Many thanks to those who completed my recent survey on the speed and volume of traffic cutting through Swanston.

There has been a little scaremongering about the survey online, so I wanted to assure you that it was undertaken in good faith following feedback from local residents as a way of understanding the views of the local community. The survey’s outcomes have no binding authority and there is no “secret plan” to close roads in the area etc and I have played no part producing any plan (secret or otherwise). Nonetheless, the scaremongering about some sort of “plan” has left some older residents feeling worried. It’s sad that someone can be so concerned about me trying to understand the views of local residents.

The survey is still open, but so far the responses fall into three broad categories:

1. Those that feel there may be an issue, but are concerned about the negative consequences of dealing with it.
2. Those that feel there is an issue and want it addressed.
3. Those that feel there is no problem.

I give a summery of the comments below, and will post the full results in 2-3 weeks.

Comment Group 1 – People with concerns about the volume and/or speed of vehicles in the area.

1. Swanston Avenue Resident – There is an increase in young families with children in the area and are regularly out playing on their bikes and scooters, fast traffic is a danger
2. Swanston Avenue Resident – Working from home, I see the speed and volume of traffic coming along Swanston Avenue – On a daily basis I am genuinely terrified of my kids accidentally getting hit by some of the cars speeding along the street well in excess of 30mph. Something has to be done to decrease both the speed and number of cars/vans/lorries using the road as a shortcut. Also the road is still often used by HGVs despite signs advising against this.
3. Swanston Gardens Resident – Traffic volume is rarely an issue. Traffic speed is a daily issue.
4. Swanston Place Resident – I wrote to the council around 15 years ago (when my daughter was little) raising concerns about people using Swanston Avenue as a short cut and speeding, but their response was along the lines of they had higher priorities.
5. Swanston Avenue Resident – I would like to see a no right turn from Swanston Avenue onto Biggar Road. Also many cars are dodging parked cars at high speed & cutting the corner so a middle white line painted on Swanston Avenue. Anti skid onto Swanston Avenue to prevent further crashes in winter
6. I live outside the area – Speed bumps or similar measures would be very welcome
7. Swanston Avenue Resident – More children living and playing with bikes and scooters in the estate.
8. Swanston View Resident – In particular the speed of delivery vans and even the councils own waste vehicles is ridiculous. They speed up Swanston View at 40mph. It’s only a matter of time until a child is run over
9. Swanston Avenue Resident – Speed reducing measures, maybe lane limiting, and also enforcing fellow residents to stop  parking on corners would all make a difference.
10. Swanston Avenue Resident – Better police enforcement (when there are roadworks) at the restricted time as that’s when the issue is
11. Swanston Avenue Resident – I would support slowing traffic down. Speed restrictions are not effective
12. Swanston Grove Resident – Speed reduction measures are required with double yellows on corners and junctions.
13. I live outside the area – I have no problems with speed restrictions and enforcement.
14. Swanston View Resident – This area has an increasing number of small children whose safety needs to be protected. There are speeding vehicles pretty much all day. At midnight last night I witnessed a chase between a Fiesta ST and a Golf on the Avenue. As a residential area there’s a lot of cats around as well who are at risk.
15. Swanston Grove Resident – Traffic calming measures can be taken to reduce speed and traffic rather than a sledgehammer approach of shutting the roads.
16. Swanston Grove Resident – Lots of kids out playing around the grove & avenue , speed bumps or other speed reducing measures would be reassuring
17. Swanston Gardens Resident – Swanston is a rat run,i have sat in traffic jams from Swanston Avenue trying to access my property due to residents parking and rat runners not being courteous drivers. I have had bad experiences driving on the Avenue with cars speeding and my young children walking around the local streets going to and from school have commented on speeding vehicles and the fact some vehicles are quieter but still speeding! I would suspect with Sainsburys coming into the area will also increase traffic flow, especially delivery vehicles and waste collection, coming into the estate from Swanston Drive.
18. Swanston Avenue Resident – We need a traffic calming system
19. Swanston Avenue Resident – Far too much traffic is coming through
20. Swanston Drive Resident – Many elderly people and families in Swanston Drive / Grove/ Avenue. Too many rat runners for over 25 years. Anything that can be done should be.

Comment Group 2 – People who are content with the status quo.

