Managing Traffic in Central Edinburgh

Congestion is a serious problem. It affects the environment and impacts on road safety. We cannot ignore the issues. We need to act to protect the quality of life for residents and visitors. The Central Edinburgh Traffic Management Proposals are key to the success of the Council’s strategy to create a safer, cleaner and better city for the people of Edinburgh, its business community and its millions of visitors.

In the UK, car ownership and city centre car trips are growing dramatically year-on-year. The congestion caused by this growing traffic is becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Congestion is a serious problem. It affects the environment and impacts on road safety. Access becomes more difficult for shopping, work, leisure and tourism, and business suffers. The City of Edinburgh Council cannot ignore the issues but needs to act to protect the quality of life for residents and visitors and to tackle the problems of social exclusion head on.

The Central Edinburgh Traffic Management Proposals scheme is a key element of the Council’s Local Transport Strategy which sets out the blueprint for managing traffic in the city. The Central Edinburgh Proposals are just one of a number of transportation measures and schemes being developed by the Council to manage traffic and the way it travels around Edinburgh.

The implementation of the Central Edinburgh Proposals is key to the success of the Council’s strategy to create a safer, cleaner and better city for the people of Edinburgh, its business community and its millions of visitors. The proposals are consistent with The Road Traffic Reduction Act (1997) . Under this Act, all Councils must review traffic levels in their area, as Travel Choices for Scotland explains. This Council has submitted to the Scottish Executive a report, setting targets for reducing traffic or for containing growth.

The proposals also help the council meet the terms of The Environment Act (1995). This requires councils to review and assess air quality in their areas to determine whether the objectives set in the UK National Air Quality Strategy are to be met by 2005. This Council is drawing up practical transport strategies and plans for the way land is used in order to meet the objectives of the air quality strategy.

In anticipating the 1997 Traffic Reduction Act and the National Air Quality Strategy, the former Lothian Regional Council drew up its movingFORWARD transportation strategy. Leading that strategy was the first stage of Central Edinburgh Traffic Management Proposals, the scheme which stopped general eastbound traffic travelling along Princes Street. That scheme evolved through an extensive three-year consultation period of meetings and public exhibitions involving many interest groups including business and resident associations, heritage and conservation organisations, and bus and taxi operators. It aimed to improve the air quality and reduce through-traffic in the city centre while keeping access for all modes of transport. Accident severity was reduced by 48%. Bus priority measures were also introduced.

Following traffic being banned from travelling east on Princes Street in 1996, the Council’s Transportation Committee issued an instruction in February 1997 to investigate the feasibility of introducing a similar ban on traffic travelling west on Princes Street. The committee wished to build on the great success of the scheme and add to the significant road safety, environmental and public transport improvements that had resulted from banning traffic travelling east.
An outline study indicated that a westbound ban would result in benefits to the environment and, in December 1997, the Transportation Committee instructed that further studies should be conducted while a more detailed scheme was developed. To help with the detailed study, a new and very sophisticated micro-simulation traffic model, the City Centre Paramics Traffic Model, was developed which helped us see the effects of changes to traffic levels and flows throughout the city centre.

We consulted with interest groups and a scheme was developed which focuses on Princes Street but embraces other initiatives. For instance, the scheme incorporates key recommendations from the 1997 "Strategy for the First New Town" which that report considered would lead to significant heritage and environmental improvements throughout the first new town, in particular in the Charlotte Square, George Street, Frederick Street and St Andrew Square areas.

The informal consultation has been very informative and the scheme has undergone a number of revisions in response to the various comments received and concerns raised.

The existing scheme has already brought many road safety, environmental and economic benefits. The new proposals will reduce traffic travelling through the city centre even more. This will help achieve a better balance in the use of space. Any steps to reduce the areas affected by congestion must be good for the city.

Road Safety: it is predicted there will be a further reduction in accidents in the city centre study area and the general trend towards accident reduction should continue.

Environmental: the measures are very much in line with recommendations in the government’s National Air Quality Strategy and the majority of sites monitored have shown a decrease in NO₂levels.

Public Transport: Princes Street is the hub of Edinburgh’s public transport system. Removal of general traffic in some areas and reduction of traffic in others will greatly improve access and other facilities for buses and taxis.

Cycling: the proposed east/west cycle route on George Street provides a vital safe route through the city centre, which would link into the National Cycle Route.

Parking and Loading: the proposals give priority to BWE Badge holders and residents while catering for the demand for short-stay parking and loading facilities.

Commercial and Economic: improvements to the on-street environment will support economic growth by attracting more pedestrians. There will be more opportunity for on-street trading.

Streetscape: the Council is developing funding partnerships with other bodies who recognise the benefits and can see an opportunity to introduce major streetscape improvements.

The Council has already met with many organisations and groups of people in developing these plans to manage traffic in the city centre. Many of their views are reflected in the scheme.

The Council advertised the necessary Road Traffic Regulation Orders in February 2001, and during this statutory consultation period the Council received 649 objections to the proposals. On 13 December 2001 the Council agreed to hold a public hearing to consider the objections, however when discussing the administration matters at the procedural meeting on 18 February 2002 objectors raised concerns that they had insufficient time to prepare their case for the public hearing.

On 21 March 2002 the Council decided to re-advertise the Road Traffic Regulation Orders to permit objectors additional time to prepare their case for the public hearing. The new Orders, which are substantially similar to those published in February 2001, will be re-advertised on 2 April 2002 and new objections will be invited. Those people who originally objected will be asked to confirm if they wish their letter to stand as an objection to the new Orders. New objections must be submitted in writing to the Director of City Development before 24 April 2002. This will allow sufficient time for new and existing objectors to prepare their case for the public hearing now scheduled for February/March 2003.