This area for years has been a haven for horses, walkers, golfers, dogs, sledging, cyclists, families, elderly and local residents. With buildings of note, leisure facilities, an old people’s home, residential properties and an area for great views across Edinburgh and Fife the Braids/ Liberton area has been important. For years, the local community has wished for money to be spent to make changes that would suit “everyone”. This proposal meets the requirements of one public sector – cyclists! For years you couldn’t “walk” this road safely because the single pavement was a disgrace and it’s not street lit. Cyclist safety and convenience is important, but the area is a community for many, with cyclists only a very small part of a bigger picture! Note…cycle lanes benefit cyclists….they don’t benefit walkers…..safe pavements benefit walkers!
Totally agree. I’m not a very confident cyclist but I didn’t have a problem cycling across the route occasionally – and that was before the speed was reduced too. It’s an important road link should there be issues on the bypass, which then makes Frogston Road snarl up with traffic too.
Lee, a cycle lane alongside the footway would definitely benefit walkers! It would provide extra space between people walking and people ensconced in their high powered, armoured metal boxes. I remember walking along Braid Hills Drive when it was a 60mph limit, and it was really unpleasant. 40mph is better. 30mph would be better yet. And have you noticed just how loud car tyres are these days? It’s not just humans who feel there is too much vehicle noise around.
The temporary cycle lane markers used on Dalkeith Road near the Edinburgh RI are now littering Liberton Golf course. We do not want a repeat of this phenomena with Braid Hills GC similarly littered!
Safety for pedestrians should be the main issue. Cyclists pay little attention to cyclists -It was only luck once that I turned to find a cyclist on the pavement speeding towards me and the very young grandchildren. He only stopped when agitated I shouted at him. This is only one example of their attitude. I have seen them on the pavement outside the school when children were going into the school. Things will only get worse when they use the motorised bikes and scooters. They have little regard for the deaf, the blind or the feeble old age pensioners. They should have number plates pay tax and insurance and pass a cycling test and licence which can be taken away when they injure or kill pedestrians. And have a bell or a horn to warn pedestrians. When their cycle lanes take up a large part of the road and a bus or lorry has to stop there is no space for an ambulance or the fire brigade to pass – they just have to wait. I agree cycling is healthy for cyclists but they need to appreciate they are a small minority and need to think about the lives of others.
Those who say this area used to be a haven are quite correct. 50 years ago there were upwards of 250 horses in this area, stretching down to the now gone fields (where Cameron Toll sits) Liberton Dams, Tower Mains (Steiner School) Tower Kennels, Liberton Dairy, Tower Farm and Meadowhead as well as several fields with horses. There are easily half that number now and very few of us venture onto the roadways where years ago you could ride to access areas. In 50 years time its likely that there may be none here (I’ll certainly be gone). The bridle path on the Braids, dating back some 100 years or more – when it was a park, not a golf course – is now a shared space for riders, cyclists and pedestrians – however whilst most riders will give way to pedestrians, many cyclists seem oblivious to the fact that bearing down at speed on an animal that can weigh upwards of 3/4 of a metric ton who has a kick reach of 6 feet and can go from a walk to a gallop when spooked – and cyclists take note! You do spook horses often – they are not trained police horses, neither are they dogs you can pull over on a lead, need to be courteous and careful, there needs to be more thought into shared spaces or put aside spaces to make sure there is equality between users, rather than the pendulum completely swinging to one side.
I’ve given this more thought recently and I have a new opinion. Why is it that we have no parking, no street lights, overgrown bushes and trees, rusty dangerous fencing that hasn’t seen maintenance in years on this road and all of a sudden we have all this attention and expense for cycling? There have been years and years of use, for many leisure purposes and NOTHING!
The state of the road with no residential properties needs many aspects of its suitability investigated. This area is used by the public and should be considered by the public for use by the public. As for the areas where people own houses, this should be debated by those that “live” on these roads only. Why should the actual residents of the targeted streets have to endure the comments of those that want to dress in Lycra, cycle from there quiet cul de sacs and use the streets as there personal training track. Silent and at speed, these cyclists have turned up in there numbers since this went public and I won’t be happy if my pleasant street is turned into a multi lanes, bollard eye sore Tour de Liberton.
A great link to Braids, Hermitage. I would welcome this as it would improve the cycling walking experience.
