Future Travel Plan For Leith on UserVoice

Lothian & Borders Police to have a dedicated crime unit on the beat in Leith

2010-10-13T01:21:52-07:00

James Christie suggested:
Bring back the beat police officers to Leith. Crime is on the rise and will get worse as cuts hit more people. Mny people are scared to visit Leith due to the repuation it has for crime. Let's make it safe.

Do more to support local businesses. [updated]

2010-10-12T15:38:13-07:00

With a diverse range local shops and businesses, people will have less need to travel to out of town shopping centres and there'll be more employment locally.

mary said:

have you seen this US initiative? http://www.the350project.net/home.html

Do more to support local businesses. [updated]

2010-10-12T14:27:21-07:00

With a diverse range local shops and businesses, people will have less need to travel to out of town shopping centres and there'll be more employment locally.

dave mackenzie said:

i agree , see my idea about gigantic camden lock style market

ever been to Camden market in london .

2010-10-12T14:18:06-07:00

dave mackenzie suggested:
turn leith walk and surrounding area into one gigantic weekend market and get people from all over scotland visiting ( im not talking about a wee crappy craft market here )

Give away more free recycled bikes to Leithers who want to start cycling [updated]

2010-06-14T07:32:57-07:00

There are lots of people who want to start cycling but don't have a bike. The We Love Leith campaign is giving away 50 recycled bikes and helping to support the people who get them to keep cycling. Demand has outstripped supply - should we give away more?

jambamkin said:

I think cheap bikes are better than free bikes. Bike station vouchers? perhaps

Pedestrianise The Shore [updated]

2010-05-08T10:00:29-07:00

If we pedestrianise The Shore we'd create a great public space by the water, that would be attractive to locals and vistors alike. It would also help to make a traffic free link from the Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal.

pairbs said:

I am all for a reduction in traffic, but the Shore is so busy at the moment because people havent gotten back into the habit of using Constitution Street. Even Lothian kept the number 16 coming down the Shore for about 3 months after Constitution Street reopened. And now theres the closure of the East side of Ocean Drive, which has hundreds more people coming along Commercial Street in search of Ocean Terminal.

A big part of the reason the Shore is so popular is free parking. I know this because I know how often our residents only parking is taken up by visitors to the restaurants. If this is removed there is no guarantee the Shore will be successful, look at Leith Walk throughout the trams project - the reason people come to the Shore is because its nice but its also easy to get to.

I'm afraid I have never heard of the Friends of the Water of Leith Basin, but i have heard of the Friends of the Water of Leith, which, since it runs from Balerno to the Shore, would strike me as highly coincidental if they all lived on the Shore.

Its all very well saying residents will be consulted, but they were not consulted as a pat of the Scotsman article, nor were they consulted prior to the Car Free Day, we just found a notice in our stair telling us it was happening. So you can understand why myself and my neighbours are getting a bit peeved with people deciding what to do on our street for the good of local tourism.

Pedestrianise The Shore [updated]

2010-05-06T11:03:41-07:00

We Love Leith said:

@pairbs I don't think anyone is proposing to "cut-off" local residents from their private, off-street parking places. Indeed, in the Evening News article, Greener Leith calls for a range of options to be looked at - and we'd like to see more detailed consultation with local residents before any final decision is made.

However, from what we gather the Friends of the Water of Leith Basin - which is entirely comprised of residents who live on and around the Shore are keen to see traffic reduced on the street. So, local people are very much involved in the decision making.

Pedestrianise The Shore [updated]

2010-05-06T05:25:35-07:00

pairbs said:

Seame 13, I left that comment in October last year, Constitution Street was still shut!

The reason they want to pedestrianise the Shore is to allow the bars and restaurants to use it, so theyre not going to go for pedestrianising the rat runs instead.

It was in the Scotsman today, i am getting so annoyed with people who dont actually live on the Shore itself deciding its fate! Yes it would look pretty, but what about the people who bought houses so they could live on a main street with great parking, not in the Grassmarket!

