So much for health and safety! Fury as cycle-friendly road scheme designed to make Edinburgh streets safer… leads to an INCREASE in accidents
- Data shows no crashes of pedestrians, cyclists or drivers on Lanark Road and Longstone Road in 2019 or 2020
- But since the £5million scheme was implemented in 2021 residents said they have seen at least five collisions
- Professor Derryck Reid, chair of South West Edinburgh in Motion (SWEM) said road safety data showed a rise
Furious Edinburgh residents have blasted controversial road re-design Spaces for People as crashes on a busy stretch skyrocket.
Data shows there had been no crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists or drivers on Lanark Road and Longstone Road in the city in 2019 or 2020.
But since the £5million scheme was implemented in 2021 residents have witnessed at least five collisions, according to campaigners.
Professor Derryck Reid, chair of South West Edinburgh in Motion (SWEM) said data on road-safety website CrashMap showed the increase in accidents.
Local councillors said something was ‘amiss’ with the flagship scheme – which aims to make roads safer but has resulted in residents feeling less safe.
Data shows there had been no crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists or drivers on Lanark Road and Longstone Road in the city in 2019 or 2020. Pictured: Road skiers using the cycling lane in the city
But since the £5million scheme was implemented in 2021 residents have witnessed at least five collisions, according to campaigners. Pictured: A woman walking in one of the new parts next to a busy road
Professor Derryck Reid, chair of South West Edinburgh in Motion (SWEM) said data on road-safety website CrashMap showed the increase in accidents. Pictured: The city centre clogged up with the scheme
Local councillors said something was ‘amiss’ with the flagship scheme – which aims to make roads safer but has resulted in residents feeling less safe
Collisions are said to have included a female cyclist coming off her bike due to the poor road surface and a cyclist knocking over a pre-school child.
A driver said to be ‘under the influence’ was apparently confused by the layout and smashed into a vehicle in a floating parking space, knocking it across a cycle lane, pavement, and through the wall.
Another vehicle in a floating parking space was said to have been struck in a ‘hit and run’, while pedestrian refuge island was demolished when the driver swerved to avoid a car in a floating parking space.
Prof Reid said: ‘Since the scheme was introduced by the council in 2021, residents have witnessed at least five collisions.’
He added: ‘These appear to be partly related to the design of the new scheme and ongoing poor road maintenance.
‘Seven weeks later, the traffic island remains unrepaired and in a dangerous condition, showing a complete disregard for pedestrian safety and safety of other road users.’
Collisions are said to have included a female cyclist coming off her bike due to the poor road surface and a cyclist knocking over a pre-school child
A driver (not pictured) said to be ‘under the influence’ was apparently confused by the layout and smashed into a vehicle in a floating parking space, knocking it across a cycle lane, pavement, and through the wall. Pictured: A man walking on a narrow footpath next to a cycle lane and a busy road
Another vehicle in a floating parking space was said to have been struck in a ‘hit and run’, while pedestrian refuge island was demolished when the driver swerved to avoid a car in a floating parking space. Pictured: The changes in the city centre
Left: One of the roads before the works were put in. Right: How the new measures made the street harder to understand
SWEM claims there should have been an independent safety audits of the designs before it was launched. Prof Reid added: ‘There was plenty of time to do this in the eight months between design and implementation.
‘However, no independent safety audit was completed until several months after installation. Residents formally raised safety concerns about this scheme from the very beginning.’
Colinton/Fairmilehead Tory councillor Jason Rust said: ‘There is clearly something amiss when the council’s flagship policy which aims to make our roads safer, in fact results in local residents feeling less safe.
‘I am very concerned about the number of recent collisions and near-misses and the apparent failure of the council’s processes to take these into account.’
Transport convener Lesley Macinnes said the council took road safety issues and collisions extremely seriously.
Prof Reid said: ‘Since the scheme was introduced by the council in 2021, residents have witnessed at least five collisions.’ Pictured: The traffic scheme
Left: One of the roads before the works were put in. Right: How the new measures made the street harder to understand
She said: ‘We must all drive to the conditions of the road, and that this list of alleged incidents includes someone claimed to be driving under the influence and ‘hit and run’ damage shows that this has not necessarily been the case.
‘In fact, these events demonstrate just how much we need to protect the safety of people walking and cycling, on a route where one cyclist so tragically lost their life in recent years.
‘We have been open from the outset that these measures were introduced on an emergency basis to provide a safe alternative to public transport at a time when this was being discouraged, as well as a different option to the crowded Union Canal and Water of Leith paths.
‘Officers exercised due diligence in the implementation of this scheme, including the audits required for such urgent changes and consideration of previous collisions, as well as liaising with community members since.
‘This is a clear bid to upend a carefully thought through policy aiming to protect public safety based on anecdotes, many of which have not been reported to police and, in some cases, involve criminal behaviour by drivers.’
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