Boostin' Kev Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Pedestrianising George St will barely make any difference to Queen St traffic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Capital Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Prohibitively expensive so unlikely to ever happen. A metro system that would combine commuter rail with a tram like format appears more likely: https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/gamechanger-glasgow-metro-system-takes-19761712I remember reading something about it ages ago and part of the plan was to utilise old tunnels and stuff that are already underneath that side of Glasgow. Wouldn’t be cheap, but not as expensive as some would initially think. I really like the subway myself. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginaro Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) Saw a comment from the usual gammon-type saying "how will older people cope without buses or taxis?" and "will people bother shopping?". Then you remember the size some of these retail parks or shopping centres are, where you have big car-free indoor areas that people seem to like shopping... Edited February 25, 2021 by Ginaro 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 2 hours ago, DiegoDiego said: Is Queen St. to George St. not a fair bit steeper than Princes St. to George St? They should have pedestrianised Princes St. and run the trams along George St.. True, it's not exactly Kilimanjaro but it is uphill. 18 minutes ago, Ginaro said: Saw a comment from the usual gammon-type saying "how will older people cope without buses or taxis?" and "will people bother shopping?". Then you remember the size some of these retail parks or shopping centres are, where you have big car-free indoor areas that people seem to like shopping... Whenever they yak on about the need to park five feet from their destination I always wonder how they get round Tesco. Do they insist on their age-old right to drive up the biscuit aisle? It's not genuine, they don't give two hoots about elderly and disabled people, they just use them as an excuse. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 14 hours ago, ICTChris said: George Street to be pedestrianised. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/car-ban-plan-as-council-unveils-european-boulevard-feel-for-edinburghs-george-street-3145858 I don’t really understand how anyone could really object to this, no doubt lots of people will. "European Boulevard feel". Considering the East wind that blaws along George Street for most of the year the only European Boulevard it will feel like is Ulitsa Gargarina, Archangel. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiegoDiego Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Edinburgh really is the Celtic of cities: comfortably the second best in the nation but massively underperforming. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.i Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 George St is as close to Queen St as it is to Princes St, so it shouldn't make that much difference. It's a bit of a myth that pedestrianising streets is bad for people with mobility problems. Distances might become a little longer, but there would be no roads to cross and a lot more space. People with restricted mobility are less likely to own a car than the rest of us, yet they're often used as an argument against excluding cars. Public transport is the issue here of course, so they'll need to make sure the stops on Queen St are well placed. It will be bad for some people of course, but it will be good for others, especially those who use mobility scooters. Displaced traffic will do what it has done in other cities - it will soon disappear. People will change how they make their journeys, or when, or they'll make different journeys. Utrecht just closed a motorway and it hasn't caused any real problems, while there's more people visiting the city centre than ever because it's a nicer place to be. I think a pedestrianised George St, Princes St (with trams) and Royal Mile would be amazing, it would instantly be by far the best city centre in the UK. Utrecht is a great example, but it's had loads of disruption and upheaval to get where it is now. I was on an industry study visit a couple of years ago and we had a presentation from the team who had worked on the planning and implementation. They have a hidden bike store at the station which can hold thousands of bikes; similar schemes are in place across the Netherlands at costs that would would make your eyes water. Genuinely segregated and integrated safe walking/ cycle/ vehicle routes.The guy leading the presentation did point out that thanks to the combined efforts of the Luftwaffe and RAF they didn't have many historic buildings they needed to preserve/ work with. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiG Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, GordonS said: Whenever they yak on about the need to park five feet from their destination I always wonder how they get round Tesco. Do they insist on their age-old right to drive up the biscuit aisle? It's not genuine, they don't give two hoots about elderly and disabled people, they just use them as an excuse. There were similar comments for the proposed West End to Roseburn (possibly further I can't quite remember) cycle scheme as well with people saying all the shops around Haymarket will die as no one can park outside them. Of course, whilst some I am sure will be inconvenienced, I'd be stunned if these people had information that showed the majority of customers coming in were ones parked at the front door. Having a nice cycle friendly bit of infrastructure will likely encourage people to visit these shops in greater numbers (easier to "park" a bike than a car for example, no expensive parking ticket to pay for and so on). ETA: On the subject of cycling I wish they would get a move on and lift up the old Powderhall line and get a path "installed" there. It would be great to have Meadowbank linked to the wider Edinburgh cycle network. Edited February 26, 2021 by RiG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hk blues Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 15 hours ago, Billy Jean King said: On 22/02/2021 at 05:29, MONKMAN said: The A75 should have been duelled years ago. Pistols at dawn or swords ? Yep, this trend of making every noun a verb is fucking irritating. I have been watching Love Island Australia (I know, I know...I have no valid excuse) and they are all "vibing" apparently. FFS. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiegoDiego Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 Yep, this trend of making every noun a verb is fucking irritating. I have been watching Love Island Australia (I know, I know...I have no valid excuse) and they are all "vibing" apparently. FFS.I'm generally okay with the verbing of nouns, despite being infuriated by most ongoing changes to the language (dropping the -ly from adverbs, using there is instead of there are, etc.).Forming verbs from nouns has been happening for centuries though and generally results in an easily understood, shorter sentence. Remember that next time you butter your bread. