Spokes Spring Meeting 2015 on Edinburgh City Centre “My view” or “Space, the Final Frontier” Professor Tom Rye, Director, TRI

City centre – need to redistribute space (the final frontier) For more sustainable travel choices – sustainable movement For better more prosperous nicer places to be – sustainable places

Note also that 35% of all trips and 19% of trips to work are on foot, 2% and 7% by bike (2009)

How people travel to shop - Austria

How people travel to shop - Bristol

So for economic reasons city centre needs boost for access by all sustainable modes Excellent that cycling has commanded ever greater resources from Council This must not be at expense of pedestrians; or bus passengers Converting a bus lane to a bike lane could ”cost” bus passengers £000s a week in extra congestion All sustainable modes need more space In city centre much of this has to come from car Different locations demand different solutions – but here are some examples

Remove on-street parking Especially when major new off-street car parks are to be built!

Widen footways, narrow traffic lanes, share uses, cut dominance of vehicle traffic

Don’t waste space on trams – instead share that space with the buses that subsidise the trams The tram is a tram not a railway on the street

Re-route car traffic – Oxford example

Edinburgh has also removed through traffic before....

Proper high quality pedestrianised areas and high quality public realm

If it’s a problem, cut severe bus congestion Cut bus boarding times so buses spend less time at stops

Can City of Edinburgh Council make these kinds of changes? Sometimes I wonder – cattle before people?

How Council can change to make city centre a better place CEC already has many excellent ground breaking policies Needs political and senior management leadership to put these into practice more Key example most relevant to city centre - draft Street Design Guidance Contains almost everything to make city centre better more sustainable place A positive development but to be well used by the Council’s own street designers, maintenance engineers it needs: Resources Leadership Training Ownership Fingers crossed!

In conclusion City centre: pressing need for more space for sustainable movement and sustainable places This space has to come from car It can be done, has been done elsewhere It has to be high quality The Council has the tools to do it – needs political and managerial leadership to make it happen