SWEM2022

A community vision for Lanark and Longstone Roads

Please sign, share and comment on the petition: https://www.change.org/BollardFreeVisionLanarkRoadandLongstone

South West Edinburgh in Motion ("SWEM") is a Facebook group of over 800 people, mainly residents, but also others with a close interest in the road changes on Lanark Road, Longstone Road and Inglis Green Road.

Unlike local pressure groups, we don't have a long-term ideological agenda, but simply formed as a reaction to local road changes that were introduced by City of Edinburgh Council, with no consultation, under the pretext of preventing COVID transmission. These continue to be developed in the absence of majority support from the local community. We obtained legal opinion from a senior QC that these changes were legally questionable and remain in place unlawfully.

Responding to ineffective schemes with negative impacts

SWEM only exists because the changes have had real negative impacts on the lives of individuals in our community, creating safety issues where none existed before, and affecting businesses, the vulnerable, the elderly, and disabled people. Maybe this would have been a price worth paying if the changes had resulted in greater active travel, which (for the record) we support. But, recent council data show no statistically significant change. When corrected for seasonality, arguably, in real-terms, it shows a fall in cycling on Lanark Road since 2020.

Challenging council plans to make the schemes permanent

The council is proposing to make the schemes permanent via an 18 month Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) process . But there is no need for an "experiment", as the data for Lanark Road already shows the scheme is not effective. Logically, the even more flawed and intermittent cycle lane scheme in Longstone is likely to be the same.

There are three key problems with this ETRO approach.

If pushed through, there is unlikely to be a budget to remove the scheme at the end of the official ETRO - therefore it cannot be a genuine experiment.
It has been confirmed that there are currently no funds available to upgrade the scheme to be bollard-free. (See item 13.11 from the full council meeting on 28 October.)
It would take many £millions to implement the scheme to standards seen in other European countries. However it is unlikely this scheme can ever justify that.

- The scheme is at the maximum 3% gradient recommended for cycle lanes, for well over a mile, with some areas over 10%, which inevitably leads to low levels of cycling (currently around 70 return journeys per day on peak week days). See page 64 of the latest cycling design guidelines for gradient criteria.
- Bus stop "bypasses" for cyclists can't be used as they aren't safe to use downhill on Lanark Road and there is no room at Longstone to do this where buses stop over.
- The segregation is broken by bus lanes which must be retained, so the scheme will never appeal to cyclists unconfident in traffic, which we were told was one of the main objectives for continuing the scheme.
- The lanes cross hundreds of access points to homes, businesses and side streets, limiting the scope for full segregation.
- The scheme can never link with other fully segregated on-road lanes due to road widths:
  - Lanark Road from Inglis Green Road through to Slateford is too narrow when bus lanes are needed.
  - Lanark Road to Juniper Green and then Lanark Road West to Currie and Balerno are too narrow for any lanes, even where there is no parking, and if linking with off-road routes, there is no reason cyclists won't just stay on the off-road routes instead.
  - Longstone does not have the room to be fully segregated both ways.
  - Cyclists wishing full segregation for a whole route, cannot avoid using the Water of Leith or Canal paths at either end of the scheme.

These issues explain why the scheme has had negligible impact on cycling levels.

They also mean the scheme will not attract investment over other schemes elsewhere in the city in future funding rounds.

Therefore, the bollards will be permanent, and the design cannot be properly accessible.

We do not think it is ethical for a scheme with such negative equalities impacts to be retained in these circumstances. It is not an appropriate use of taxpayer money and creates a big opportunity cost — distracting from better measures which could achieve environmental and active travel goals in an inclusive way. This issue is covered by Inclusion Scotland in their report for COP26 including a case study of the impacts of Spaces for People schemes on disabled people.

The only solution is to make the streets safer for everyone in a mixed road-user environment.

We have launched a petition to campaign for the community vision outlined below. Please sign, add a comment about why you support the proposal and share with others who are impacted. https://www.change.org/BollardFreeVisionLanarkRoadandLongstone

Our constructive and financially realistic proposals, informed by local opinion

As a community, including many cyclists, we are concerned about the safety of all road users right outside our homes and businesses. We recognise the importance of encouraging walking, cycling and bus use.

However, feedback from local residents expressed in council surveys and consultations does not appear to have been considered in council decision making.

Whatever your position on the road changes, the recent survey in September 2021 was a case study in how to undermine local engagement and accountability. You can read more in our recent deputation to the Transport and Environment committee about the problems with this survey, and how SWEM's complaint to the council was upheld.

