Councillor Scott Arthur

[doddsyJR9]

Is he good or bad for Edinburgh?

[il Duce McTarkin]

I don't mind him, he's visible in his ward and will work with you when he can, but like all councillors with party affiliation he has his agenda. He's got some unpopular decisions to make as transport gadgie and I think he'll make them. In 20 years folk will wonder what all the fuss was about. Few like change, especially inconvenient change.

 

My old man calls him Scott Arsehole, to his face on occasion, and it's generally pretty justified.

[Australis]

Hates cars and traffic.

 

Want tailbacks and bottle necks, he will give you them, guaranteed.

 

[maroongoals]

Not doing anything good for this city,

[SecN]

They are mostly all corrupt. I had a decision at Counciller level that went against my complaint and the outcome basically and publically reeked of them being paid off  by the other party. 
 

tories, snp and greens all sided with one another to award a permission against all their own legislation. I will never have any faith or trust in them again. 

[Gundermann]

Lothian Buses are a midden at the moment. He's a bit of a radge IMHO.

[frankblack]

14 hours ago, doddsyJR9 said:

Is he good or bad for Edinburgh?

 

He is railroading his anti-car agenda over the city regardless of what local people want.

 

He and his peers are still smarting from the congestion charge referendum thumping and started/continued engineering congestion by a number of measures:

- Narowing roads to stifle the flow of traffic.

- Close roads to cars.

- Reduce speed to 20mph.

- Introduce cycle lanes as temporary measures during Covid then refuse to publish the consultation results on removing them and leave them in place.

-  Introduce bus lanes on roads with infrequent bus services.

- Fail to maintain the roads in an adequate state and repair potholes.

 

I'm sure there are other measures I've missed.

[ehcaley]

14 hours ago, doddsyJR9 said:

Is he good or bad for Edinburgh?

Do you know if he's Republican,Green Brigade,Woke,Revolutionary Trade Unionist,Tofu eating Guardian reader?

Decent bloke IMHO 

[frankblack]

1 minute ago, Jim_Duncan said:

My favourite is the one at Comiston. If you want to drive across the main road from the Braids area to Comiston, you have to wait for a wee bit, no problem. But they’ve put in bollards to extend the space for pedestrians, shaving off about 70% of the road. The quantity of pedestrians there is very low, and you now have to swerve hard right while making a tricky enough crossing otherwise you get caught in the bollards like a bagatelle ball. Genius, really. 

 

They had a comsultation in my area over introducing speed bumps, and lost it heavily so introduced it anyway.  That is how democracy works in Edinburgh council.

[indianajones]

Edinburgh is a ****ing shithole minus some nice buildings so i'd suggest bad. 

 

From a non-Edinburgh resident. I wouldn't move back. 

[The Real Maroonblood]

7 minutes ago, ehcaley said:

Do you know if he's Republican,Green Brigade,Woke,Revolutionary Trade Unionist,Tofu eating Guardian reader?

Decent bloke IMHO 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Not a great job but it's just a continuation from the last folk in charge. 

 

Less cars isn't a bad thing so don't particularly jump on that band wagon but all the decisions they make are half arsed with no joined up thinking. Constantly closing roads to encourage folk onto public transport without improving the public transport is always doomed to fail. Not to mention every route is humped with roadworks.

[stirlo]

I agree with the move to get people driving less, but the constant changing of the roads must be costing taxpayers a fortune. Sooner or later they're going to have to introduce either a congestion zone or a tax per mile driven in the city - particularly at peak times and for larger more polluting cars. That's ultimately the only way you're going to get people to drive less.

 

I also agree that there needs to be much more focus on public transport - although using an existing cycle lane for a tram seems to me to be completely the wrong way to go about it.

[Debut 4]

There was also definitely a strategy to guide people towards using the trams with new bus routes etc…forcing the issue.  
 

Now you have overcrowding for most of the day on the trams as locals combined with out of town workers and tourists cramming in.  Doesn’t matter when you get on one, midday or at the end of your shift from back of 3 onwards.  Total stamash.  Not enough carriages and the overcrowding during the summer festival period and Christmas Festive spell was a joke.  
 

