The City of Edinburgh Council today launched the latest phase of the Leith Connections cycle route and active travel infrastructure project.
The section launched today by the council and a variety of stakeholder groups will link up the foot of Leith Walk with Ocean Terminal with a two-way cycle path and pavement improvements.
The larger initiative aims to improve active travel provision in the Leith area of Edinburgh and encourage people to walk wheel and cycle around the area, rather than drive.
The council’s Transport Convener, Stephen Jenkinson, cut the ribbon on the cycle lane before children from a local primary school gave the route a test ride.
He described the project as a crucial component of the city’s shift to active travel, which he hailed as a “more enjoyable” way to travel.
He added that the larger Leith Connections project is “not just an active travel project”, however.
He said: “It’s about making neighbourhoods much more liveable and much more enjoyable places to not only live in, but also to work in and travel through.
“And certainly, the active travel infrastructure that’s been put in place is a great investment in the future of Leith.
“What we’re trying to do is encourage more active travel about the city – it’s a much more enjoyable way of traveling around the city.
“But we’re also trying to encourage public transport and people making better choices to move around the city, rather than just solely relying on cars.
“We have a congestion issue that we’re, determined to tackle, and investing in infrastructure and giving people options is one way in which we can tackle the endless congestion problem.”
Some complaints were raised, however, during the early construction process, that the roadworks were causing disruption and a reduction to footfall.
The council, however, claim that businesses were supported throughout and kept informed of developments through social media a community channels.
Commenting on this initial disruption, which saw fencing placed in front of pubs and restaurants, Jenkinson said:
“With big projects like this, there are periods of times where, in the construction phase, there is disruption to businesses.
“I think the council have done a really good job of managing that and supporting businesses through that difficult period.
“The timing was quite difficult, round about Christmas time, but that’s a short-term issue.”
During Christmas time the council installed more Christmas decorations than usual in a bid to attract people to the area despite the ongoing construction process.
Jenkinson was confident that local businesses can now reap the benefits from the project: “And as you can see here today, this is a great piece of infrastructure that’s actually going to attract people down to the shore in a way that didn’t happen before.
“I’d like to think that, going forward, local businesses that that have felt some pressure as we’ve been developing this scheme will reap the benefits as much as the citizens of Edinburgh.”
The Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal cycle route was initially slated to be completed in conjunction with the tram extension to Newhaven in 2023, but a series of delays in the planning and construction process, have pushed the project back years.
Chas Booth, Convener of the Edinburgh Green Group, was pleased that the project had been completed, but expressed misgivings about the delays: “It’s fantastic. It’s good news for less air pollution, for safer streets – we’ll now be able to ensure that our kids can get around by walking, wheeling and cycling without the risk of being killed or seriously injured by a car.
However, he added: “I’m frustrated that it’s taken so long to get here. It should have been opened at the same time as the tram extension to Newhaven three years ago.
“But better late than never, and I think the emphasis now has got to be on how can we expand this? How can we make sure that we that this is part of a comprehensive network of safe routes?
“Let’s but let’s build on this, and let’s improve the speed of delivery, which is something that the council has not got right in the past.”
He explained that problems with the council’s planning process have stymied the speed of delivery:
“There’s so much red tape around active travel routes.
“It’s absolutely bonkers that if you want to build 49 houses in Edinburgh, you will get your permission within eight weeks, whereas if you want to build a tiny little bit of cycle route like this, quite often, the permission can take months or even years.
“It’s clear to me that the planning system works in the interests of rich developers – it doesn’t work in the interest of tackling the climate crisis. That has to change.”
The Walk, Wheel, and Cycle Trust (formerly known as Sustrans), a charity dedicated to supporting walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure and provision, have worked closely with the council during the design phase of the project.
Fiona MacLeod, director of the trust for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, said: “The route here is transformational for the local community.
“The lovely, shining, bright sun made a massive difference, but actually, just seeing how people want to spend their time here, how people are coming to the area, coming to businesses, shops, seeing school children – for me, it was just really uplifting.
“And I think it showed when you invest in the infrastructure in this way, the change that can happen in communities.”
She said that she was encouraged by the progress Edinburgh is making in terms of active travel:
“I think over the last few years in Scotland, we’ve seen huge investment in transformation of active travel routes, and, yeah, I am really encouraged in Edinburgh.
“It’s great to see the routes being connected. People can start and move around the city freely in an active manner. I think there is real momentum behind change, and so many of these projects are coming to life.
“I think over the next few years, we’re going to see more people walking, wheeling and cycling, and that’s good for us, good for individuals, good for communities, and good for the world.”
Funding for the route came from The Scottish Government’s Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, and the Places for Everyone programme, which was similarly funded by Transport Scotland.