Following an independent survey in December 2020 achieving 1,000 responses, SWEM surveyed Lanark Road and Longstone residents again in May / June 2021, asking questions shaped by feedback gathered over 9 months through our Facebook group of over 800 people, as well as direct conversations and correspondence with impacted residents and businesses. Over 440 people responded to the survey, with comments from respondents explaining the issues caused by the new road layout.

Using insight from this, as well as input from road engineers, safety experts and disability representatives, we are proposing a positive vision for measures promoting walking and active travel in South West Edinburgh.

We believe this can be a basis for constructive local community engagement and consultation, and brings positive benefits to all road user groups, genuinely supporting active travel. At all times, we have considered what is likely to be financially realistic within existing limited council budgets.

Some of the council's changes to Lanark and Longstone Roads are broadly welcomed, like the reduced speed limits, in particular the new 30mph zoning of Lanark Road. But others create new safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists, while also removing access for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, who rely on access to the kerb for their own mobility and safety, and to receive support from carers and family.

Our vision draws from elements that would be consistent with nearby 30mph roads like Redford Road and Oxgangs Road, and aims to present a holistic set of measures that can be integrated for a proper safe and fair scheme for all road users. It also aligns with the new Equal Pavements Pledge where in September 2021, the council formally committed to “ensure all future streetspace schemes are delivered with accessibility at their core” and “move forward with accessible, inclusive, pan-impairment solutions which benefit everyone, and the environment”, including dropped kerbs, blue badge spaces and reducing street clutter.

Creating a calmer bollard-free space, and keeping some positive changes, without a full return to the previous layouts

First, it's important to manage speed. The re-zoning of Lanark Road to 30mph, while not universally accepted, is broadly welcomed, while in Longstone the 20mph zone also works, given the nature of the traffic flow there.

Although there is no published data for Longstone yet, measurements in August 2021, showed most traffic on Lanark Road is breaking the new speed limit, with 1 in 6 cars travelling at 37mph or more. This coincides with the speed cameras being deactivated and unable to be reactivated in the new design.

We believe this can be addressed with a combination of enforcement and road layout.

Removing the bollard lanes will make it possible to reactivate the existing speed cameras.
Installing vehicle activated speed reminder signs will support positive reinforcement of driver behaviour.
Introducing a central hatching feature in some areas (such as that seen on Redford and Oxgangs Roads) to help keep the road to a single lane in each direction, will give the required feel of a slower road, while also potentially allowing space for overtaking (if safe to do so), and a practical way of creating much-needed space for broader traffic islands and right-turn lanes.

Combined, these will create a slower road that is needed for all road users (particularly pedestrians and cyclists) while still being an appropriate layout for an arterial road.

Prioritising pedestrians, bus users and local residents

Without bollard cycle lanes, the width of Lanark Road can accommodate a central hatching in most sections, and Longstone Road in some sections. This offers several advantages.

The simpler layout reduces the current disorientating “slalom” with a centreline that moves all over the place, and is unsafe for vehicles and pedestrians crossing the road. This is particularly the case at night or poor light conditions, while in winter, road markings may completely disappear.
It creates space for emergency vehicles when needed.
Wheelchair and buggy accessible traffic islands can be included, replacing the seven inadequate “traffic splitters” in Lanark Road and two in Longstone, with potential for others at key points. These should be in the central reservation areas (in relevant locations at least every 400m) such as for families accessing child-centred businesses, and for Kingsknowe, Redhall and Longstone residents accessing green space at Dovecot Park. The island upgrade proposed at Dovecot has already been delayed from 2019/2020 and we do not accept the council position that there is insufficient footfall to justify any further upgrades, especially as a number of side streets are cul-de-sacs giving residents no choice but to use the main road to leave their homes.
Currently bus users struggle to safely access stops in many places, so ensuring regular fit-for-purpose traffic islands means that bus passengers always have somewhere safe to cross the road, either at the beginning or end of their return journeys. (This is particularly the case where young people may wish to take advantage of the imminent introduction of free bus travel for under 22s, when there are currently few safe crossings to help them to travel independently.) Crossing must include dropped kerbs at pavements, with double yellow lines keeping access clear from parked cars. Retaining bollard cycle lanes could permanently restrict the space available to have these.
Right-turn lanes in the centre hatching areas will improve safety for local people accessing their side streets, and avoid drivers suddenly ducking left as has been seen in near misses in the Hailes area, in sections of the previously segregated cycle lanes that suddenly are not (and cannot be) segregated.

Tradespeople will be able to safely access homes and businesses again.

Reinstating kerbside parking prevents the ludicrous and dangerous situation where it was recently suggested that tradespeople would need to site a skip in floating parking on the opposite side of the road and repeatedly cross the road to access it, and where tradespeople (including furniture removal contractors) regularly need to block cycle lanes to load and unload.

