotted on the roadworks commissioner site in Issue 103 that the Living Well Dalry side streets have been scheduled for continuous footways and raised table builds as soon as September 2025, bringing forward parts of the overall scheme when resurfacing of the roads in the area have been scheduled. While the project brings significant disruption, there are a lot of positive thoughts on the outcomes for the area in the latter part of this article on Edinburgh Live by local area councillor Ross McKenzie.
🌾 Some good development on the way in Currie, featured on planning news portal City Scope — “Hard-surfacing and widening the field path linking Juniper Green and Currie, with low-level lighting, benches, filter-drainage and planting to formalise the route as a permanent public link.”.
As SW20 put it:
A vital link in the ‘education corridor’ envisioned to link all the local schools together with Heriot Watt university making walking, wheeling and cycling safer for pupils, staff, visitors and the communities it will tie together. - post on Bluesky »
🌳 Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route: with changes coming — to re-introduce rat-running traffic to the Braid Estate and attempt to mitigate the impacts for cycling with the addition of segregated cycleways through residential streets — Council Officers have advised that “The designs have now been completed and the relevant ETRO documents have been drafted. These need to be subject to legal procedures before they can be implemented, with an expectation this will take place during July and August. Due to the requirement to conduct pre-implementation traffic monitoring, which cannot meaningfully be undertaken during school holiday times, the works will not start until mid-September at the earliest."
🚧 Summertime Street Closures Announced
The City of Edinburgh Council have announced their ‘Summertime Streets 2025’ programme of full and partial road closures, to create safer streets during the festival period, on ‘various dates between 24 July and 7 September’.
Many of these are much the same as previous periods; the closures and restrictions on Johnston Terrace are interesting as they align fairly closely with the ongoing project to close it to through-traffic except for cycles, as part of the ‘Old Town Streets’ project.
📐 Having had sight of draft plans, Merchiston Districts Community Council have a blog post on the changes coming to the somewhat infamous mini-roundabout junction in Polwarth after a lot of local campaigning, which sound extremely promising. Consultation coming later in the summer, which we’ll be sure to link to here.
📋 New Consultation in Meadowbank for Marionville Rd Cycleway, and Details on Smokey Brae
Following consultation in 2022, the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) has published new web pages (Issue 96, 9th June) detailing plans for protected cycleways on Smokey Brae, including Marionville Avenue and Restalrig Avenue. There are pages featuring visual before / after renders, and others with street layout plans.
These changes are part of an overall plan for the area which now includes a new section being consulted on, featuring a bi-directional protected cycleway on Marionville Rd. The associated consultation is open until the 17th of August, with CEC no doubt hoping to deliver both sets of improvements in tandem in the near future.
📋 Consultation: “Walking, wheeling and cycling improvements in Currie” closed to comments as of 6th July 2025. The plans include junction and crossing improvements, and additional cycle parking and access at Curriehill railway station, as well as access into some of the new developments in the area.
🚶 Pedestrianisation and Cycling Project to Close Lawnmarket to Traffic
Via Harry Williams on Bluesky, news of a new City of Edinburgh Council project commencing in July will see an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) close Johnstone Terrace and Lawnmarket during daytime, with deliveries and loading taking place outside of those hours:
Restrictions will be between
- 10.30am and 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday
- 12.30pm and 7.30pm, Sunday
Lawnmarket’s former black vehicle barriers have been removed during works, to be replaced at the end of the current work with mechanised retractable bollards. In addition to this filter, the following changes will be put in place:
Johnston Terrace:
- Restricted access for large vehicles when pedestrian and cycle zone is in operation
- Removal of existing coach parking
- Taxi and private hire pick-up and drop-off areas
- Additional blue badge parking
- Public and resident parking
- Turning area for smaller vehicles including taxis and vans
Castle Terrace:
- Coach pick-up and drop-off on Castle Terrace
- Relocated residential parking to make way for Coach spaces, at the cost of
Being an ETRO, over the eighteen trial months the council will be looking to monitor the impact and any changes needed before making the scheme a permanent change - including six months of public consultation. There’s also an extensive page of current arrangements, ahead of the ETRO commencing, including changes to through traffic on Castle Terrace.
These welcome (and long overdue) changes are seemingly part of a series of new projects under the heading ‘Improving Old Town Streets’ which starts with Johnstone Terrace and Lawnmarket, and also covers Victoria Street, High Street (west), Cockburn Street, High Street (east) and Hunter Square - all earmarked for changes under the various themes already established by the Transport Committee:
The strategies and plans guiding our proposals
The project reflects our ambition to be net zero by 2030 and the wider vision for the city as set out in our key strategies including:
- City Mobility Plan 2021 – 2030: a 10-year strategy to transform the way people, goods and services travel around the city;
- City Centre Transformation: an ambitious plan to provide a people-focused city centre, which is a desirable place to live, work and visit.
- Our Future Streets (Circulation Plan): a long-term approach for planning transport and improvements to outdoor spaces across the city.