Invest more resources in tackling litter, dog fouling and graffiti [updated]

2010-01-23T03:04:26-08:00

The We Love Leith travel survey shows that litter and dog fouling on local streets deters people from walking more.

seame13 said:

One thing only really puts me off Leith , well Edinburgh in general. The complete inability of locals to pick up their dogs sh#t. I have lived in cities all over the UK , and some in Europe, I have never seen dog mess as bad as it is here , I find it impossible to understand why a proud people like the Scots , generally so house proud and tidy even allow it. I would be so ashamed if I couldn't bring myself to pick it up , I would get rid of my dog.
Why is the council doing nothing about this ? It must be a health hazard?
No poo bins , no access to free poo bags , at least none I've seen. What is going on? I was down at Loanhead yesterday , for a walk in the woods , it was worse ! Unbelievable.
Please , please if you walk a dog in Leith , pick up his mess .

Pedestrianise The Shore [updated]

2010-01-23T02:58:12-08:00

seame13 said:

"there will be less vehicles on the Shore once Constitution Street is reopened!!"

Oh , it has been re opened since before Christmas , I have not noticed any difference, the 36 and 16 are still using the shore , and henderson gardens. So are the commuters who use Shore,Henderson and Cables Wynd as a rat run through to Great Junction Street by Tesco's.Why not just pedestrianise the whole area between Bernard Streete,Constitution and Great Junction Streets and Water of Leith This would be simple just block one end of Henderson ,Tolbooth and Maritime, and one end of Cables Wynd,Mill Lane and The Shore, add a few traffic calming measures , residence have access but the roads would go nowhere , that would eliminate 90% of the traffic.
Of course it may be unacceptable to then walk 100 yards to a bus stop, or having to drive another 500 yards to get home?

Create spealised and secure cycle garages on Leith Walk

2009-12-07T10:15:08-08:00

Plant more flowers and plants on Leith Walk

2009-12-07T10:11:54-08:00

Build a green bridge over Leith Walk. [updated]

2009-12-07T10:08:24-08:00

This would build a low traffic link connecting Pilrig Park and the traffic free path running east from Easter Road. More info at http://tinyurl.com/ld7kzu

Calum MacKellar said:

I understand the point but believe that this would be a very bad idea. It would make Leith Walk look like a tunnel. In the past there was a railway bridge over the Walk that made it look terrible (see old photos).

As an alternative may I propose a dedicated cycle crossing (like pedestrian crossing) over Leith Walk. This wouls be a lot better and not so ugly.

Top Leith Walk upgrade removing all shrubs and the Foot, replace with Fountain-jets/lights

2009-11-15T14:58:19-08:00

Pedestrianise The Shore [updated]

2009-10-28T09:22:17-07:00

pairbs said:

A lovely idea in principle but what about the people who live on the Shore? Ignoring the large amount of free on street car parking which is used by residents that this will remove, there are a number of private car parking areas, including mine, which can only be accessed via the Shore. So youre going to ban us from accessing our own land then?

Stewartypie, there will be less vehicles on the Shore once Constitution Street is reopened!!

Set up a dedicated 'Lift Share' site for Leithers. [updated]

2009-10-17T07:28:28-07:00

Set up a dedicated website to help local people share car journeys.

We Love Leith (admin) responded:

Go to http://greenerleith.ning.com/group/tripshare for more information on how to share car, bike or walking journeys with other Leithers. New journeys that are offered on the site are shared via the Greener Leith twitter account too - www.twitter.com/greenerleith

Set up a dedicated 'Lift Share' site for Leithers. [is now completed]

2009-10-17T07:28:28-07:00

Set up a dedicated website to help local people share car journeys.

Pedestrianise The Shore [updated]

2009-10-16T04:37:35-07:00

stewartypie said:

must be the most scary bit of road to cycle on!! if you go behind the crash barrier, you get in the way of pedestrians and if you stay on the road, you take your life in your hands, being the jam in a bus sandwich is not my idea of fun. Traffic needs switching away from here as its too much and too fast.

20 is plenty! All residential streets should have a 20mph speed limit applied as standard.

2009-10-14T05:40:34-07:00

Keep the gate into Leith Academy from Lochend Road open at all times.

2009-09-04T12:41:03-07:00

an anonymous user suggested:
Does the City of Edinburgh Council own this gate? If so, why is it closed in the Evenings? It makes a really useful pedestrian shortcut for people.