The pavement and road surfaces themselves are in an appalling state and should be improved for the safety of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
This area for years has been a haven for horses, walkers, golfers, dogs, sledging, cyclists, families, elderly and local residents. With buildings of note, leisure facilities, an old people’s home, residential properties and an area for great views across Edinburgh and Fife the Braids/ Liberton area has been important. For years, the local community has wished for money to be spent to make changes that would suit “everyone”. This proposal meets the requirements of one public sector – cyclists! For years you couldn’t “walk” this road safely because the single pavement was a disgrace and it’s not street lit. Cyclist safety and convenience is important, but the area is a community for many, with cyclists only a very small part of a bigger picture! Note…cycle lanes benefit cyclists….they don’t benefit walkers…..safe pavements benefit walkers!
Totally agree. I’m not a very confident cyclist but I didn’t have a problem cycling across the route occasionally – and that was before the speed was reduced too. It’s an important road link should there be issues on the bypass, which then makes Frogston Road snarl up with traffic too.
Lee, a cycle lane alongside the footway would definitely benefit walkers! It would provide extra space between people walking and people ensconced in their high powered, armoured metal boxes. I remember walking along Braid Hills Drive when it was a 60mph limit, and it was really unpleasant. 40mph is better. 30mph would be better yet. And have you noticed just how loud car tyres are these days? It’s not just humans who feel there is too much vehicle noise around.
The temporary cycle lane markers used on Dalkeith Road near the Edinburgh RI are now littering Liberton Golf course. We do not want a repeat of this phenomena with Braid Hills GC similarly littered!
I agree with the first 3 comments. Regarding the 4th I think that permanent markers should be used.
Safety for pedestrians should be the main issue. Cyclists pay little attention to cyclists -It was only luck once that I turned to find a cyclist on the pavement speeding towards me and the very young grandchildren. He only stopped when agitated I shouted at him. This is only one example of their attitude. I have seen them on the pavement outside the school when children were going into the school. Things will only get worse when they use the motorised bikes and scooters. They have little regard for the deaf, the blind or the feeble old age pensioners. They should have number plates pay tax and insurance and pass a cycling test and licence which can be taken away when they injure or kill pedestrians. And have a bell or a horn to warn pedestrians. When their cycle lanes take up a large part of the road and a bus or lorry has to stop there is no space for an ambulance or the fire brigade to pass – they just have to wait. I agree cycling is healthy for cyclists but they need to appreciate they are a small minority and need to think about the lives of others.
Those who say this area used to be a haven are quite correct. 50 years ago there were upwards of 250 horses in this area, stretching down to the now gone fields (where Cameron Toll sits) Liberton Dams, Tower Mains (Steiner School) Tower Kennels, Liberton Dairy, Tower Farm and Meadowhead as well as several fields with horses. There are easily half that number now and very few of us venture onto the roadways where years ago you could ride to access areas. In 50 years time its likely that there may be none here (I’ll certainly be gone). The bridle path on the Braids, dating back some 100 years or more – when it was a park, not a golf course – is now a shared space for riders, cyclists and pedestrians – however whilst most riders will give way to pedestrians, many cyclists seem oblivious to the fact that bearing down at speed on an animal that can weigh upwards of 3/4 of a metric ton who has a kick reach of 6 feet and can go from a walk to a gallop when spooked – and cyclists take note! You do spook horses often – they are not trained police horses, neither are they dogs you can pull over on a lead, need to be courteous and careful, there needs to be more thought into shared spaces or put aside spaces to make sure there is equality between users, rather than the pendulum completely swinging to one side.
I’ve given this more thought recently and I have a new opinion. Why is it that we have no parking, no street lights, overgrown bushes and trees, rusty dangerous fencing that hasn’t seen maintenance in years on this road and all of a sudden we have all this attention and expense for cycling? There have been years and years of use, for many leisure purposes and NOTHING!
The state of the road with no residential properties needs many aspects of its suitability investigated. This area is used by the public and should be considered by the public for use by the public. As for the areas where people own houses, this should be debated by those that “live” on these roads only. Why should the actual residents of the targeted streets have to endure the comments of those that want to dress in Lycra, cycle from there quiet cul de sacs and use the streets as there personal training track. Silent and at speed, these cyclists have turned up in there numbers since this went public and I won’t be happy if my pleasant street is turned into a multi lanes, bollard eye sore Tour de Liberton.