Your views onine

Edinburgh City Council is set to issue compulsory purchase orders for several plots of land as part a new active travel route. The £20 million, 10km ‘West Edinburgh Link’ will connect South Gyle, Edinburgh Park and nearby neighbourhoods.
An artist's impression of the planned West Edinburgh LinkAn artist's impression of the planned West Edinburgh Link
An artist's impression of the planned West Edinburgh Link

John Mcnicoll: How about spending that money repairing the existing roads and cycling lanes so all traffic can get from A to B as quickly as possible. Also sort out existing cycle lanes so cyclists actually use them. Why not monitor them and If they are not used then remove them? I see more cyclists cycling on the main roads next to cycle lanes than actually using them. Use them or lose them.

Diane Pearson: Given the amount of money being spent to make things better for cyclists isn't it time cyclists paid a contribution, for example tax the bikes. They can cause injury to pedestrians yet have no insurance. All other vehicles have to be taxed and display a number plate and have insurance. If we are going to be forced down a road which the majority of people don't appear to want then it's time to level up the playing field.

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Nick Connor: Insurance and a licence plate definitely stop speeding, mobile phone use, pavement parking, going through red lights etc and five pedestrians being killed by vehicles every day... or is it just your irrational dislike of someone's son/daughter/husband/wife/father/mother/friend because of the mode of transport they choose?

Hilary Ramsay: At a time of proposed increases in council tax projects like this should be put on hold. The council should be concentrating on the delivery of core services before anything else.

Colin Brown: Excellent. Our cycling infrastructure is a good 50 years behind what I was able to admire in Germany in the 1970s. The efforts in the last couple of years have done no favours to cyclists, motorists or pedestrians. We are fortunate in North Edinburgh to have a good network of paths. More, please, across the city.

Geoffrey Sampson: Where is the justification for spending this money? I drove into Edinburgh from Fife yesterday and in five-ten miles I saw one bike and loads of tailbacks. It took 40 minutes getting from Glenrothes to Ferry Road and then 30 minutes getting to Leith Walk. The council is worrying about emissions – there is plenty of that with cars not moving and stuck in tailbacks.

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Fergus Hayne: Excellent plan. What the city really needs is more people on bikes and far fewer cars driving in the city. Cars are not the future of the city – get used to it dinosaurs.

Calum MacLeod: Drivers complain when cyclists perfectly legally don’t use cycle lanes and cycle on the road and now they are complaining when new cycle lanes are built to keep them off the roads?

Ian Mycko: Never mind child poverty – must keep the cyclists sweet.

Colin Gilbert: Drivers: “Spend millions fixing the potholes!” Council builds a bike lane. Drivers: “You could have helped the homeless instead, or sorted child poverty!”

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Victoria McIntosh: They can't fix the roads and pavements yet they waste the money by spending it on cycle lanes. Utter craziness.

Jawbone Arch

Edinburgh’s famous Jawbone Arch, which was dismantled for essential conservation work in 2014, has been judged too fragile to return to its familiar position in the Meadows. The council plans to make a bronze replica to take its place, while the original is put on display indoors.

Crispin Bates: This is a great idea. As a proud Southsider I would be glad to contribute.

Alan Sayers: The council took it down then looked for an excuse not to put it back up.

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Helen Hodge: That’s so sad. It’s been a landmark at the Meadows for many, many years. Can’t it be repaired?

Clare Lamont: The one on top of the Law in North Berwick was replaced by a replica. It was reported at the the time that it was constructed by shaping a timber core and covering it with polyurethane foam, before building it up with fibreglass.

Stephen Gifford: I’ve got the answer – put up a 20mph sign in its place, and cones, and a roadworks sign.

Andy Miller: A crowdfunding page to pay for something the council should pay for? What’s next? Crowdfunding to empty our bins?

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