Kirknewton to Balerno - cycling review route 75

Final Draft Report

Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Balerno

For Kirknewton Community Development Trust

By Transport Initiatives LLP

April 2011

Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Balerno Kirknewton Community Development Trust

CSSC05 Cycle Review NCN 75 Kirknewton-Balerno TJP MS transport initiatives

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Cycle Review of NCN Route 75:

Kirknewton - Balerno

Final Draft Report

Contact for this project:

Tim Pheby 151 Walmgate York Y01 9UB

Tel: 01904 628789

Mob: 07725 466838

Email: [email protected]

Transport Initiatives LLP

Registered Office: Office 4 145 Islingword Road

Brighton BN2 9SH

0845 345 7623

www.transport-initiatives.com

Registered in England and Wales

Partnership number OC310831

VAT registration no. 855 4208 21

Checking and sign off

Job: Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Balerno

Client: Kirknewton CDT

Job number: CSSC05 Version number: 2.0

Issued by:

Tim Pheby for and on behalf of Transport Initiatives LLP

Signed

Date 26 April 2011

Checked by: Mark Strong

Date 26 April 2011

© Transport Initiatives LLP 2011

All photos © Transport Initiatives except where stated

All mapping based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to

prosecution or civil proceedings. West Lothian Council Licence no 100037194 2011



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Cycle Review of NCN Route 75:

Kirknewton - Balerno

Final Draft Report

Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................... 3

2. Cycle review methodology ............................................ 5

3. Summary of cycle review................................................ 6

4. Recommendations ......................................................... 7

Detailed Plans of Cycle Review (separate document)

Plan 1 Kirknewton village to Haggs Farm

Plan 2 Haggs Farm to Balerno

Plan 3 Balerno to Currie

Plan 4 Long Dalmahoy Rd to Herriot-Watt University



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1 Introduction

1.1 Background

Transport Initiatives LLP (TI) has been commissioned by the Kirknewton Community

Development Trust (KCDT) to carry out cycle audits of the Kirknewton area in West

Lothian. This is part of KCDT’s Carbon Challenge work to encourage sustainable travel

and reduce carbon emissions.

Two levels of cycle audit have been carried out. A Cycle Skills Network Audit (CSNA)

was carried out for the whole area. This was followed by a ‘Ride and Recommend’

Cycle Review along specific routes.

1.2 Cycle Skills Network Audit

The CSNA covered Kirknewton and the neighbouring towns of East Calder and

Balerno, as shown in Plans 1 and 2. This audit has graded all the public roads and

paths by the cycle skills levels needed to cycle on them safely.

Plan 1 Kirknewton area Cycle Skills Network Audit (whole area audited)

Plan 2 Kirknewton-Balerno Cycle Skills Network Audit



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1.3 ‘Ride and Recommend’ Cycle Review

The Cycle Review looked at journeys to Balerno along the National Cycle Network

(NCN) route 75. A Cycle Review is an assessment of the existing cycling conditions

along a route or routes by cycling along them and recording issues along the way.

Recommendations are suggested to make the route more cycle friendly and so

increase its potential for encouraging more people to cycle more often.

No costings for the suggested improvements have been given at this stage.



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1. Cycle review methodology

2.1 Description

The work was undertaken by Tim Pheby of Transport Initiatives in the following

manner:

i. Site visit: This was carried out by bicycle on 16 March 2011 and comprised two routes: Route A from Kirknewton to Balerno along NCN route 75 and Route B along Long Dalmahoy Road to Herriot Watt University. These routes are shown on Plan 3 below.

ii. Recording information: Photos of issues along the routes were taken and have been listed along with their location on a map. These are shown in Tables 1- 4 attached to this report.

iii. Attendance of Cycling Festival (26 March 2011): At this event feedback on cycling in the area was posted by attendees on a large map.

iv. Review against five core principles: The routes have been compared to the design criteria for a high quality cycle route, which are summarised by the DfT’s five core principles. The route should be:

•••• Convenient •••• Accessible •••• Safe •••• Comfortable •••• Attractive

Plan 3 Kirknewton – Balerno cycle review: routes reviewed

Route A (NCN 75)

Route B



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3. Summary of cycle review

3.1 Review against five core principles

Convenient

Directness The route was reasonably direct following Long Dalmahoy Road.