More City Car Club Cars located in Leith [updated]

2009-08-21T01:19:50-07:00

There needs to be more Car Club Cars, in more locations throughout Leith. This would give people access to cars when they need them, without them needing to own one of their own.

We Love Leith (admin) responded:

The City Car Club expect a number of new locations in Leith to get planning permission in the next few months.

Extend Bus Tracker to all bus stops in Leith [is now declined]

2009-08-21T01:18:42-07:00

The Bus Tracker service is really useful, but it's not installed on all the stops in Leith.

Extend Bus Tracker to all bus stops in Leith [updated]

2009-08-21T01:18:42-07:00

The Bus Tracker service is really useful, but it's not installed on all the stops in Leith.

We Love Leith (admin) responded:

30 new Bus Tracker signs are to be installed city wide, we're awaiting details of how many are going to be in Leith, and where they'll be.

Extend Bus Tracker to all bus stops in Leith [updated]

2009-08-16T10:43:52-07:00

The Bus Tracker service is really useful, but it's not installed on all the stops in Leith.

fiona mackenzie said:

the bustracker service should extend way out of town where the number of buses is limited as it gives more idea of whether to bother to wait or start walking.

Replace the roundabout at the Foot of Easter Road with a Traffic Light Controlled Cross Roads [updated]

2009-08-13T07:19:31-07:00

The roundabout at the Foot of Easter Road is inconvenient for pedestrians and dangerous for cyclists. It could be replaced with a traffic light controlled cross-roads, and all the railings could be removed. This would be safer for everyone.

Suzanne T said:

What an absolutely ridiculous idea. There are already pedestrian crossings by the roundabout. Replacing the roundabout is what they have done in Portobello and it has caused absolute chaos for pedestrians and drivers alike.

Dedicated cycle lanes should be added to all arterial routes [updated]

2009-08-12T10:02:07-07:00

The We Love Leith Travel Survey shows that many more Leithers would cycle more if people felt safe on the roads. Research from other places shows that installing dedicated cycle lanes on streets can increase cycling by 30-50%.

tparnell said:

I'm afraid I completely disagree - it's a pleasure cycling with trams in other European cities, especially when compared to buses. Trams don't suddenly pull out, or turn corners unexpectedly. Trams are actually very pedestrian and cyclist friendly, in my opinion...

Constitution St - bike alternative when tram comes [updated]

2009-08-12T09:59:20-07:00

Constitution St will close to all traffic including bikes when the tram comes - and the tramlines will be close to the pavement so cycling will be dodgy anyway unless you've very wide tyres. A good alternative would be via the shopping centre, with a well-designed connection from the foot of the Walk.

tparnell said:

Umm, whilst Constitution St may well be closing to most vehicular traffic, the current plans show a one-way bus lane... And bikes and pedestrians will be allowed too. I don't know where people are getting the idea that trams require exclusive use of the ground they run on from - trams are not the same as Intercity 125s!

When trams are 'on street' they are perfectly compatible with cyclists - even more so than buses and cars. It's only when they are running 'off street', at higher speed, that separate provision for cyclists and pedestrians is required. Just look at any other European cities where trams weave their way through pedestrians and cyclists without a problem. All this nonsense about getting stuck in the tram lines is really a misnomer, drummed up by the anti-tram brigade - I've never heard of it happening with any other tram system. Cycling through a pedestrianised shopping centre would be a bit silly, no?!

Constitution St - bike alternative when tram comes [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T05:51:02-07:00

Constitution St - bike alternative when tram comes

2009-08-11T04:26:19-07:00

an anonymous user suggested:
Constitution St will close to all traffic including bikes when the tram comes - and the tramlines will be close to the pavement so cycling will be dodgy anyway unless you've very wide tyres. A good alternative would be via the shopping centre, with a well-designed connection from the foot of the Walk.

Extend Bus Tracker to all bus stops in Leith [updated]

2009-08-11T01:53:18-07:00

The Bus Tracker service is really useful, but it's not installed on all the stops in Leith.

CyclingEdinburgh said:

Onstreet Bustracker info is very useful. CEC (and Greener Leith) should do more to promote the fact that it's also available Online AND therefore on many people's mobile phones.