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiG Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 The progress made in dualling the A( continues at the same pace as driving up the A9 (some of the time). Another section out for tender now and an update on the Luncarty to Birnam section now expected to be completed by Winter 2021. Seems quite late but given the original completion date was "Spring 2021" pre COVID that's not too bad I guess. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/2933212/a9-dualling-six-more-miles-out-for-tender-in-115m-contract/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social The next section, Birnam to Tay Crossing, appears to be absolutely wild! A tunnel through Birnam and the current road at the ground level ultimately removed! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Boris proposed an underground tunnel to NI via the Isle of Man. Meanwhile the main eastern route south, the A1, remains undualled for large stretches between Edinburgh and Newcastle.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 8 minutes ago, tamthebam said: Boris proposed an underground tunnel to NI via the Isle of Man. Meanwhile the main eastern route south, the A1, remains undualled for large stretches between Edinburgh and Newcastle.... If only the "Union Unit" had lasted more than a fortnight they might have got round to this. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G51 Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Heard a story that there are medium-term plans for installing tunnels to connect some islands to the mainland. In particular, there's money being set aside to look at connecting South Ronaldsay (presumably to somewhere near John O' Groats), and Lewis (presumably to Ullapool). Would be great if something came of that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 11 minutes ago, G51 said: Heard a story that there are medium-term plans for installing tunnels to connect some islands to the mainland. In particular, there's money being set aside to look at connecting South Ronaldsay (presumably to somewhere near John O' Groats), and Lewis (presumably to Ullapool). Would be great if something came of that. Would it not be easier and cheaper to build some mental long bridges? Like the ones they have in Sweden/Japan etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiegoDiego Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Heard a story that there are medium-term plans for installing tunnels to connect some islands to the mainland. In particular, there's money being set aside to look at connecting South Ronaldsay (presumably to somewhere near John O' Groats), and Lewis (presumably to Ullapool). Would be great if something came of that.Orkney to Caithness would be wonderful and feasible. Wester Ross to Lewis is a pipe dream. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invergowrie arab Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 9 minutes ago, G51 said: Heard a story that there are medium-term plans for installing tunnels to connect some islands to the mainland. In particular, there's money being set aside to look at connecting South Ronaldsay (presumably to somewhere near John O' Groats), and Lewis (presumably to Ullapool). Would be great if something came of that. I'm not saying it couldn't be done but Ullapool to Stornoway would be three times the length of the current longest sub sea road tunnel in the world and I don't see how it brings any economic benefit to anyone given the main population centres would be a further 5 hours drive away and the islands are stowed out as it is. Connecting to Ireland would be a much better idea. Preferably by a serious of tunnels linking Greenock to Cowal to Kintyre to open up that part of the country. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G51 Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 4 minutes ago, TheScarf said: Would it not be easier and cheaper to build some mental long bridges? Like the ones they have in Sweden/Japan etc. The technology for building tunnels is actually pretty straightforward and from an engineering perspective, is likely easier than bridges. Especially somewhere like the Pentland Firth where the environment above-ground can be pretty harsh. An overly-simplistic tunnel build is basically dredging a big hole from one end to the other, casing that in concrete then pumping the water out. You then take the dredger back and cover the tunnel with the seabed you previously excavated. Hey presto, a big f**k-off tunnel. 1 minute ago, invergowrie arab said: I'm not saying it couldn't be done but Ullapool to Stornoway would be three times the length of the current longest sub sea road tunnel in the world and I don't see how it brings any economic benefit to anyone given the main population centres would be a further 5 hours drive away and the islands are stowed out as it is. Connecting to Ireland would be a much better idea. Preferably by a serious of tunnels linking Greenock to Cowal to Kintyre to open up that part of the country. Yeah I don't know where they're were thinking of landing it, was just speculating. Maybe better to connect into Skye or something - you'd create a decent population centre then and you'd still have a bridge to the mainland. The primary thinking behind it might be that the ferry subsidies cost an absolutle shitload, and with a tunnel you can get rid of them. Also saves you having to build two of everything - at the moment, you need two hospitals in Caithness and Orkney, for example. A link between Caithness and South Ronaldsay would be absolutely class. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 29 minutes ago, G51 said: Heard a story that there are medium-term plans for installing tunnels to connect some islands to the mainland. In particular, there's money being set aside to look at connecting South Ronaldsay (presumably to somewhere near John O' Groats), and Lewis (presumably to Ullapool). Would be great if something came of that. Would be nothing great about the loss of the floating pub on the Hamnavoe from Scrabster to Stromness, having a pint of the Orkney Brewery's finest whilst watching the Old Man of Hoy pass in front of you. Best followed up by a few pints in the Flattie Bar whilst waiting on the Hoy ferry. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G51 Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 5 minutes ago, Hedgecutter said: Would be nothing great about the loss of the floating pub on the Hamnavoe from Scrabster to Stromness, having a pint of the Orkney Brewery's finest whilst watching the Old Man of Hoy pass in front of you. Best followed up by a few pints in the Flattie Bar whilst waiting on the Hoy ferry. Ah sir, only a fool takes the Hamnavoe when the Alfred will take you right past Stroma and Swona at a fraction of the price! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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