Last week we highlighted the official Consultation Report showing 72% of respondents strongly support the need to invest.
The Council have been working on updated designs and draft versions have now been published unofficially. We are delighted to see that the Council has answered the key concerns whilst preserving the principles that will make the route a success.
- Businesses: new cycle custom yet loading retained on both sides of Roseburn Terrace.
- Congestion: increased junction capacity with extended 60m right turn lane.
- Pedestrians: still get new crossings and blocked rat run to protect school kids; scrapped plan for "floating bus stop" on Roseburn Terrace.
- Cyclists: still get segregated direct routes forecast to bring a substantial increase in cycling.
The die-hard opponents of the route are still campaigning against, but the Report shows there is widespread agreement that a Route is needed. Now that the most common criticisms have been answered, it seems likely that many of those who originally signed the petition against the route would see the updated design as a sensible compromise.
Two Options for Roseburn
We have learnt that the Council Transport and Environment Committee will be presented with an two options at Roseburn. We are joining the Council in strongly supporting Option A, which follows the original route along Roseburn Terrace.
Option B, along Roseburn Street, is contorted, especially for cyclists coming from Costorphine and Murrayfield. Confident cyclists will stay on the narrowed main carriageway opposite the protected track — frustrating motorists, and acting as a symbol of failed cycling investment. Meanwhile less confident cyclists will bring traffic to a halt on 4 successive crossings.
As this Evening News article points out, option B is bad for businesses, who miss out on custom from passing cyclists and lose the improvements to the pedestrian shopping environment.
