Mass bike ride in protest at reversal of road closures
Cyclists are to stage a mass bike ride through an Edinburgh estate this weekend in protest at the council’s decision to scrap controversial road closures originally introduced as part of the Spaces for People programme.
Cycling campaign group Critical Mass said the plan to reopen roads in Morningside’s Braid estate and “dismantle” the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route, meant City of Edinburgh Council was putting the car first, ahead of all other road users.
They said the decision by the council’s transport committee to remove planters blocking the way for cars, and reintroduce through-traffic to a residential area was made despite the fact the Quiet Route had achieved a 40 per cent reduction in traffic, increasing the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, and encouraging families and younger children to use more environmentally friendly ways to travel. The committee agreed instead to install a segregated cycleway along Braid Avenue and Hermitage Drive.
Craig Robertson, a member of Critical Mass, said: “This choice appears to prioritise car use over and above all other forms of transport, a seemingly short-sighted decision in the face of climate, economic and health crises, where lowcost, low-carbon and active forms of travel need to be encouraged.”
Critical Mass will start the protest at Middle Meadow Walk at 2pm on Saturday, March 30.
Transport convener Scott Arthur said: “I feel this is the best way of resetting our relationship with the local community whilst also meeting the project aims.”
He argued a segregated route would be safer than the current arrangements as cyclists would not be mixing with cars, but he added there would also be robust traffic calming and speed reduction measures in place.
And on the use of cheaper segregation measures in the short term, he said: “Noting that this is a trial, I think it is right that we look at robust but inexpensive ways to test the approach. Once the trial ends, the final design of planters and/or segregation in place will reflect the conservation area status.”