Aye, I’m moaning 😄 but it’s also an observation. I can deal with it but it must be shite for the tourists heading to and from the airport trying to get on with cases.  Makes a mockery of having a designated bike space aswell.  Try getting on with a bike at 4,5pm 👀
 

 

[il Duce McTarkin]

3 hours ago, Jim_Duncan said:

My favourite is the one at Comiston. If you want to drive across the main road from the Braids area to Comiston, you have to wait for a wee bit, no problem. But they’ve put in bollards to extend the space for pedestrians, shaving off about 70% of the road. The quantity of pedestrians there is very low, and you now have to swerve hard right while making a tricky enough crossing otherwise you get caught in the bollards like a bagatelle ball. Genius, really. 

 

Is that where Comiston Springs Avenue crosses Pentland Terrace onto Riselaw Crescent?  That one always struck me as doing something for the sake of doing something. It was easy enough to cross CSA as a pedestrian if you just walked down the hill a wee bit, and the sweep of the junction was such that motorists and pedestrians had plenty of time to see each other. 

As an aside, Comiston Springs Avenue and the adjoining Pentland Crescent are where I would've choosen to live had I not been an itinerant, jakey, waster my whole life, and the house prices hadn't increased exponentially the past couple of decades.

[Morgan]

18 hours ago, doddsyJR9 said:

Is he good or bad for Edinburgh?

To be honest, I've never heard of him.

 

Tell me, is he from Broughton and does he wear green?

 

Asking for a friend.  

[Jamboross]

Short term he and the council are taking a lot of flak for some of their transport decisions but in the long run I think a lot of the work being done just now will be viewed more positively. 

[FWJ]

8 minutes ago, Jamboross said:

Short term he and the council are taking a lot of flak for some of their transport decisions but in the long run I think a lot of the work being done just now will be viewed more positively. 

This.

 

Good to hear that the trams are proving very popular too.

[skinnybob72]

The idea that they can force people out of cars and onto public transport is utterly laughable. About as realistic as getting us to stop looking at our mobile phones. 
 

Public transport is great if it’s absolutely on your doorstep, as is your destination and you are in no hurry to get anywhere. Beyond that it’s adding time to your journey as well as the likelihood you’ll get soaked walking to / from the bus or train.
 

Also, public transport is totally unreliable - get the train to work, weather turns and Scotrail throw in the towel.
 

They can make it as hard as they like for folk to try and drive into town - they’ll not be flocking onto busses - they’ll just not bother coming into town. The place is already dying on its arse, this will speed up the process. 

[Beave1874]

Slightly off topic but I drive to the games from Fife as the trains are nothing short of a shambles getting across to the Capital City. If they want to encourage public transport, then try and fix it particularly at weekends. 

[ejbh]

9 minutes ago, skinnybob72 said:

The idea that they can force people out of cars and onto public transport is utterly laughable. About as realistic as getting us to stop looking at our mobile phones. 
 

Public transport is great if it’s absolutely on your doorstep, as is your destination and you are in no hurry to get anywhere. Beyond that it’s adding time to your journey as well as the likelihood you’ll get soaked walking to / from the bus or train.
 

Also, public transport is totally unreliable - get the train to work, weather turns and Scotrail throw in the towel.
 

They can make it as hard as they like for folk to try and drive into town - they’ll not be flocking onto busses - they’ll just not bother coming into town. The place is already dying on its arse, this will speed up the process. 

You think Edinburgh is “dying on its arse”? 
 

It is actually a booming city in many respects with a growing population, huge draw for visitors and outside investment etc etc. The city centre is always very busy. We’ve got it a lot better than elsewhere.

[frankblack]

2 minutes ago, ejbh said:

You think Edinburgh is “dying on its arse”? 
 

It is actually a booming city in many respects with a growing population, huge draw for visitors and outside investment etc etc. The city centre is always very busy. We’ve got it a lot better than elsewhere.

