Leith Stakeholder update
FUNDING BOOST FOR LEITH PROGRAMME
You will probably be aware that on Tuesday 24th September, the Transport Minister Keith Brown announced funding of £3.6m of the additional £20m recently allocated to cycling towards the Leith Programme. This will enable the Council to deliver an enhanced street scheme from Foot of the Walk to Picardy Place as part of the overall Leith Programme area.
This funding is additional to the money that the Council has allocated to the Leith Programme which runs from Old Dock Gates up to Picardy Place. The additional money means the Council can deliver an enhanced design for the street from the Foot of The Walk to Picardy Place. This will prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and sustainable modes of transport, as well as creating a vibrant and lively thoroughfare which will benefit local residents and businesses as well as those visiting the area.
The draft designs are developed in partnership with Sustrans Scotland, and responds to local aspirations for the streets that all kinds of local people told us about during the consultation process.
Key features of the design include:
· Cycle lanes from Foot of the Walk to Picardy Place. There will be significant sections of uninterrupted cycle space including sections of dedicated on and off road cycling. Cycling will be largely segregated from Pilrig Street uphill towards the Omni Centre.
· Improved pavements and junctions to benefit pedestrians and more frequent crossing points along Leith Walk.
· Redesigned, simplified junctions that are much easier and simpler for pedestrians to cross.
· Replacement of London Rd roundabout with a signalled junction to significantly enhance conditions for both pedestrians and cyclists.
· A simplified streetscape more conducive to community activity, trading and business.
· Improved connectivity for sustainable forms of travel between the waterfront and the city centre.
For further information on the Leith Programme please visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/leithimprovements