10-year project investment programme
Our ambitious programme for investing in safer, more sustainable and accessible communities and city centre for the next 10 years was agreed by councillors on the Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday 22 May.
You can read the full Transport and Environment Committee report as a pdf.
This programme will help us manage the resources we have to deliver over 70 projects, providing integrated networks of roads, cycleways and paths, and deliver against our City Mobility Plan objectives to
- reduce the volume of traffic going through the city
- improve how we move around the city, with more options for sustainable travel, including prioritising public transport
- provide safer conditions for walking, wheeling and cycling
- reduce harmful emissions
- provide better access to local facilities like shops, schools and outdoor spaces
- improve community and public spaces
You can read the full list of the projects that were agreed to proceed.
You can also read more about why we need to plan our streets and communities differently.
How we’ve prioritised projects
Our approach to prioritisation has scored projects under the following criteria
- how each project contributes towards the objectives of the City Mobility Plan
- how deliverable a project is, including development stage and whether a project is likely to involve land acquisition and legal orders
- cost and available funds
Proposals included in the programme
- Bus priority upgrades, including ‘quick wins’ across the city and improvements on Slateford Road.
- Improving bus stop access such as by reducing pavement clutter.
- More on-street cycle storage.
- Walking and cycling connection from the Meadows to the Union Canal, including better public space around the King’s Theatre.
- Public transport and active travel route between West Shore Road and Waterfront Broadway, complementing the Granton redevelopment.
- Burdiehouse and Mortonhall walking and cycling improvements.
- Better connections for new developments in west Edinburgh, including improved crossing of Queensferry Road at Barnton and a new pedestrian and cycling bridge linking Cammo Walk to Cammo Meadows.
- Queensferry High Street and promenade improvements.
- Major city centre projects, including a trial to reduce vehicle traffic on the Lawnmarket, Cowgate improvements, Meadows to George Street walking and cycling upgrade, and the transformation of George Street.
Delivery is dependent on funding decisions by the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland and the decision of councillors in the priorities.
Over 50 projects are recommended to be paused, the vast majority of which are already on hold or not started. There are also around five projects which are set to be paused for this financial year only. Again, these are all either on hold or not started. You can read the full list of the projects that were recommended to be paused.
How we’ve consulted and engaged
The City Mobility Plan, as well as many of the prioritised projects, were extensively consulted on with a range of stakeholders, residents and businesses over a number of years.
Find out more about the extensive consultation and engagement we have carried out.
Projects we’ve already delivered
We have already delivered significant infrastructure projects across the city including
- Tram route to Newhaven
- Low Emission Zone
- Walking, wheeling and cycling route from Roseburn to Leith Walk
- A new route connecting Roseburn to Fountainbridge and the Union Canal
- Improvements to Quiet Route 61 which connects Midlothian to Portobello via the Royal Infirmary
- A new walk, wheel and cycle route from Foot of the Walk to the Shore (under construction)
- 218 secure on-street bike parking lockers providing space for over 1300 bikes.
- Many local improvements, including path access upgrades to ease use for wheelchair users and cyclists
- Upgrading side streets while we’re renewing roads or pavements, to make them easier to cross. We have done this most recently on Lasswade Road