 

Have you taken a look at Princes Street recently?  Full of tartan tat and poundland stores.  Yes, its dying on its arse.

[frankblack]

8 minutes ago, Beave1874 said:

Slightly off topic but I drive to the games from Fife as the trains are nothing short of a shambles getting across to the Capital City. If they want to encourage public transport, then try and fix it particularly at weekends. 

 

Working with a number of people who live in Fife, they can tell you horror stories of commuting in... or not depending on how Scotrail and Network Rail feel.

[Morgan]

5 minutes ago, ejbh said:

You think Edinburgh is “dying on its arse”? 
 

It is actually a booming city in many respects with a growing population, huge draw for visitors and outside investment etc etc. The city centre is always very busy. We’ve got it a lot better than elsewhere.

The last time I was on Princes Street (August last year) it was a dump. 

[Jamboross]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

Have you taken a look at Princes Street recently?  Full of tartan tat and poundland stores.  Yes, its dying on its arse.

 

That is clearly a symptom of the St James Quarter pulling stores to the East end of the city centre and is just temporary. Most of these places are short term leases and in 5-10 years most, if not all, will have been redeveloped into leisure/food and beverage/hotel useage. 

[frankblack]

16 minutes ago, skinnybob72 said:

The idea that they can force people out of cars and onto public transport is utterly laughable. About as realistic as getting us to stop looking at our mobile phones. 
 

Public transport is great if it’s absolutely on your doorstep, as is your destination and you are in no hurry to get anywhere. Beyond that it’s adding time to your journey as well as the likelihood you’ll get soaked walking to / from the bus or train.
 

Also, public transport is totally unreliable - get the train to work, weather turns and Scotrail throw in the towel.
 

They can make it as hard as they like for folk to try and drive into town - they’ll not be flocking onto busses - they’ll just not bother coming into town. The place is already dying on its arse, this will speed up the process. 

 

I actually have a ridacard despite having a car, and only take the car for shopping and visiting family nowadays as its not worth commuting into the office in the city centre.  Aside from the obstacles the council put in place, there is hardly any parking and there is about 10 people trying to book each space weeks in advance.

[frankblack]

2 minutes ago, Jamboross said:

 

That is clearly a symptom of the St James Quarter pulling stores to the East end of the city centre and is just temporary. Most of these places are short term leases and in 5-10 years most, if not all, will have been redeveloped into leisure/food and beverage/hotel useage. 

 

I don't think that will happen.  At least two buildings are set to be converted into hotels for tourists - shopping for the locals doesn't seem to be in the vision of this council.

 

Nothing in St James Quarter appeals to me.  Been in it once and that was enough.  You also need to remember your umbrella in that place when it rains.

Edited February 4 by frankblack

[skinnybob72]

4 minutes ago, ejbh said:

You think Edinburgh is “dying on its arse”? 
 

It is actually a booming city in many respects with a growing population, huge draw for visitors and outside investment etc etc. The city centre is always very busy. We’ve got it a lot better than elsewhere.

Booming where? 
 

Princes Street is a shadow of what it once was, although that may be in part due to the new St James Quarter - which has been a good addition to the centre of town. Boarded up shops, pound shops and Primark don’t scream ‘booming’ to me. 
 

Although not in the centre, Ocean Terminal is absolutely dying on its arse - being on the tram network doesn’t look to be changing that, nor the gazillion flats being thrown up all around the place. There is literally nothing there anymore. 
 

 

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

Suppose he just has an unpopular council job

He was quoted in the media a couple of weeks ago regarding the double and pavement parking ruling as " my plan"

Which sums everything up as it's all about him and his wee gang and not about the greater good for the majority  these decisions and ideology come from government, everybody else can go and do one attitude 

These councillors seem to be the figureheads for unpopular decisions for city councils up and down the country all following a blue print for every city and town closing streets, controlling vehicles and people going about their everyday business all in the name of netball zero target pish and making money by taxing anything that they can make up justifying their job's

The clowncil are just discouraging city centre businesses and custom with huge tax rates, Princes Street is a disgrace, Leith and the Shore is like a cryptic maze to navigate as is Braid Avenue and surrounding streets,Featherhall etc etc I could go and on but every city in the UK are following the government plan for the net zero fantasy and the climate emergency 😂

[frankblack]

5 minutes ago, skinnybob72 said:

Booming where? 
 

