Safety concerns raised as Edinburgh plans show London Road traffic islands removed
Residents and councillors argue that the removal of traffic islands could compromise pedestrian safety
Concerns have been raised over upgrade works to London Road that could see the removal of traffic islands on the busy city centre thoroughfare.
The council is consulting on plans to improve the cycle lanes, pavements and bus stops along the busy city centre road which connects Elm Row and Abbey Hill.
However it has been noticed that the plans appear to omit two traffic islands either side of Hillside Crescent - raising fears pedestrians will have to walk a considerable distance down the road in order to cross.
Leith Walk’s Liberal Democrat Councillor Jack Caldwell said he mostly supported the plans, but stressed the traffic islands were essential for local residents’ safety when crossing the busy road.
He said: “The designs look very positive as it’s important for a conservation area to have proper materials and cycle lanes to have a proper surface.
“The traffic islands on London Road in my firm view need to stay to allow pedestrians to cross into town. Whether they’re formal crossing points or not, many residents of Leith and Hillside rely on them to walk into town.”
Cllr Caldwell added: “If the Council can use this opportunity to make accessibility improvements to these islands, that would be the ideal scenario.”
In response, a council spokesperson said the designs shared on social media were not finalised.
The proposals are part of an estimated £212,000 worth of upgrades to the city’s A1 corridor, which would see Wellington Street bus stop removed and new pavement built out around Brunton Place bus stop.
Brunswick Street bus stop would be moved further down the road to be closer to pedestrian crossing and improvements are planned for the crossings where Hillside Crescent joins the road.
A council report on the road last year said the gaps in its cycle lane “increased the risk of conflict with a vehicle”.
Resident Ben Lawson, reacting to the plans on social media, called the current cycle lanes so “immensely dangerous” that he does not use them.
He added: “They are filled with potholes, degraded tarmac and debris. Not only that, but they force cyclists to weave in and out of the lanes and into the main carriageway to avoid the protruding bus stops.”
Other residents said it was “imperative” that the islands are kept, with one adding: “if anything, there should be more of them”.