Summary only :Marchmont to King’s Buildings Cycle Route Consultation

Overview

We are currently developing a scheme to improve cycling conditions between Marchmont and the University of Edinburgh King’s Buildings campus. The scheme is part of the delivery of our Active Travel Action Plan and we welcome your comments on these proposals.

The route between Marchmont and King’s Buildings already attracts a significant number of cyclists, many travelling to, and between, the University of Edinburgh’s campuses. These proposals aim to improve conditions for them, and encourage more people to cycle along this corridor.

The proposed improvements include:

• New on-street cycle lanes
• Extended hours for parking and loading restrictions to reduce the amount of time that cycle lanes may be blocked by parked or loading vehicles
• Northbound (uphill) cycle lane on Kilgraston Road where it is too narrow for cycle lanes in both directions
• A new road layout in the area around Kilgraston Road/Grange Loan/Blackford Avenue and Oswald Road. This will help to reduce existing conflicts between vehicles and cyclists in the area (and improve pedestrian crossing opportunities)
• A trial of early start cycle signals at Blackford Junction is also proposed. This would give cyclists time to move off in advance of general traffic, and would be the first time this has been used in the city.

Why your views matter

We are consulting members of the public and stakeholder organisations in order to provide the opportunity to review the proposed scheme designs, and suggest alterations, improvements or to provide other comments.

What happens next

The project team will consider all comments which were submitted, and decide on changes to the preferred design based on this feedback. 

Once a preferred design has been finalised, the Council will begin the statutory Traffic Regulation Order process necessary to implement the proposed changes. It is currently anticipated that the statutory procedures will commence in April 2015.