Leith low traffic neighbourhood: Work to begin on new pedestrian areas in Constitution Street, Leith Links and the Shore

Edinburgh council sets out first phase of ‘Leith Connections’
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Work will start next month on creating new pedestrian spaces, improved crossings and community artwork as part of Leith's low traffic neighbourhood.

The first phase of “Leith Connections” will introduce measures to limit through traffic and enhance streets for pedestrians and cyclists in areas around Constitution Street, Leith Links and the Shore. There will be new traffic layouts in several of the streets to prioritise people travelling by foot, wheel or bike. These will include the closure of Sandport Place Bridge to motor traffic, bus gates at the Shore and Links Place and “modal filters” – bollards or planters – to prevent through traffic in some areas. The council said all residential and business properties would still be accessible by motor vehicle, while blue badge parking would be unaffected.

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Construction will begin in the week starting April 10 and is expected to last until late June. The aim is to create safer, more welcoming places to walk, wheel, cycle and spend time in Leith. Changes will also see planting and seating in newly created pedestrian spaces, community-inspired artwork and pavement decluttering.

Burgess Street, looking away from the Shore, showing how it will look once changes are in place.Burgess Street, looking away from the Shore, showing how it will look once changes are in place.
Burgess Street, looking away from the Shore, showing how it will look once changes are in place.

The council said the designs for the project drew on two years of engagement with the community and local stakeholders, including online co-design workshops, public drop-in sessions and focused meetings. Some of the measures, those to the east of the Shore, will be implemented on a trial basis under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). The scheme is being paid for through Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure programme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Sustrans.

Transport and environment convener Scott Arthur said: “Leith Connections is a really exciting opportunity to create safer, more welcoming spaces to walk, wheel and cycle in Leith, as well as for spending time with friends or visiting local businesses. These changes have drawn on feedback from the community, as well as the council’s own monitoring. They will also provide better connections to popular walking and cycling routes nearby, like the north Edinburgh path network and the Water of Leith walkway and soon, protected cycle lanes on Leith Walk, delivered as part of the Trams to Newhaven project.

“The team has drawn up a robust monitoring and evaluation plan so that once it’s in place, they can understand the benefits and impacts of Leith Connections. I look forward to hearing what the community thinks too, as part of the ETRO process. I shall be watching this installation closely as I am keen to see more schemes like this in Edinburgh.”

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Michael Melton, grant manager at Sustrans, said: “We are pleased to be working with the city council to make Leith a safer and more accessible place to walk, wheel, cycle and spend time.” Officers will closely monitor the impact of the project through automatic traffic counts, air quality monitoring, market research and focus groups. Information gathered will feed into recommendations for the future of the project.

Burgess Street, looking towards the Shore, showing how the new measures will look.Burgess Street, looking towards the Shore, showing how the new measures will look.
Burgess Street, looking towards the Shore, showing how the new measures will look.

Further phases of Leith Connections still under development, will see protected cycle lanes running from the Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal, delivered in parallel with the Trams to Newhaven project, and from the Hawthornvale path to Seafield.

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