WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LIVEABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD
"The improvements, whilst they take motorists time to adjust to, have hugely improved the area. Dock & Coburg St are considerably safer, as is the Shore. I used to witness at least one near miss a day, haven't seen one in months now."
Lucy, Leith resident
"It's FANTASTIC - more of the same please. I feel under less threat by motor vehicles as a pedestrian & particularly someone who on occasion has mobility issues. Less danger, pollution & noise!"
Steven McCluskey, CEO of Bikes for Refugees, Leith
"Closing Coburg Street was the best thing to happen to the street. It’s such a nice place to live now, so quiet - we actually use our balcony now."
Jack, local business owner and resident Coburn Street
"Leith has been a hotspot for pedestrian injuries - and deaths - from road traffic for many years. We must make streets safer and more attractive for everyday walking - much the commonest way for people to get around their local neighbourhood. This has to involve reducing unnecessary traffic on both residential streets and main roads."
David Hunter, Convener, Living Streets Edinburgh Group
“Coburg Street before the closure was a very dangerous street, with traffic frequently breaking speed limits. We also suffered reduced air quality as a result of the pollution from heavy traffic. My child is both autistic (which means she needs careful supervision around traffic) and asthmatic, and the LTN changes have made the street a much safer and more pleasant place for her to live.”
Resident, Coburg Street
"I am very much in favour of the Council's move to provide safer, quieter streets in a high-density urban area, where less than half of residents own a car. To achieve the target of reducing car use by 30% by 2030 in Edinburgh, we need more initiatives in the future too."
Colin Howden, Director, Transform Scotland
"I live just outside Leith in Newhaven but travel to Leith at least twice a week for leisure, shopping and socialising. I cycle, walk and use public transport depending on the day/activity. I also drive a car but aim to use it less. The LTNs and traffic calming measures (on Coburg St, Tollbooth Wynd and the bridge closure at Sandport Place) all make these streets far more enjoyable to walk and cycle around. There's a real feeling of being able to linger and enjoy the shore in a completely different way to when these were cut throughs for traffic. I am massively in favour of these steps that support Leith becoming a place that is designed for people rather than for cars and traffic; where we can enjoy the beauty of the area, the architecture, the folk passing by; where we can sit outside when the weather is good and not have cars and vans rumbling by or idling."
Luke, Newhaven resident
“The queues of traffic that we used to get from Coburg Street down Dock Street to reach Commercial Street, are no longer a problem. The LTN changes have made me walk more, I now leave my car in the garage 3 or 4 times a week and walk to work, when I have used the car, I have had no issues, I enjoy the more peaceful street and weather permitted, we sit down outside and enjoy the sun. The LTN will be, in the long term, beneficial for everybody. LTN changes have already made Coburg Street a much safer, cleaner and more pleasant place to live.”
Ana, Coburg Street
“It’s much quieter and safer to cross Henderson Street at the junction with Tolbooth Wynd.”
Resident, Tolbooth Wynd
“It’s great to see all that is being done as part of Leith Connections and that cycling is being built in.”
Visitor to Leith
“All these months on and I am very firmly convinced that the changes need to stay: it has been quite transformative!”
Resident, Leith
“We should remember that nearly 50% of people in Leith do not have a car, we are in a climate emergency, and we should be encouraging people to drive less wherever we can.”
Resident, Leith
“It's great to see that it [the LTN] has moved forward. For the first time in many years we can have our windows open without the roar of traffic on cobbles, and we now allow our son to cycle to school. I don't think we had realised quite how intrusive the traffic noise had become until it was largely gone. The change really has been quite dramatic. Much as we love Leith, the noise pollution was such that we had decided to move if the LTN wasn't approved.”
Resident, Leith
“It's great to such progress on the Leith LTN. Well done!”
Resident, Leith
“I am very pleased to see the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. (LTNs) in my area. The roads are much more pleasant to walk along and I often see people using the new street furniture enjoying the more pedestrian friendly landscape. The bike storage bins are also filling up nicely so it would appear that cyclists as well as pedestrians are being encouraged to take advantage of the safer streets. I certainly don’t want to see any reductions to the scheme. I know that some car owners are against LTNs but in this area the majority of residents do not own a car and many motorists are also supportive of LTNs because it is in everyone’s interests to have safer, cleaner streets and a more active and healthy population. I hope you will continue to support the existing schemes and any further improvements.”
Ian, Great Junction Street
“I and my partner live in Coburg St Leith, one of your recently established LTN . We love the recent changes as well as the wooden plant / bench boxes . It is no longer the rat run it once was and has established a pleasant waterside environment that is safe and quiet .”
Resident, Coburg Street
“The parts [of the LTN] that have been implemented seem to work quite well, certainly walking and cycling around Leith is much more pleasant. I hope these are made permanent,”
Resident, Rennie’s Isle
“Thanks for all your efforts to make Coburg Street a low traffic area. I really like the improvements made approx a year ago. It’s safer, more peaceful and more pleasant for residents.”
Resident, Coburg Street
"The greatest benefit to me personally has been the noticeable improvement in air quality (on what was the Water Street/Carpet Lane rat-run) - my asthma is much reduced!"
Maggie Holland
If you want to make a comment about the positive difference the Liveable Neighbourhood has made to you, please fill in the form below.