Protesters at the City Chambers on Thursday called on the council to improve road safety in the Cowgate.
Critical Mass, the cycling campaign group, demand action on safety measures in the Old Town Street remembering a fatal incident there last year.
The incident which took place in the Cowgate just over a year ago may not be up for discussion today but campaigners do not want to let the council forget about it. They shouted: “Cowgate, one year on. What have your done?”
In November last year, a pedestrian, 74-year-old Michael Lenaghan, died at the scene in the Cowgate, after being struck by a single-decker bus in the early evening. Following the incident police asked the public not to share distressing images and footage online.
Cycling campaigners
The cycling campaign group feel it is important to mark one year since it happened. They also feel that councillors ought to have acted by now on road safety to make the area safer for anyone walking, wheeling or cycling in the Old Town.
There has been no definitive action apart from closing the street during the Summertime Streets programme from 28 July to 26 August 2025 from 3pm to 5am every day. Local access was maintained by way of Guthrie Street.
Spokesperson, Craig Robertson, said: “We are here protesting for safer infrastructure for walkers, wheelers and cyclists, and especially around the Cowgate area of Edinburgh. There was a tragic accident just over a year ago, and the council promised that it would make infrastructure improvements there, and they’ve not done so. So we’re trying to hold them to
account.
Transport Convener
Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, Transport Convener, said: “I wouldn’t accept the premise that we have done nothing. We have prioritised pedestrian safety at various points in the year in the Cowgate during the winter festivals. That area, predominantly in the nighttime economy, is very busy, as you can imagine. Also during our summer streets initiative across predominantly the city centre, we’ve ensured that pedestrian priority is maintained in the Cowgate at those key times.”
The Transport Convener admitted that the street had not been closed completely, but said the council had plans for the Cowgate. He said: “It is part of the city centre transformation plan and the city mobility plan. It’s one key piece in the jigsaw. And it’s still my desire and the desire of council to tackle that problem.”
The councillor explained that one of the problems is the one year funding for road safety initiatives such as this. It is a competitive process. He said : “We have to secure the finance to be able to deliver a lot of these initiatives.”
History of traffic in the Cowgate
As long ago as October 2023, the committee heard that businesses in the area thought this was an unpleasant place to walk due to “the narrow footpaths and high traffic volumes”.
In May 2024 Spokes the cycle campaign group said in a deputation that while the Virgin Hotel was being built there was one way traffic on Cowgate “which would be easy to replicate” as the operational issues are already known.
On 1 February 2024, the Transport and Environment Committee agreed to progress with “an enhanced plan for Edinburgh City Centre Transformation (ECCT) including an experimental closure of the Cowgate to some or all through traffic in 2024”. But officers said the difficulty at the time was uncertainty around funding, and that external funding would have been needed.
At that point an in a report to the committee, officers said:
“Initial work has identified that the most workable option (for
a trial improving conditions on the Cowgate in the short
term) is to make part of the street one-way for general
traffic, enabling some increase in pedestrian space.
This would create a lower traffic space enhancing the
pedestrian environment and providing a safer space for
walking, wheeling and cycling. Committee agreement will
be required to allow the Experimental Traffic Regulation
Order (ETRO) process to commence.
Monitoring of the experimental works would inform the
approach for a more comprehensive redesign of the street.
“It is considered that certain premises and facilities
on/accessed from the Cowgate (including a mortuary,
operational access and car parking) mean that a full
closure is best considered as part of the wider City Centre
Implementation Plan, giving significantly more time for
appropriate engagement to take place and then the
development of workable operational proposals.
Complete removal of through traffic from the Cowgate
would require further technical work and careful
consideration of the operation of Blair Street, Niddrie
Street, Blackfriars Street, Guthrie Street, High School
Wynd, Infirmary Street, High Street and Chambers Street.”
In May 2025 the council noted that they would implement some “immediate safety works” but the street would remain open to traffic.
Critical Mass say that the clocks are ticking on road safety improvements.
