Traffic at Picardy Place may be a lot lighter at the moment than it has been, but the area between the cathedral, the Playhouse and Leith Walk has never been more in the news.
Although the council said that the links between the roundabout/gyratory to the Edinburgh St James development and the funding of that might mean little change could be made, it now seems they have found a way forward.
The area has much-loved statues such as those by famed sculptor Paolozzi and the council now pledges to return these to their original position once all the works are completed.
The council also states that there will be more pedestrian space and better links for cyclists at key points. What do you think? The key factors are to make it safer and also offer a link to the tram line if the council decides to proceed with that in 2018.
This week there will be two public events when Edinburgh residents, cyclists, drivers and pedestrians can all have their say.
The latest proposals will be on display on Tuesday (21 November, 10am–7pm) in the City Art Centre and on Wednesday (3pm–7pm) in Broughton St Mary’s Parish Church. Officers will be on hand to explain how the road design has evolved, discuss the ideas and comments made to date and seek views from the public on how the design could be improved.
You can also have your say on what the piece of land at the top of Leith Walk should be used for – it was planned to put a hotel there in the dim and distant past.
All of these proposals are online here at the council’s consultation hub where you can also have your say until 15 December 2017.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes, said: “Having allowed more time for public engagement, I am pleased that we have been able to accommodate further design changes based on the valuable feedback received to date.
“The desire for more public space, in particular, has come across loud and clear and the latest designs clearly reflect this.
“Of course, there is still more time for people to have their say and I would encourage everyone with an interest in the proposals to either attend one of the events or have their say online.
“Comments and ideas gathered will help us to create a final design that best meets the needs of all, benefiting pedestrians and cyclists while enabling the smooth flow of public transport to and from the city.
“We have demonstrated through this process a willingness to listen and to take new ideas on board where possible and we will do so again.”
George Lowder, Chief Executive, Transport for Edinburgh, added: ‘Picardy Place is a crucial city centre hub for public transport with tens of thousands of people travelling through the junction by bus each and every day.
‘‘With an ever-growing population and pressure on the network to increase still further, the challenge for us is to find the best balance between all forms of public transport, active travel and other vehicles. We believe that these latest proposals would go a long way to delivering this.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