Princes Street is a shadow of what it once was, although that may be in part due to the new St James Quarter - which has been a good addition to the centre of town. Boarded up shops, pound shops and Primark don’t scream ‘booming’ to me. 
 

Although not in the centre, Ocean Terminal is absolutely dying on its arse - being on the tram network doesn’t look to be changing that, nor the gazillion flats being thrown up all around the place. There is literally nothing there anymore. 
 

 

 

Correct - I used to work 10 minutes walk away in Commercial Quay and would go in for my lunch.  5 years after leaving there the key shops are all gone - M & S, Waterstones, Debenhams, and more.  Other than Boots and HMV, I can't name anything significant left.

Edited February 4 by frankblack

[frankblack]

1 minute ago, Howdy Doody Jambo said:

Suppose he just has an unpopular council job

He was quoted in the media a couple of weeks ago regarding the double and pavement parking ruling as " my plan"

Which sums everything up as it's all about him and his wee gang and not about the greater good for the majority  these decisions and ideology come from government, everybody else can go and do one attitude 

These councillors seem to be the figureheads for unpopular decisions for city councils up and down the country all following a blue print for every city and town closing streets, controlling vehicles and people going about their everyday business all in the name of netball zero target pish and making money by taxing anything that they can make up justifying their job's

The clowncil are just discouraging city centre businesses and custom with huge tax rates, Princes Street is a disgrace, Leith and the Shore is like a cryptic maze to navigate as is Braid Avenue and surrounding streets,Featherhall etc etc I could go and on but every city in the UK are following the government plan for the net zero fantasy and the climate emergency 😂

 

You may be right that he is the figurehead, because no matter who you vote for nothing changes in the council policy.

 

The only party I haven't voted for locally is the Tories but I really wonder if they might run the place more efficiently and throw out all this crap dictated by the unelected Scottish Greens.

[FWJ]

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/edinburgh-retail-adapts-following-st-29412350.amp

 

“Edinburgh continues to have the lowest retail vacancy rate of the UK’s major cities”

 

Princes Street is not what it was - but which other major shopping street is?  Have any of you been in Sauchiehall Street recently?  

At least Princes Street, with its incomparable view can - and is - reinventing itself as a place for hotels, restaurants and bars, other other things like The Johnny Walker Experience.
 

 

Edited February 4 by FWJ

[skinnybob72]

Some of the changes to road layouts are ridiculous, the widening of pavements so that roads have one lane, and you have to slalom round corners. The top of London Road, or Abbeyhill for example. 
 

I can only assume that with climate change they are expecting herds of elephants to migrate north and are making sure the pavements can accommodate them.  

[frankblack]

1 minute ago, FWJ said:

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/edinburgh-retail-adapts-following-st-29412350.amp

 

“Edinburgh continues to have the lowest retail vacancy rate of the UK’s major cities”

 

Princes Street is not what it was - but which other major shopping street is?  Have any of you been in Sauchiehall Street recently?  

At least Princes Street, with it’s incomparable view can - and is - reinventing itself as a place for hotels, restaurants and bars, other other things like The Johnny Walker Experience.
 

 

 

Filling Princes Street with Poundlands and tartan tat shops hardly makes your point.

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

You may be right that he is the figurehead, because no matter who you vote for nothing changes in the council policy.

 

The only party I haven't voted for locally is the Tories but I really wonder if they might run the place more efficiently and throw out all this crap dictated by the unelected Scottish Greens.

I think all the politicians are all the same these days they just want to be politicians with the salary, all expenses paid and gold pension schemes with muchos holidays

A Tory clowncil would just be much of the same regardless

It's all this same group thinking, is it the civil servants dictating policy these days anyway 

[Ked]

Edinburgh can't cope with cars.

