We reject Edinburgh City Council's plans for Lanark Road and Longstone/Inglis Green Road which are presented here: https://bit.ly/3lt0uNt

While a reduction in the Lanark Road speed limit to 30 mph is long overdue, many other features of these proposals will introduce new road-safety risks and will have a disproportionate impact on the lives of local residents and businesses.

The proposals will:

a)     Eliminate the ability of most residents on Lanark Road to park outside their own homes, and the ability of delivery drivers, carers and visitors to do the same.  During the COVID pandemic, many individuals rely substantially on home delivery services because they would be at increased risk of infection by visiting shops in person.  The present dual-lane nature of Lanark Road makes kerbside parking low-risk and beneficial for all concerned.  The proposals will cause major disruption by removing such access.

b)     Impact those required to work from home by COVID, who would normally not need daytime parking outside their houses;  now these residents will be required to park their vehicles on side streets -- most likely outside someone else's home.

c)      Create congestion on Lanark Road where traffic is currently free flowing by reducing the carriageway from dual to single lane.

d)     Cause cars to cross the centre line on Lanark Road to overtake delivery vehicles, which will have no option but to stop adjacent to properties for supermarket deliveries etc.  Currently no traffic is put into opposition because of the dual-lane carriageway.

e)     Make safe reverse-parking into driveways dangerous, since this will require a car to enter the opposite carriageway for this manoeuvre; currently the dual carriageway allows this to be done safely.

f)     Create new risks to pedestrians and cyclists from the introduction of "floating bus stops".

g)    Create severe congestion at the junction on Inglis Green Road to Sainsbury's supermarket.

h)    Create severe parking pressures in side streets at times when the Dovecot Public Park is used by organised groups.

We demand the Council suspend these proposals and that a public meeting is convened where the views of residents and other members of the local community can be heard.

We also demand that specific measures of success are defined for the proposed "temporary changes" (e.g. a decrease in number of road traffic accidents; a decrease in kerbside air pollution) so that there is transparency and accountability in further actions taken by the Council.