Councillors from Edinburgh and Midlothian met up at Gilmerton today to inspect the new £1.9 million quiet route for cycling and walking which goes from Gilmerton to Roslin.
Route 61 is a quiet route crossing the City Bypass and providing a family friendly route between the two council areas.
Quietroutes is a network of cycle routes for younger, new or less confident cyclists such as the Transport Convener Lesley Hinds who is still finding her way with her bike. The council has said that it hopes to have 15% of all computer journeys to be made by bike by 2020. It has found that over half of all households in the capital own a bike.
Cllr Hinds said: “It’s such a pleasure to come and see how popular and well-used this great new route is, connecting south Edinburgh with Midlothian and providing an easy and accessible path for pedestrians and bike-users across the bypass, which we know can seem like a bit of a barrier for active travel.
“This project wouldn’t have been possible without the support and cooperation of all the partners and it stands as a great example of what can be achieved if organisations pull together.
“The City of Edinburgh Council is committed to investing in active travel and we want to encourage as many people as possible to discover our excellent and growing network of QuietRoutes. Getting out into the fresh air either on foot or by bike is a fantastic way to unwind, get some exercise and enjoy our beautiful city region.”
Daisy Narayanan, Acting Director, Sustrans Scotland said: “Sustrans Scotland is delighted to see people out walking and cycling along the Gilmerton to Roslin path. We contributed funding towards the construction of this route through our Community Links Programme, which is funded by Transport Scotland, and provides investment for the creation of cycling and walking network infrastructure for everyday journeys.
“This project offers an excellent off-road route which connects the communities of Roslin, Loanhead and Straiton between Edinburgh and Midlothian and also to the wider active travel network in the area. It is a great example of partnership working with various organisations which can be used by locals and visitors to travel either on foot or by bike for more of their daily trips.”
Councillor Derek Rosie, Midlothian Council’s cabinet member for commercial services, said: “This project to construct a cycleway on the former railway line between the Edinburgh City Bypass and Lasswade Road in order to connect the two Council areas, is a great example of cross-boundary cooperation. Midlothian Council with the assistance of funding partners constructed the initial 3.8 kilometre cycleway between Edinburgh’s boundary at the City Bypass and Roslin Institute over several years at a cost of approximately £700,000.
“The route is off road, tarred, has street lighting and is ideal for families and less confident cyclists. In the longer term it is hoped the route can be extended to Penicuik, Gilmerton and Shawfair and will form part of Edinburgh and Midlothian’s future cycle networks connecting to local communities, local amenities and economic sites.”
Photos Wullie Marr/Deadline News
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