Edinburgh announces action plan for safe walking and cycling
Edinburgh has announced a new action plan to make streets safe for walking and cycling during the coronavirus outbreak.
The 'Creating Safe Spaces for Walking and Cycling' report sets out a range of proposals to help people move around easier on foot, by bike or by public transport in the Scottish capital. Amongst the proposals are street closures to vehicles, widened pavements, temporary cycle lanes, and bus priority measures.
Edinburgh had already begun implementing changes to help those making essential journeys and taking daily exercise by foot or bike to stay 2m apart, with road closures in certain areas of the city.
Improvements are proposed for other ‘pinch points’ across the city, such as road closures, the introduction of bus gates and temporary cycle lanes. As restrictions are eased and traffic increases, further changes to facilitate safe movement are likely to include pedestrian priority at signalised road crossings, extended bus lane hours, widened pavements and a review of speed limits.
To provide extra space in the city centre, and as residents return to a ‘new normal’, it is also intended that key proposals from the Edinburgh City Centre Transformation plan are brought forward to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists. In particular, key streets in the city centre will be closed to traffic.
Members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee will consider a report this week setting out criteria for temporary walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as a package of short and long-term measures to establish safer routes for cyclists and pedestrians.
To find out more, please see the City of Edinburgh Council website.
