Councillor Scott Arthur

[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. 

[skinnybob72]

4 minutes ago, Ked said:

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.

 

Always thought the park and ride at Sherriffhall to be a bizarre decision. On the basis it’s largely aimed at folk who live in Midlothian it should have been on the other side of the roundabout. 
 

Making everyone cross one of the country’s busiest roundabouts to get to the park and ride is mental. 

[frankblack]

6 minutes ago, Ked said:

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.

 

 

Park and Rides should be to a Train or Tram Stop for shuttle access to the city.  Anything else with Buses ultimately won't meet its goal.

[frankblack]

6 minutes ago, FWJ said:

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?

 

Edinburgh has the footfall with locals and tourists other cities can only dream of, otherwise we wouldn't be looking to build more and more hotels.

 

Are you telling me people don't want to come here and visit?

[FWJ]

I’ve used Ingliston, Riccarton and Straiton.

Ingliston is the best, IMHO, but can’t be used overnight.  Riccarton is pretty good too - thanks, in large part, to the bus lanes along Calder Road and into town.

Straiton, not so great.

[FWJ]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

Edinburgh has the footfall with locals and tourists other cities can only dream of, otherwise we wouldn't be looking to build more and more hotels.

 

Are you telling me people don't want to come here and visit?

Of course they do (although Edinburgh’s attractiveness to visitors and the provisions made for them seems to ‘trigger’ quite a few people).

 

But I’ll ask again - how do you ‘attract’ retail - or force it - back onto Princes Street?  Department stores are done the country / world over, the old model of retail is changing.

What’s happening to the old Jenners is interesting, and I believe something similar is planned for Forsyth’s.

Binns / Fraser’s has, of course, already been repurposed to great acclaim and I think Debenhams is being turned into a large hotel.

There’s plenty happening on Princes Street.

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

18 minutes ago, skinnybob72 said:

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. 

Probably 3 maybe 4 if you have an umbrella and a set of thermals on

Even when it's mid summer with clear blue skies and sunshine there is the chilling cool breeze

Edimburgo doesn't do alfresco  

[frankblack]

13 minutes ago, FWJ said:

Of course they do (although Edinburgh’s attractiveness to visitors and the provisions made for them seems to ‘trigger’ quite a few people).

 

But I’ll ask again - how do you ‘attract’ retail - or force it - back onto Princes Street?  Department stores are done the country / world over, the old model of retail is changing.

 

 

 

What’s happening to the old Jenners is interesting, and I believe something similar is planned for Forsyth’s.

Binns / Fraser’s has, of course, already been repurposed to great acclaim and I think Debenhams is being turned into a large hotel.

There’s plenty happening on Princes Street.

 

I don't have to answer how you attract firms that is for the council, who are utterly incompetent.

 

Plenty happening to Princes Street but not for the locals or day trip visitors from satellite towns.  Covid shut a lot of businesses that had issues before the pandemic, but the traffic policy and inadequate alternative public transport options has also contributed.

Edited February 4 by frankblack

[Jamboross]

1 minute ago, FWJ said:

Of course they do (although Edinburgh’s attractiveness to visitors and the provisions made for them seems to ‘trigger’ quite a few people).

 

But I’ll ask again - how do you ‘attract’ retail - or force it - back onto Princes Street?  Department stores are done the country / world over, the old model of retail is changing.

What’s happening to the old Jenners is interesting, and I believe something similar is planned for Forsyth’s.

Binns / Fraser’s has, of course, already been repurposed to great acclaim and I think Debenhams is being turned into a large hotel.

There’s plenty happening on Princes Street.

 

The Debenhams hotel is not longer happening. Company behind it put the site up for sale in the autumn and as far as I'm aware haven't found a buyer yet. Shame as the plans for it looked excellent with the wee shopping arcade connecting through to Rose St. There are though big plans for the former Next, Levis etc more or less next door - that will see one of the buildings knocked down, a big hotel taking the upper floors along with bar and restaurant and some refurbed retail units on the street level. Also plans for another hotel on South St Andrew Street that'll see one of the tartan tat shops ousted. 

[FWJ]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

Plenty happening to Princes Street but not for the locals.

So the Poundlands and home bargain stores that you mock and deplore are not for ‘the locals’?

These big, fancy hotels usually have big, fancy bars that will be used by locals too.

 

I’m confused - you previously seemed to welcome the additional ‘footfall’ the visitors bring, but now don’t want to have the facilities for them?

[frankblack]

14 minutes ago, Howdy Doody Jambo said:

Probably 3 maybe 4 if you have an umbrella and a set of thermals on

Even when it's mid summer with clear blue skies and sunshine there is the chilling cool breeze

Edimburgo doesn't do alfresco  

 

Yep - the planners have their heads up their arse modelling the city on warm climate cities with a very different culture.  Have they seen the city centre on a Saturday night at kicking-out time?