🌸 Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route: ‘Option 3’ Detailed Plans (At Last)
Last Spring, the Labour Administration sided with Tory and Lib Dem colleagues on the Transport and Environment Committee and voted to remove traffic filtering from the Braid Estate, forming a key part of the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route - filters that had reduced through-traffic in the neighbourhood by as many as four thousand cars per day, a vote in direct opposition to several of the councils’ own policies. After a long design process, the plans for ‘Option 3’ (in a strange, consultation-as-referenda programme of stumbling around local objections and procedural glitches) have finally been made available, providing instead a series of protected cycleways through the streets forming the Braid Estate. Recently, Cllr Ben Parker asked for an update at Full Council and received a number of clarifications from Officers.
Neither pro-filter campaigners nor their pro-through-traffic counterparts are particularly thrilled by the plans, which will be implemented using temporary materials under a new Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). However, thanks to Labour having tabled a last-minute caveat at the time, the ETRO will include the option to revert and reintroduce filters on the estate without requiring further legal process (e.g. another ETRO design and advertisement), so there is still hope if a case can be made that the goals of the project are deemed to have been compromised by reintroducing through-traffic to a liveable neighbourhood…
You can download the plans here [PDF].
🌸 Thursday 8th May saw the meeting of Edinburgh’s full Council, and tabled amongst its business were some clarifying questions to the Transport Convener on the safe implementation of the changes coming to the route by Green party Councillor Chas Booth; the answers are worth a read through [PDF, Page 17] in terms of some previously unseen detail, including different widths of planned protected cycleway on Braid Avenue depending on whether travel is in an uphill or downhill direction;
📋 Consultation: Edinburgh BioQuarter Active Travel Gaps - Sheriffhall Park & Ride to BioQuarter Campus Route
Now closed (2nd March at 23:59): Consultation spotted by Spokes this week; seeking to connect up both some missing internal links in the active travel pathways around the Edinburgh BioQuarter site at Little France, and also deliver protected cycleways and quiet routes between the site and the Midlothian Council park and ride facility at Sheriffhall:
“Edinburgh BioQuarter partners (City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian, Scottish Enterprise and The University of Edinburgh) are in the process of improving active travel routes and facilities in and around the campus…
The improvements being looked at within this project will see the development of a new active travel route to Edinburgh BioQuarter from Midlothian in the south to plug a 'gap' in the infrastructure. Eliminating the 'gap' will improve accessibility for walkers, wheelers, and cyclists during everyday journeys.”
Detailed Plans and Rationale on the project’s StoryMap »
🗺️ East Lothian Council are carrying out consultations on proposed improvements between Prestonpans and Levenhall; there is of course some local resistance, and at this stage the consultation closed for comments in March 2025.
Download the (muckle!) combined plan [PDF] or browse the list
🍃 Spokes recently highlighted a new consultation from Midlothian Council in Spring 2025 to create Active Travel provisions along the A7:
The aim of the project is to improve active travel connections within the study area making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle for their everyday journeys and to connect to public transport services more easily. Currently, there is no or limited provision for walking, wheeling and cycling along the majority of the A7 corridor.
🏞️ Via Spokes - in an update from Friends of Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park the start of a new project to improve the valley is ongoing:
Burdiehouse Burn Restoration - Concept Design
“For the Burdiehouse Burn to become a successful and notable blue-green regeneration project, restoring approximately 5 km of the burn and surrounding habitats”
Core project objectives:
- Sustainable river restoration
- Habitat restoration in the surrounding landscape ✨ 3. Active travel connections
- Placemaking & access improvements
- Education & engagement of people and organisations local to the burn
- Net zero gains
- Improve the resilience of the site to climate change.
More in their newsletter »
🏚️ New plans for 21 flats on the site of the derelict Longstone Inn - damaged due to local flooding - have been published, featuring a ramp and alley access to the Burnside path; in addition, the council have now progressed with identifying who owns which bits of land and wall where the Burnside path sinkhole is situated, so discussions with the landowner will be ongoing to come up with a plan for remedial works here to fix not only the sinkhole, but hopefully the underlying cause too.
📋 Dalry ‘Living Well Locally’: the council have published an Initial local resident feedback Report on the Dalry Town Centre proposals [PDF]. There is a summary on the main Consultation page.
🚢 Leith Connections: Foot of the Walk to Dock St Construction Underway, Schedule Shared
🦶Foot of the Walk to ‘Ocean Terminal’ (actually Commercial St)
⚓️ 'Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal' - construction is underway on the Great Junction St cycleway, with work on Henderson St recently started too, for around ten months - a protected cycle route as part of Leith Connections, which promises to be a great continuation of the segregated routes slowly taking root in the city centre.
This Leith Connections works leaflet [PDF] outlines the rough timeline for construction of the route.
Confusingly, the project doesn’t go to Ocean Terminal (shades of Roseburn to Union Canal here) and instead gives up at Commercial St, with the Commercial St to Ocean Terminal leg covered by the third phase of Leith Connections (below);
⚓ Leith Connections Phase 3 - Hawthornvale to Seafield
View the:
Consultation Hub Page (now closed to responses);
Detailed Design drawings (PDF) »
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
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