Some existing elements are welcome.

Where the timed bus lane has been installed, we propose keeping this (it seems to be working well) but continuing to monitor traffic flow on the approach to Gillespie crossroads.
Double yellow lines near side street junctions should be kept and enforced, ensuring parked cars don’t block visibility.
The traffic light pedestrian and cycle crossing on Lanark Road near Hailes/Spylaw which is already proposed as part of the West Edinburgh Link should be progressed.

Giving cyclists space to manoeuvre

Feedback from many cyclists in SWEM has informed our proposals, with the segregated lanes being criticised for several reasons.

The layout we propose would remove the bollards to create more space that would allow cyclists to use the main carriageway.

Cyclists, who at present are “trapped” in the segregated lane, would now have the ability to make right turns, currently prevented by the bollards. The creation of right-turn lanes will also give cyclists a place to stop safely while waiting to turn right. This is not possible in the existing scheme which prioritises cyclists travelling through the area rather than local people cycling within the area.
Faster cyclists will be able to overtake slower cyclists more safely than they can when corralled in a 1.5m wide cycle lane.
The surface of Lanark Road is very poor in places, particularly close to the kerb where cyclists are channelled by the bollarded lane. We were surprised that there appears to have been no budget to enable proper resurfacing prior to creating cycle lanes (especially when some research suggests poor road surface is the main barrier to cycling on the road). Removing the bollards allows more room to manoeuvre, to avoid road defects, debris and road gully gratings.
The floating parking arrangement sets up a conflict between cyclists and pedestrians, as demonstrated by an accident in June 2021, where a cyclist collided with a pre-school child. Restoring kerbside parking creates more space for cyclists to choose where to ride and to give themselves room to avoid car doors, driveways and pedestrians which is vital.
The central hatching will also create a space that cars can use to give cyclists more room when overtaking, if safe to do so.

Promoting inclusivity

It's a fact that the layout on Lanark Road and Longstone has negative impacts on people with disabilities.

Many families in SWEM have commented about this and have written to the council with complaints related to the impact of the scheme on them or their friends and relatives. A senior council officer responded to a request for a blue badge space saying "...unfortunately, due to the proposed road layout I don't think it would be possible to consider the introduction of a disabled bay for a local resident...".

Therefore it's not surprising that the council's own impact assessment rates the scheme as "negative" for people with disabilities, and this fact has been reinforced by comments from the Edinburgh Access Panel.

We don't think it's acceptable or ethical to promote a scheme that has such detrimental impacts on people with disabilities, and, alongside the improvements to all traffic islands, we propose that this is addressed as follows.

Kerbside parking areas that are allocated appropriately, ensuring safe access by residents and visitors throughout the area, and enabling the installation of EV charging infrastructure (if needed) in future.
Blue badge spaces allocated on request to guarantee availability as we realise that although the quantity of parking may increase, it may not return to that which was available in the original road layout, since other features (e.g. more double yellow lines to support traffic islands and improved junction sight-lines) may mean that some parking will be reduced.
Longer-term, implement side junction pavement-build outs with dropped kerbs for wheelchairs and buggies to improve crossing for pedestrians and visibility for local traffic accessing the main road, at wide junctions, particularly Kingsknowe Road South (bus route), Spylaw Bank Road and Longstone Crescent.

Investing in the Water of Leith and Union Canal paths

In South West Edinburgh we have beautiful spaces that are already well used for active travel and recreation.

But sadly, the Union Canal and Water of Leith paths have been allowed to fall into disrepair, with some footpaths and bridges being closed for more than a year. We believe these resources form an important part of our local travel and recreation network and should be invested in with appropriate measures such as:

Widening paths at known pinch points to ease congestion
Pathway lighting installed (at key points if necessary), sensitive to the context
Drainage improved in places too muddy for cyclists and walkers
Surfacing improved in areas where improved drainage is not possible.

Next steps

The council has recommended that the Lanark Road scheme continues under an ETRO (Experimental Traffic Regulation Order).

Instead, we call on the council to put these plans on hold and undertake a proper community consultation, using our proposals as a constructive and positive foundation to begin an immediate process for a permanent road design.

We ask the council to remember that effective change is best achieved with the agreement of the citizens it serves rather than imposed because it is covered by a blanket policy that is not site specific.

Please keep giving us your feedback

This vision aims to be a constructive starting point for proper community consultation that is likely to have widespread community support. We welcome further feedback. Please email us at southwestedinburghinmotion@gmail.com.

Please sign, comment on and share the petition

https://www.change.org/BollardFreeVisionLanarkRoadandLongstone