[Jamboross]

4 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

I don't have to answer how you attract firms that is for the council, who are utterly incompetent.

 

Plenty happening to Princes Street but not for the locals or day trip visitors from satellite towns.

 

Why are they not for the locals? The bedrooms, granted, are gernally not but they are by and large restricted to the upper levels of buildings that are currently either sitting empty or are underutilised back-shop areas. The hotels also include restaurants, bars etc which are just as open to someone from Gorgie as Germany, the ones that don't have these on the street level usually keep that space as a refurbished retail unit. 

[frankblack]

4 minutes ago, Jamboross said:

 

The Debenhams hotel is not longer happening. Company behind it put the site up for sale in the autumn and as far as I'm aware haven't found a buyer yet. Shame as the plans for it looked excellent with the wee shopping arcade connecting through to Rose St. There are though big plans for the former Next, Levis etc more or less next door - that will see one of the buildings knocked down, a big hotel taking the upper floors along with bar and restaurant and some refurbed retail units on the street level. Also plans for another hotel on South St Andrew Street that'll see one of the tartan tat shops ousted. 

 

There is a hotel planned for Queensferry Street/Shandwick Place area also.

[frankblack]

2 minutes ago, Jamboross said:

 

Why are they not for the locals? The bedrooms, granted, are gernally not but they are by and large restricted to the upper levels of buildings that are currently either sitting empty or are underutilised back-shop areas. The hotels also include restaurants, bars etc which are just as open to someone from Gorgie as Germany, the ones that don't have these on the street level usually keep that space as a refurbished retail unit. 

 

Nonsense - that isn't going to get people travelling in.

 

People have enough options to eat out in the city centre already, and hotel restauraunts aren't the places you'd book a group night out.

Edited February 4 by frankblack

[FWJ]

12 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

I don't have to answer how you attract firms that is for the council, who are utterly incompetent.

 

Plenty happening to Princes Street but not for the locals or day trip visitors from satellite towns.  Covid shut a lot of businesses that had issues before the pandemic, but the traffic policy and inadequate alternative public transport options has also contributed.

Is that because you don’t have any answers?

[il Duce McTarkin]

1 hour ago, FWJ said:

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

 

Uninvent the internet and demolish out of town retail parks.

[FWJ]

5 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Nonsense - that isn't going to get people travelling in.

 

People have enough options to eat out in the city centre already, and hotel restauraunts aren't the places you'd book a group night out.

Doesn’t bode well for the Skyline  - it’s for visitors only.

[frankblack]

1 minute ago, FWJ said:

Is that because you don’t have any answers?

 

No, because you are asking stupid questions to deflect from all that flapping you have done. 👌

[Jamboross]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

Nonsense.  People have enough options to eat out in the city centre already, and hotel restauraunts aren't the places you'd book a group night out.

 

And yet plenty of locals do. Hawksmoor, Lady Libertine, Juniper, Twenty Princes Street, Bar+Block, even the bar in the Premier Inn on Rose St. all part of hotel developments and all places I've had dinner/drinks within the last few years. 

[FWJ]

1 minute ago, il Duce McTarkin said:

 

Uninvent the internet and demolish out of town retail parks.

First one tricky but I could genuinely get on board with the second.

[il Duce McTarkin]

3 minutes ago, FWJ said:

Is that because you don’t have any answers?

 

Frankblack clearly knows FA beyond his own self-convenience informed opinions, but the question is, does Scott Arthur?

[frankblack]

Just now, FWJ said:

Doesn’t bode well for the Skyline  - it’s for visitors only.

 

More flapping from you.  Give it up.

[FWJ]

1 minute ago, frankblack said:

 

No, because you are asking stupid questions to deflect from all that flapping you have done. 👌

A bit ad hominem  so probably better we just leave it there.

[FWJ]

2 minutes ago, il Duce McTarkin said:

 

Frankblack clearly knows FA beyond his own self-convenience informed opinions, but the question is, does Scott Arthur?

I know, given the choice between the two, who I would rather have design the city.

[frankblack]

Just now, Jamboross said:

 

And yet plenty of locals do. Hawksmoor, Lady Libertine, Juniper, Twenty Princes Street, Bar+Block, even the bar in the Premier Inn on Rose St. all part of hotel developments and all places I've had dinner/drinks within the last few years. 

 

Count yourself a minority in that case.  Nobody I've ever met or worked with has chosen to eat in a local hotel restauraunt other than for an office Christmas lunch.

 

I've stayed in a number of premier inns and the food isn't great so I always eat out.