Walk.

Cycle

Public transport in the City. 

Train between cities.

Car as last resort. 

If you're responsible. 

[FWJ]

May I ask - so what would you do differently?  Get rid of bus lanes?  Get rid of trams?  Get rid of cycle lanes?  Provide lots more parking spaces to encourage shops back onto Princes Street?  Where?  Where would you build all these additional parking spaces?  More multi-stories?  Where?  There’s not many existing places where a multi storey could go.  Princes  Street Gardens?

 

And if was easier to drive into and around the medieval & Georgian city centre what do you think would happen?  That it wouldn’t encourage more people to do it?  
More cars + fewer bus lanes slows down the buses even more making bus travel less attractive.

 

If people want to live in a place designed for easy motoring they should move to Cumbernauld

[FWJ]

7 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Filling Princes Street with Poundlands and tartan tat shops hardly makes your point.

And what would you do to get Jenners, Binns, RW Forsyth’s, Smalls & P.T.s back?  

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

What's the point in making George Street for pedestrians when the clowncil have plans for a cycle lane through the middle of it? imagine all these ebike deliveroo maniacs which should be registered another tax raising Idea, escooters and choppers mowing through crowd's ,shoppers and  restraunt table's creating safety issues for elderly and young people having a day out 

Just no common sense these days 

[frankblack]

1 minute ago, Ked said:

Edinburgh can't cope with cars.

Walk.

Cycle

Public transport in the City. 

Train between cities.

Car as last resort. 

If you're responsible. 

 

Wrong.  It can if the council focused on improving the flow of traffic rather than blocking and slowing it down.

 

Public transport is unreliable.  As a commuter by bus I find that LRT buses frequently terminate early and change to a part route and tell their passengers to get off, meaning that people at later stops have no bus.

 

The problem here is that the council are trying to introduce the stick with no carrot because their incompetence has led to overspends on trams, and the trains on the Fife line are a joke - infrequent and too few carriages.   There should be multiple tram routes, most notably to the ERI.

 

We need to discourage people outside Edinburgh driving in by giving them affordable and convenient options on multiple park and ride points to different tram routes.  Once those exist look at the stick.

[Jamboross]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

I don't think that will happen.  At least two buildings are set to be converted into hotels for tourists - shopping for the locals doesn't seem to be in the vision of this council.

 

Nothing in St James Quarter appeals to me.  Been in it once and that was enough.  You also need to remember your umbrella in that place when it rains.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with hotels opening up, like or not tourism is a massive economic driver for the city and tourists also need a lot of the same things - restaurants, bars, functioning transport as locals. The council can't force retail tenants to take up the leases. They could maybe offer incentives of some sort, lower business rates or something, but realistically bricks and mortar retail is struggling all across the UK. Edinburgh's retail sector has actually been reasonably resilliant, footfall on Princes St has recovered at a much quicker rate post-COVID than the UK and Scottish averages for example, high end stores are increasingly opening here (Gucci are opening on Multrees Walk shortly) and in terms of high street retail Uniqlo are about to open their first store outside London or Manchester on Princes St. 

 

When you say shopping for locals - what do you mean? What sort of brands would you like to see opening? The St. James Quarter, other than John Lewis, a few of the F&B outlets and the cinema doesn't really do much for me either but maybe we're just not down with what the younger generation want? It's constatly mobbed with locals, folk travelling from across the Central Belt, even as far as Newcastle so they must be getting something right. 

 

[FWJ]

5 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Wrong.  It can if the council focused on improving the flow of traffic rather than blocking and slowing it down.

 

Public transport is unreliable.  As a commuter by bus I find that LRT buses frequently terminate early and change to a part route and tell their passengers to get off, meaning that people at later stops have no bus.

 

The problem here is that the council are trying to introduce the stick with no carrot because their incompetence has led to overspends on trams, and the trains on the Fife line are a joke - infrequent and too few carriages.   There should be multiple tram routes, most notably to the ERI.