Signing Signing was of mixed quality with some signs missing, covered over by vegetation or turned around.

Accessible (destinations)

Schools / Colleges Balerno High School

Shops / Cafes Café, pubs and various shops in Balerno

Library Balerno

Community Centre Balerno

Safe

Traffic danger • Reports of fast traffic along Long Dalmahoy Road in peak hours, avoiding the A71

• The 20 mph zone along the Balerno High School frontage is part-time so cyclists only get the benefit of the slower speeds at school start and end times

Personnel safety & surveillance

• The riverside path along the Water of Leith lacks personal surveillance and was not lit, therefore would not be attractive for some users to use at night

Comfortable

Surface quality • Long Dalmahoy Road – some poor road surfaces and potholes which need attention. plus a drain cover which is potentially dangerous.

• Ponding water after rain is also an issue in places along Long Dalmahoy Road

• The track along the Water of Leith has a number of puddles and leaf mould layer, which would particularly affect small and/or narrow wheel cycles

• The two roads into Herriot Watt University are poor quality and would benefit from resurfacing, with cycle friendly traffic calming

Gradients (compliance with DDA standard 5%)

• The steep climb into Balerno from the junction with Long Dalmahoy Road is difficult uphill for some cyclists who may need to dismount, while travelling downhill may lead to excessively fast speeds

• Some warning signs about the gradient may be needed

Widths of roads / tracks / lanes

• Road widths generally adequate, apart from narrow bridge over railway by the quarry

• Cycle tracks are of adequate width

• Cycle lanes in Balerno by the High School are too narrow

Attractive

Aesthetics • The section along the Water of Leith is very attractive

Debris – glass / dog mess / fly tipping

• No issues recorded on audit



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4. Key recommendations

4.1 Summary

From the cycle review it is recommended that Kirknewton CDT propose the

improvements set out below to West Lothian Council and Edinburgh City Council.

4.2 Engineering

Speed Reduction

• Consider making the 20 mph zone by the school in Balerno full-time with speed

cushions and a speed table.

• Review the speed limit along Long Dalmahoy Road and carry out speed surveys

Junction improvements

• At Bridge Road/A70 signalled junction in Balerno reinstate the coloured surface

and cycle symbols at Advanced Stop Lines and introduce lead-in lanes

Reallocation of Road Space

• Remove the downhill cycle lane and widen the uphill lane in Bridge Road,

Balerno and link it to the Advanced Stop Lines at the A70 junction

Off road routes

• Remove the leaf mould layer along the Water of Leith path to improve the ride

quality (and provide local compost!)

Cycle parking

• Provide cycle parking at local shops and community destinations in Balerno

• Provide cycle parking at appropriate locations along the Water of Leith path (e.g.

access points)

Route signing

• Attend to signs which have been rotated and replace missing signs

• Remove vegetation from signs along the Water of Leith path

Road Surface quality

• Repair potholes and poor road and track surfaces along the route

Drainage

• Attend to drainage issues both on and off road and replace drain cover on Long

Dalmahoy Road

4.3 Marketing

A local cycle map should be produced, based on the Cycle Skills Network Audit, to

encourage local cycle trips within and between the villages, as well as to Edinburgh.

4. 4 Monitoring

To determine the level of cycling:

• Measure the level of cycling by pupils at Balerno High School by termly hands-up

surveys and counts of parked bikes

• Install an automatic cycle counter on the Water of Leith path to measure cycling

using the route (possibly in partnership with Sustrans)

Kirknewton to Balerno - cycling review route 75

Documents

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