[Byyy The Light]

Took me 45 minutes to get from Fairmilehead to Robertson Avenue on the 4 for the Aberdeen game last Saturday.

 

Regularly takes between 50

mins and an hour to get from Fairmilehead to St Andrews Square on the 11.

 

I’m all for reducing traffic but if buses are the alternative they need to make them

a viable alternative. 
 

 

[il Duce McTarkin]

Just now, FWJ said:

First one tricky but I could genuinely get on board with the second.

 

See for me, I can be at Straiton from Firrhill in 8 minutes by car, or 40 mins on the bus through via the Morningside bottleneck into the town centre. Other bus routes aren't much better with frequent gridlock on Craiglockhart Avenue or roadworks at Meggetland. It's a no-brainer. I look forward to the city centre's conversion to leisure and hospitality facilities.  Retail as we knew it is finished.

[frankblack]

3 minutes ago, il Duce McTarkin said:

 

Frankblack clearly knows FA beyond his own self-convenience informed opinions, but the question is, does Scott Arthur?

 

 

Taking a pop at me while not tagging me shows you as weak and clueless.

[il Duce McTarkin]

Just now, frankblack said:

 

 

Taking a pop at me while not tagging me shows you as weak and clueless.

 

Knew it wouldn't take you long to spot it though, bigbaws. And even less time to bite like a shark.

 

[frankblack]

1 minute ago, Byyy The Light said:

Took me 45 minutes to get from Fairmilehead to Robertson Avenue on the 4 for the Aberdeen game last Saturday.

 

Regularly takes between 50

mins and an hour to get from Fairmilehead to St Andrews Square on the 11.

 

I’m all for reducing traffic but if buses are the alternative they need to make them

a viable alternative. 
 

 

 

Exactly.

 

Put my car into the garage in Sighthill and got the bus to Haymarket which took an hour once I got on it, and the same again going back.  This is on the Calder Road with a bus lane.

[frankblack]

Just now, il Duce McTarkin said:

 

Knew it wouldn't take you long to spot it though, bigbaws. And even less time to bite like a shark.

 

 

Don't give yourself any credit pal.  You just came on to troll and name call.  If that gives your your cheap thrills I'll leave you to it.

[il Duce McTarkin]

8 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Don't give yourself any credit pal.  You just came on to troll and name call.  If that gives your your cheap thrills I'll leave you to it.

 

I must've imagined my previous on-topic posts on the subject then. 

 

1 hour ago, frankblack said:

 

I doubt there are more cars than previously.  

 

That comment alone reveals the depth of your knowledge on the matter, and draws the absurdity of the self-righteous, lecturous, passive-aggressive arrogance of your posting style into stark relief.

 

See, I might get my cheap thrills from pretending to be a dick, but you, well...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4 by il Duce McTarkin

[Ked]

59 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Park and Rides should be to a Train or Tram Stop for shuttle access to the city.  Anything else with Buses ultimately won't meet its goal.

There's loads of parking spaces.

West East Lothian there is a decent rail service.

West Edinburgh served by trans and a 5 minute regular bus service to town.

East Lothian served by decent buses.

Even subc8ntractors are dropping tools and training in.

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

40 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Yep - the planners have their heads up their arse modelling the city on warm climate cities with a very different culture.  Have they seen the city centre on a Saturday night at kicking-out time?

The clowncil are away with the fairy's

That decking area outside Bar Napoli that obstructed the inside south bound lane on Hanover Street last summer was barely used and just caused congestion all summer 

And what about that North Bridge fiasco, it's taken them 5 years and counting, they built the Queensferry Crossing in half the time everything they do is chaos and failure 

[Ribble]

6 hours ago, frankblack said:

 

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.

seems a common approach to piss money away so restrictions can’t be undone and roads can’t be repaired! 
 

Seen them repainting the road markings on lower granton road yesterday, half the paint will be gone in weeks as it was just chucked down on road crumbling to bits and covered with potholes

[frankblack]

11 minutes ago, Ribble said:

seems a common approach to piss money away so restrictions can’t be undone and roads can’t be repaired! 
 

Seen them repainting the road markings on lower granton road yesterday, half the paint will be gone in weeks as it was just chucked down on road crumbling to bits and covered with potholes

 

Just had an eye watering bill to get my car through its MOT.  Damage such as wheel alignment and coil springs, I am convinced was caused by the state of the roads.  My mileage is negligible - its only used to do shopping and visit family.

[frankblack]

31 minutes ago, Ked said:

There's loads of parking spaces.

West East Lothian there is a decent rail service.

West Edinburgh served by trans and a 5 minute regular bus service to town.

East Lothian served by decent buses.

Even subc8ntractors are dropping tools and training in.

