Sixty ideas

The transport consultation meeting I organised earlier this month was a lively and talkative affair.  As anyone would expect, there were many views of what transport improvements could be made in the city.  Here’s a full list of the sixty ideas from discussion that we recorded. Some I agree with, some I don’t.  Some are immediately practical, some are not. Some repeat others, some contradict others.  But here they are.

What do you think? What ideas would you add?

1. Improved signage to make safer for pedestrians, cyclist and motorists
2. De-clutter pavements
3. Cancel Trams, learn from other cities: trolley buses
4. Abolish maximum 4 hour parking
5. Take bus drivers off from fare taking: two doors - one off, one on
6. Raised kerbs at bus stops, ramps make bus use difficult for wheelchair users
7. Raise more money - workplace parking charges
8. Reduce the need to travel to work, shops and work within walking distance – keep Edinburgh compact through brown field development
9. Extend 20mph speed limits
10. Dual Carriageway to Edinburgh Airport needs upgrading
11. Hovercraft crossing to Fife
12. Oyster Card for Edinburgh
13. Lothian buses to introduce a Family Ticket
14. Trams should use clean energy
15. Cycling – upgrade cycle paths
16. Question the student bus fare
17. Question the one ticket price
18. Extend dedicated bus lanes
19. Access to transport – find a way to reduce cost for poorer people
20. Link Haymarket Platform one to Airport tramstop
21. More cross town buses with stops adjacent to tram line stops
22. Joint ticketing to facilitate journeys by tram and bus
23. Major extension of Haymarket Station to ease congestion in Princes Street area
24. Extend the tram and increase in suburban Rail lines
25. Extend Tram into South Suburban Railway via Morningside and Cameron Toll to RIE
26. Proper separated Cycle Lanes on roads
27. Pedestrianise Princes Street from Waverley Bridge to West end.
28. Put Trams on the South Suburban Rail (see Dublin Dart)
29. Consult knowledgeable people with long experience in designing and building Tramways and do not use “cheapest quote”
30. More dropped kerbs for buggies and wheelchair users
31. Modernise the outdated traffic lights system
32. Enforce cycle lanes to see they are kept clear
33. Extend bus priorities by simple traffic management measures
34. Training of bus drivers to work the ramp system
35. Extend dropped kerbs in shopping areas
36. Question whether buggies should have a space on the bus
37. Strict enforcement of delivering mixed use development that permits greater use of walk/cycling for home to leisure (education, health)
38. A North By-Pass to take 40% vehicle traffic that is travelling through City Centre - congestion charging could address this cost
39. Much cheaper integrated ticketing for bus travel - to allow people to use the different bus companies
40. Road User charging
41. Council needs to use the powers it already has to enforce better quality of workmanship, quicker reinstatement on utilities who dig up roads
42. Recognise the increasing pollution problem and limit the adverse impact of transport pollution on residential areas and effect on Health
43. Extend the off road transport network by using the previous suburban rail routes. Will this be popular with walkers and cyclists?
44. Reduce the speed of tram so it can share road space with other transport traffic
45. Put Lothian Buses into a Trust
46. Give Lothian buses funding to study ways to increase passengers’ numbers whilst not increasing vehicle numbers on Princes Street. To include the use of smaller buses, trolley buses etc. Lothian buses must promise transparency over their conclusions.
47. Introduce payroll tax on businesses of over 25 employees - proceeds to be ring fenced for public transport.
48. Raise more money for transport - because without that, options are very limited. Nottingham uses workplace charging: excellent idea
49. Reduce the need to travel - improve housing policy that does this.
50. 20mph speed limit city wide, to make it better for walking/ cycling and safer
51. De-clutter pavements – there are too many adverting boards put out by shops, bins, signs etc.
52. Reduce the number of bus stops - buses could then move faster
53. Are there the right numbers of traffic lights? Could traffic flow be improved by traffic system to reduce them?
54. Consult with public by referendum?
55. Extend tram/light rail from Roseburn to Granton using old rail tracks
56. Institute a bike rent scheme/safe cycle lanes/dedicated cycle lanes
57. Motorcycles - keep no charging to park
58. Park and ride - encourage their use
59. Transport Act 1986 needs updated and changed
60. A council subsidised LPG car conversion scheme to get the cars that do use the city to be greener. Zoned by post code, nearer the city centre, better subsidies.