Leith cycleway scheme under fire for narrowing pavements, removing bus lanes and taking away bus stops

The proposals for the busy A199 road between Newhaven and Seafield are part of the Leith Connections project which also created a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in Leith.

The new scheme - which covers Lindsay Road, Commercial Street, Bernard Street, Salamander Street and Seafield Road - also involves narrowing carriageways and installing floating bus stops, where people have to cross a cycle lane when getting on or off a bus - a design which has been strongly criticised by groups representing disabled and blind people.

But residents say rather than making life more difficult for bus passengers and pedestrians, there is an obvious alternative active travel route through now quieter roads in the LTN, linking up with an existing cycle way across Leith Links.

Leith resident Robert Drysdale has compiled a map showing the alternative route.

The proposals for the busy A199 road between Newhaven and Seafield are part of the Leith Connections project | Robert Drysdale

He said: "Leith Connections only last year implemented their LTN scheme in Leith, which involved closing off streets and removing all through traffic from the roads which run parallel to the main road, thereby creating an ideal ‘by-pass’ for cyclists, with virtually no traffic to worry about – plus this quiet route connects into the existing cycleway across Leith Links, which badly needs some upgrading and which would cost far less to upgrade than construction of the new cycleway along the main road."

According to Edinburgh Bus Users Group, the council’s proposed scheme will see bus lanes removed at Lindsay Road (eastbound), Ocean Drive (southbound), Commercial Street east of Prince Regent Street (westbound) and Commercial Street east of Dock St (westbound and eastbound).

Mr Drysdale said: "As with the previous initial consultation on the project, Leith Connections has omitted all mention of the proposed removal of bus lanes along the route which, considering the objections which were made to that idea last time round, seems very underhand.

"I have challenged them about this and asked them to re-mount the consultation making clear that existing bus lanes are to be removed. I can’t think of any transport scheme in Edinburgh which has actually proposed removing bus lanes rather than installing them."

Edinburgh Bus Users Group said a total of around 700 metres of bus lane would be lost. And it warned: "Lindsay Road and Salamander Street are key sections of orbital bus routes. Therefore, increased bus journey times will affect both passengers in the immediate and wider north Edinburgh area.

“The proposals not only remove bus lanes on streets with a high density of bus use - both vehicles and passengers - but buses are left fighting for space with general traffic on road layouts that are sub-optimal for bus operation.”

Leith Links community council also backs the call for an alternative route. In its submission to the council's consultation on the plans, the community council said it opposed the scheme "almost entirely".

And it accused the council of "over-prioritising" cycling over all other means of travel "at a disproportionately high cost to pavement users, public transport users, and other road users".

The submission continues: "Narrowing pavements and creating floating bus-stops disadvantages pedestrians and those pushing buggies or using wheelchairs.

"Narrowing the roads and removing bus lanes disadvantages users of public transport as it slows down bus journey times, making it more likely that people will resort to car use.

"Removing bus-stops and moving bus-stops disadvantages pedestrians and bus-users as it may mean it is too far to walk between stops, again, making it more likely that people will resort to car use."

The community council claimed the the scheme, as proposed, was making the same mistake made in the revamp of Leith Walk "The lesson supposedly learned on Leith Walk is that in some restricted spaces it is simply not possible to ‘have it all’ in the same space – traffic lanes, bus traffic, bus lanes, bus stop, adequate pedestrian pavements and cycle paths. Is the exact same thing going to happen again, here?"

The submission said the A199 was a busy arterial road linking East Lothian and the A1 with the north and west of Edinburgh, the only direct east-west route through the city avoiding the city centre and the only route into Leith docks from both east and west, with often heavy industrial traffic.

"A cycle path along this route is neither necessary nor safe. We should be using the newly created ‘quiet and safe’ LTN area for the cycle route - not putting a new cycleway on to a narrow, busy and very polluted peripheral road."

Walking campaign group Living Streets Edinburgh is also among the groups criticising the plans. It said: "We acknowledge that the proposals would bring some significant improvements for pedestrians, such as ‘continuous footways’ over side road junctions, a single-stage crossing over North Junction Street at the Ocean Drive junction, and a new pavement at the eastern side of North Junction Street.

"However, it is also very concerning to see some sections of pavement actually reduced, and no improvement to many pavements that are already less than 2 metres wide – the “absolute minimum” that the Council normally considers acceptable."

Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said the council was still processing the feedback from the latest engagement phase on the Hawthornvale to Seafield section of the Leith Connections programme.

“I’m conscious that concerns around buses and pavement width have been raised and we’ll take these into consideration. There will be further opportunities for residents and stakeholder groups to make their voices heard as we move forward with the formal Traffic Regulation Orders in the New Year. We’ll continue to work in conjunction with key stakeholders as the project develops.

“I’m proud that we’re pressing ahead with Leith Connections to make it easier and safer for walking, wheeling and cycling in the north of our city – whilst improving our streets and community spaces for the benefit of all.”