Build a green bridge over Leith Walk. [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:47:35-07:00

This would build a low traffic link connecting Pilrig Park and the traffic free path running east from Easter Road. More info at http://tinyurl.com/ld7kzu

Pedestrianise The Shore [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:47:31-07:00

Pedestrianise St Andrew Place [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:47:28-07:00

Parents at Leith Primary School propose that some or all of St Andrew Place is pedestrianised. More info: http://tinyurl.com/lgzo2s

Extend Bus Tracker to all bus stops in Leith [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:47:25-07:00

The Bus Tracker service is really useful, but it's not installed on all the stops in Leith.

More City Car Club Cars located in Leith [is now declined]

2009-08-11T01:47:18-07:00

There needs to be more Car Club Cars, in more locations throughout Leith. This would give people access to cars when they need them, without them needing to own one of their own.

Dedicated cycle lanes should be added to all arterial routes [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:47:13-07:00

Invest more resources in tackling litter, dog fouling and graffiti [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:47:03-07:00

The We Love Leith travel survey shows that litter and dog fouling on local streets deters people from walking more.

The coastal promenade won't be finished for decades. Invest in a 'Cross Leith' cycle route. [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:59-07:00

The council plans to build a coastal promenade walkway that will run along the entire coastline of Edinburgh. The trouble is the regeneration of Leith docks means that it won't be finished for decades. Investment is needed in an alternative route. More info: http://tinyurl.com/o7s5wo

Do more to support local businesses. [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:55-07:00

With a diverse range local shops and businesses, people will have less need to travel to out of town shopping centres and there'll be more employment locally.

Tackle anti-social behaviour on the walkways [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:47-07:00

The We Love Leith travel survey showed that some people were deterred from using the walkways for cycling and walking because of fears of anti-social behaviour on the routes.

Set up a dedicated 'Lift Share' site for Leithers. [is now declined]

2009-08-11T01:46:40-07:00

Set up a dedicated website to help local people share car journeys.

Do more to help parents and pupils to walk and cycle to school [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:31-07:00

Lots of people drive their children to school, for very short journeys. Many people think it's dangerous to walk or cycle around Leith with their children. Invest more safer routes to school and making it easier to walk or cycle to school.

Replace the roundabout at the Foot of Easter Road with a Traffic Light Controlled Cross Roads [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:26-07:00

Give away more free recycled bikes to Leithers who want to start cycling [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:23-07:00

Better facilities in the workplace [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:16-07:00

Encourage key local employers to provide showers, lockers etc for cyclists

Build a mountain bike 'northshore' skills trail alongside the path from Easter Rd to Leith Links [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:09-07:00

There's a path that runs from Leith Academy/Easter Rd under Lochend Rd and Restalrig Rd and back to Leith Links. Along the sides of the path, there's already some trim trail equipment. Could bike jumps, balance beams and other trails skills stuff be built alongside this path? This would encourage more people (esp. young people) to cycle more, and help improve develop cyclists confidence.

Introduce an X22 bus service [is now inappropriate]

2009-08-11T01:46:05-07:00

The vast majority of people I see on a 22 do not get off until either the east or west end. Introduce an X22 for every second bus that would stop only at the shore, then foot middle and top of the walk, then Waverly and the West End.

Introduce an X22 bus service

2009-08-11T01:28:28-07:00

an anonymous user suggested:
The vast majority of people I see on a 22 do not get off until either the east or west end. Introduce an X22 for every second bus that would stop only at the shore, then foot middle and top of the walk, then Waverly and the West End.

Dedicated cycle lanes should be added to all arterial routes [updated]

2009-08-11T01:23:34-07:00

CyclingEdinburgh said:

As tram is likely to make the idea of cycling on Leith Walk even more offputting, opportunity to press for improvements to Easter Road. It is part of Core Path Network....

Build a mountain bike 'northshore' skills trail alongside the path from Easter Rd to Leith Links

2009-08-08T10:46:07-07:00

We Love Leith suggested:
There's a path that runs from Leith Academy/Easter Rd under Lochend Rd and Restalrig Rd and back to Leith Links. Along the sides of the path, there's already some trim trail equipment. Could bike jumps, balance beams and other trails skills stuff be built alongside this path? This would encourage more people (esp. young people) to cycle more, and help improve develop cyclists confidence.