 

We need to discourage people outside Edinburgh driving in by giving them affordable and convenient options on multiple park and ride points to different tram routes.  Once those exist look at the stick.

So how would you ‘improve the flow of traffic’ through the city centre?  Where would you have it go?

 

We could re-narrow the pavements on Princes Street to allow 3 lanes each way like it used to be, but I can’t see 6 lanes of ‘easy flowing’ traffic thundering along encouraging people back to the city centre.

[skinnybob72]

8 minutes ago, Howdy Doody Jambo said:

What's the point in making George Street for pedestrians when the clowncil have plans for a cycle lane through the middle of it? imagine all these ebike deliveroo maniacs which should be registered another tax raising Idea, escooters and choppers mowing through crowd's ,shoppers and  restraunt table's creating safety issues for elderly and young people having a day out 

Just no common sense these days 

How many days a year do you reckon you could choose to eat outdoors in Edinburgh? My guess would be none since about October at present! And the weather is predicted to become more unpredictable / extreme in the future. 

[Jamboross]

9 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Wrong.  It can if the council focused on improving the flow of traffic rather than blocking and slowing it down.

 

Public transport is unreliable.  As a commuter by bus I find that LRT buses frequently terminate early and change to a part route and tell their passengers to get off, meaning that people at later stops have no bus.

 

The problem here is that the council are trying to introduce the stick with no carrot because their incompetence has led to overspends on trams, and the trains on the Fife line are a joke - infrequent and too few carriages.   There should be multiple tram routes, most notably to the ERI.

 

We need to discourage people outside Edinburgh driving in by giving them affordable and convenient options on multiple park and ride points to different tram routes.  Once those exist look at the stick.

 

They're working on the multiple tram routes - consulting on the next line from Granton to RIE and beyond to Shawfair and/or Musselburgh. These things take time and a hell of a lot of money however. 

[queensferryjambo]

4 hours ago, frankblack said:

-  Introduce bus lanes on roads with infrequent bus services.

- Fail to maintain the roads in an adequate state and repair potholes.

 

Hitting on 2 points in your post aside from the physical state of all of Scotland's roads which is pretty evident, the road markings are almost all missing on the roads now all over the country as they have been worn off. 

 

There are loads of City Centre bus lanes that are now hard to even see if they are bus lanes or not due to the road markings being worn off.

[frankblack]

3 minutes ago, FWJ said:

May I ask - so what would you do differently?  Get rid of bus lanes?  Get rid of trams?  Get rid of cycle lanes?  Provide lots more parking spaces to encourage shops back onto Princes Street?  Where?  Where would you build all these additional parking spaces?  More multi-stories?  Where?  There’s not many existing places where a multi storey could go.  Princes  Street Gardens?

 

Getting rid of bus lanes on streets like Telford Road where two bus services run infrequently is sensible.

 

We should get rid of the cycle lanes added during Covid with the bollards as they were voted out in a consultation the council won't provide the results for.

 

We should also get the trams running on the remaining old tram routes now used as cycle paths.  These were originally tram routes so it makes sense for the majority to be served rather than the lycra clad idiots.

 

I never talked about building extra parking spaces in the city centre, but closing down through roads to traffic is batshit mental and shifts the problem down to the next street along.

 

3 minutes ago, FWJ said:

And if was easier to drive into and around the medieval & Georgian city centre what do you think would happen?  That it wouldn’t encourage more people to do it?  
More cars + fewer bus lanes slows down the buses even more making bus travel less attractive.

 

If people want to live in a place designed for easy motoring they should move to Cumbernauld

 

I doubt there are more cars than previously.  The only thing slowing down the traffic are actions by halfwits in the council:

- Introducing covid cycle lanes with bollards which leave nowhere to pull over for emergency vehicles.  Have you seen the zig-zag lanes they have at Drumbrae North to accommodate the halfwits who designed them?  Next to zero cyclists will cycle there yet traffic cannot split into two lanes and tails back over the hill.  Seriously how thick are these people?  What happened to their clear air policy or does narrowing roads like St John's Road with bollards slowing traffic further make it better or worse?

