Edinburgh's flagship cycling priority project the City Centre East West Link completes construction in February 2024, bringing to journeys across the city centre the sorts of advantage to active travel already found elsewhere on off-road quiet routes through parks and along former railways so that cyclists throughout the network can travel to and through the City Centre on safe and direct routes.
The Project Justification Report from 2014 summarised the project's purpose under the wider Scottish vision that by 2020 some 10% of everyday journeys taken in Scotland would be by bike. A cycle demand model forecast a potential increase in one-way commuter cycle trips by 88%, representing an increase of 16% in the number of people cycling to work across Edinburgh to 10,872.
The forecast benefit of over £20M was composed largely of health impacts through increased active travel as well as wider economic benefits.
From an initial feasibility study in August 2014, there came preliminary design approval in December 2016 leading on to statutory consultation in the spring of 2018 and to a public hearing in November 2019. Statutory orders were then approved in July 2020, and contractors were appointed in October 2021. With the start delayed by CoVid, work commenced in February 2022 at the western end of the route which stretches from Roseburn through the West End and St Andrew's Square to Picardy Place where it connects with the cycling priority routes achieved by the Trams to Newhaven project.
The user experience was to be enhanced by improvements to safety, comfort, coherence and attractiveness with greater directness and adaptability to be achieved through wider footways, segregated cycle-lanes, more pedestrian crossings and relocated bus stops. In the city centre account would have to be taken of the design requirements in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Melville Street a particular focus requiring a symmetrical design with one-way cycle lanes on each side of the street.
The public consultation report found 67% of respondents strongly supportive and 9% supportive, while just 1% were neutral and 4% opposed, 20% strongly opposed the proposals. Challenges were encountered with underground structures such as cellars in historic streets, while roadwork coordination revealed the limits of roadspace resulting in big impacts on traffic management.
Proximity to Murrayfield Stadium prompted interaction with both the Six Nations rugby, when 70,000 fans might be walking through the work-site, and also concerts that attracted record audiences such as those given by Beyonce and Harry Styles.
Delivery had to ensure that such projects would keep pace with other calls on the city's budget, including tram lines and the North Bridge refurbishment. Long periods of disruption on residential and shopping streets such as York Place having to be closed westbound took their toll on relations with residents and traders. To sustain public support, opportunities were sought for engagement and co-creation, with an exercise in Roseburn which by drawing on previous aspirations by the Murrayfield Community Council led to introduction of paving stones and heritage lighting, hopscotch markings, bespoke paving slabs to recall the Coltbridge Canter of 1745, improved planters to be maintained by local volunteers, more seating and corralled bins - plus the removal of a hideous overhead traffic-light gantry. For junctions and crossings, the task has been to ensure safe and efficient designs in complex urban streets, separating pedestrians, bikes and traffic in space and/or time while minimising conflict between different modes, so that at Haymarket Terrace there is to be an innovative three-phase traffic-light sequence.
Time will tell how successful the project is in delivering modal shift, which is expected to be cumulative as other routes are added to the active travel network. There is already a benefit to be seen in the improved street furniture and paving that help celebrate the urban charm of communities along the route, and arrangements are in place to monitor the impact on air pollution.
Report by John Yellowlees. Photographs by Rurigdh McMeddes MA, MSc.
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