 

I don't agree with you as I think it needs to be better with proper link up to the trains and tram on the pinch points from Fife, East, West, and Mid Lothians.

[skinnybob72]

49 minutes ago, il Duce McTarkin said:

 

See for me, I can be at Straiton from Firrhill in 8 minutes by car, or 40 mins on the bus through via the Morningside bottleneck into the town centre. Other bus routes aren't much better with frequent gridlock on Craiglockhart Avenue or roadworks at Meggetland. It's a no-brainer. I look forward to the city centre's conversion to leisure and hospitality facilities.  Retail as we knew it is finished.

First thing they need to do is get rid of 1 in every 2 (or at least 1 in 3) bus stops. We are told we need to walk more so that can be to a further away stop. That speeds the bus up and makes it a more attractive proposition.

 

Also, reintroduce bus conductors so that the driver only has to focus on driving - not having to explain to tourists what currency we use, etc. 

 

In short, get the damn things moving quicker. 

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Scott Arthur is a useless idiot. Messing up the roads for cars and busses doesn’t help anyone. 
 

There are major roadworks on Gorgie Road and Slateford Road at the same time - not clever

Edited February 4 by Toxteth O'Grady

[SecN]

Some of the Edinburgh traffic management planning is analysed by computer programming. I remember the top of Easter Road around abbeymount was messed up big time during roadworks caused by this. 

[sinks]

55 minutes ago, Ked said:

There's loads of parking spaces.

West East Lothian there is a decent rail service.

West Edinburgh served by trans and a 5 minute regular bus service to town.

East Lothian served by decent buses.

Even subc8ntractors are dropping tools and training in.

Sorry but train service in East Lothian is dire...Most of the time it's one train an hour ,if they don't cancel it.

Buses not much better , one bus every half hour...

[ejbh]

1 hour ago, Byyy The Light said:

Took me 45 minutes to get from Fairmilehead to Robertson Avenue on the 4 for the Aberdeen game last Saturday.

 

Regularly takes between 50

mins and an hour to get from Fairmilehead to St Andrews Square on the 11.

 

I’m all for reducing traffic but if buses are the alternative they need to make them

a viable alternative. 
 

 

The number one reason for busses being delayed is congestion caused by too many cars. This is according to the managing director of lothian buses.

 

Maybe less people drove everywhere, busses would be quicker and more reliable?

[The Real Maroonblood]

2 minutes ago, ejbh said:

The number one reason for busses being delayed is congestion caused by too many cars. This is according to the managing director of lothian buses.

 

Maybe less people drove everywhere, busses would be quicker and more reliable?

Fair comment. 

[Seymour M Hersh]

2 hours 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. 

 

What a load of bollox. 

[Seymour M Hersh]

2 hours ago, FWJ said:

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

 

PTs was on the North Bridge where the Hilton is. 

[Malinga the Swinga]

54 minutes ago, skinnybob72 said:

First thing they need to do is get rid of 1 in every 2 (or at least 1 in 3) bus stops. We are told we need to walk more so that can be to a further away stop. That speeds the bus up and makes it a more attractive proposition.

 

Also, reintroduce bus conductors so that the driver only has to focus on driving - not having to explain to tourists what currency we use, etc. 

 

In short, get the damn things moving quicker. 

Agree about stops. The number of stops in Oxgangs are ridiculous with 4 between Hunters Tryst and bottom of hill. It takes about 5 minutes to walk so st least 2 should go.

 

As for councillor Arthur, the man is a menace. Like most cyclists, he hates cars and fails to understand his traffic calming measures cause more issues than they solve.

Edited February 4 by Malinga the Swinga

[il Duce McTarkin]

7 minutes ago, Malinga the Swinga said:

Agree about stops. The number of stops in Oxgangs are ridiculous with 4 between Hunters Tryst and bottom of hill. It takes about 5 minutes to walk so st least 2 should go.

 

It's a steep hill for old folk to get up and down. 

[The Mighty Thor]

1 hour ago, Ked said:

There's loads of parking spaces.

West East Lothian there is a decent rail service.

West Edinburgh served by trans and a 5 minute regular bus service to town.

East Lothian served by decent buses.

Even subc8ntractors are dropping tools and training in.

East lothian is served by a bus service. The 'X' 7 takes 70 minutes to meander into town on a really good day from Dunbar. 

Trains are more miss than hit and you're royally fecked if you're a shift worker. 

Saturday night the last train to Dunbar is 10pm or its 70 bladder busting minutes on the chav chariot and I've not got that anymore. ☹️

 

Cars still need to transit the city even if that means avoiding the city centre.

Begg, Lazarowicz and now this boy need to realise that. 

 

[SecN]

Cllr Scott Arthur is publically listed as a director of The Spartans community foundation.