- Introducing 20mph speed limits on main roads.

- Bus lanes on streets with infrequent bus services.

- LEZ rules for city centre while increasing air polution elsewhere due to their measures above.

 

2 minutes ago, FWJ said:

And what would you do to get Jenners, Binns, RW Forsyth’s, Smalls & P.T.s back?  

 

You seem to be triggered, but the obvious answer is to attract big brands from London, etc to replace your Jenners, BHS, Debenhams, Frasers.

 

I'm glad you like your poundland, tartan tat, and home bargain stores on our major shopping street. 👍

[frankblack]

3 minutes ago, Jamboross said:

 

They're working on the multiple tram routes - consulting on the next line from Granton to RIE and beyond to Shawfair and/or Musselburgh. These things take time and a hell of a lot of money however. 

 

Getting a line to the ERI should be the priority as I know from some bad times with relatives that its one hell of a commute to the other side of the city by public transport.

[Ked]

14 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Wrong.  It can if the council focused on improving the flow of traffic rather than blocking and slowing it down.

 

Public transport is unreliable.  As a commuter by bus I find that LRT buses frequently terminate early and change to a part route and tell their passengers to get off, meaning that people at later stops have no bus.

 

The problem here is that the council are trying to introduce the stick with no carrot because their incompetence has led to overspends on trams, and the trains on the Fife line are a joke - infrequent and too few carriages.   There should be multiple tram routes, most notably to the ERI.

 

We need to discourage people outside Edinburgh driving in by giving them affordable and convenient options on multiple park and ride points to different tram routes.  Once those exist look at the stick.

The park and ride is decent.

Edinburgh public transport is very good.

We've a way to go but this is the path we're on.

 

[FWJ]

7 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Getting rid of bus lanes on streets like Telford Road where two bus services run infrequently is sensible.

 

We should get rid of the cycle lanes added during Covid with the bollards as they were voted out in a consultation the council won't provide the results for.

 

We should also get the trams running on the remaining old tram routes now used as cycle paths.  These were originally tram routes so it makes sense for the majority to be served rather than the lycra clad idiots.

 

I never talked about building extra parking spaces in the city centre, but closing down through roads to traffic is batshit mental and shifts the problem down to the next street along.

 

 

I doubt there are more cars than previously.  The only thing slowing down the traffic are actions by halfwits in the council:

- Introducing covid cycle lanes with bollards which leave nowhere to pull over for emergency vehicles.  Have you seen the zig-zag lanes they have at Drumbrae North to accommodate the halfwits who designed them?  Next to zero cyclists will cycle there yet traffic cannot split into two lanes and tails back over the hill.  Seriously how thick are these people?  What happened to their clear air policy or does narrowing roads like St John's Road with bollards slowing traffic further make it better or worse?

- Introducing 20mph speed limits on main roads.

- Bus lanes on streets with infrequent bus services.

- LEZ rules for city centre while increasing air polution elsewhere due to their measures above.

 

 

You seem to be triggered, but the obvious answer is to attract big brands from London, etc to replace your Jenners, BHS, Debenhams, Frasers.

 

I'm glad you like your poundland, tartan tat, and home bargain stores on our major shopping street. 👍

Triggered?  No, but non-plussed.  Which ‘big brands’ do you mean?  How do you ‘attract’ them?

And most importantly how do you intend to have Edinburgh stop - and reverse - the decline of High Street retail, and department stores in particular that is being seen worldwide?

Edited February 4 by FWJ

[Jamboross]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

Getting a line to the ERI should be the priority as I know from some bad times with relatives that its one hell of a commute to the other side of the city by public transport.

 

Agreed. Grant and the South-East of the city are also going to see massive population growth in the next 10 years or so. The Granton - Roseburn portion should be done relatively quickly (assuming financing and consultations go well) as it will likely run along the Roseburn cycle path for a good chunk of the distance. City Centre to RIE will be costly and probably looking at another decade before there's even a chance of that being up and running.