1. Swanston Terrace Resident – The only time traffic through the estate is an issue is when there are roadworks at the Fairmilehead crossroads. In the last 30+ years I’ve lived here that crossroads has been dug up multiple times. Surely there is nothing left to do under there?
2. Swanston Grove Resident – The increase in traffic is caused by the problems due to roadworks at Fairmilehead crossroads. 
3. Swanston Grove Resident – No change is required.
4. Swanston Gardens Resident – I really don’t think there is a big problem of rat runs, except when roadworks as now. A 20 mph enforced speed limit with camera would work.
5. Swanston Place Resident – Whilst traffic coming through the estate can be an issue this only really happens when there is congestion due to road works or bypass issues.
6. I live outside the area Resident – Mostly used by locals when the queue at the lights is problematic
7. Swanston Avenue Resident – Slow people down on the corner, anti slip on the corner. Bollards would make the road horrific in winter – need the two options to get out of the estate. Speed bumps are not needed
8. I live outside the area – The main solution is to better manage roadworks at Fairmilehead crossroads as there have been far too many over the last few years which have a knock on effect for Swanston. As it is a crossroads on a major artery then contractors should be forced to carry out work quicker including night time and weekend work.
9. Swanston Drive Resident – The problem is always worse when there’s an issue on Biggar Road.  There’s as much problem trying to get out from Swanston ONTO Biggar Road due to there being continuous flow from the bypass
10. Swanston Avenue Resident – I agree with view that there is no issue unless there are issues elsewhere, e.g. gas works on Oxgangs Road, closure of City Bypass, resurfacing of Biggar Road / Comiston Road.

Comment Group 3 – People who are concerned about the negative impact of any changes (this includes people from Comment Group 1 & 2).

1. I live outside the area – Please do NOT restrict cars going through Swanston
2. Swanston Grove Resident – Blocking off Swanston Avenue would cause chaos.
3. I live outside the area – I lived in Swanston drive until recently.  I would not want to see traffic blocked from moving through the estate if it meant having to go out into biggar road up the crossroads and then left simply so I could go to Morrisons or Tesco (for example). 
4. I live outside the area – I live locally on Biggar Road so use the Swanston estate regularly. Any measures to reduce traffic in Swanston would mean even more traffic on Biggar Road and Oxgangs Road
5. Swanston Avenue Resident – We definitely do not want to lose resident access to both entrances / exits by creating culdesacs or no entry etc.
6. Swanston Grove Resident – Blocking roads will make residents lives much harder getting in and out. Living on Swanston Grove I often drive along Swanston Avenue and out to Oxgangs Road instead of coming out onto Biggar Road because a right turn can be very dangerous there. As such, would really not welcome any blockages from the lower to top half of Swanston.
7. Swanston View Resident – The left turn from biggar road is great for us, we use it to get home from work every day, it would be very frustrating to lose that and have to sit in traffic at the crossroads every evening
8. Swanston Avenue Resident – As an elderly driver , i need my car to help me maintain my independence. I would not support closing one of the accesses to Swanston avenue as in icy road conditions, i choose access to my road depending on road condition.
9. Swanston Gardens Resident – The plans effectively stop cars entering Swanston Avenue completely from Biggar road. This can’t be fair to residents. I live in Swanston Gardens, parallel to Oxgangs Road, meaning I have to enter by The Avenue all the time.
10. Swanston Grove Resident – I am against the suggestion of stopping traffic coming all the way through the estate. Turning right into the estate from Biggar  road is dangerous with the current speed of the traffic. Forcing people who live at the Grove end of the estate to use the Biggar  road entry will also increase congestion at the Fairmilehead cross roads.
11. Swanston Avenue Resident – A block at the entrance side of the Bigger Road junction would make life more awkward for people living at that end of the estate. But other places appear to have managed fine enough, eg near the Barnton junction.
12. Swanston Gardens Resident – I believe road closers would cause more problems than it solves. I do not want my only entrance and exit to my home being on to a busy duel carriageway.
13. Swanston Grove Resident – Don’t want streets permantly closed as stated in plans as this would impact my access in and out of Swanston on to oxgangs road. Local access only if roadworks happening on biggar road or oxgangs rd nth”
14. Swanston Place Resident – No speed bumps please! They are ineffective and simply add to noise pollution. Top and bottom access to Swanston estate is necessary to facilitate expedient access for emergency vehicles, so please consider essential and often critical vehicle access as part of the overall assessment.
15. I live outside the area – Turning onto Swanston Drive gives access to visiting friends on or just off Swanston Drive ie in Swanston estate. For those of us too old to cycle, please don’t block all car access to Swanson Drive as some would seem to want. How can I pick up friends to gout somewhere if I can’t drive to their house?
16. Swanston View Resident – Access at both Biggar and Oxgangs Roads is necessary for emergency services. During snowy and icy conditions we need access to both roads as often it’s impossible to get out of the estate.
17. Swanston View Resident – Access at both Biggar and Oxgangs Roads is imperative for ambulances and other emergency vehicles especially during snow and ice conditions. It is also a must to have top and bottom access for residents during snow and ice conditions.

Comment Group 4 – Other relevant comments (this includes people from Comment Group 1, 2 & 3).

1. Swanston View Resident – Swanston View / Avenue – You need to drive down the wrong side of the View and visibility round onto the Avenue is reduced. Equally dangerous is the junction of Swanston Avenue / Gardens when you come in from Oxgangs Road, due to cars parked right to the corner. Yet again today I had to reverse round the  corner back onto the Avenue.
2. I live outside the area – Restricting access leads to congestion on other roads. Delivery drivers and tradesmen often have to make unnecessary detours. If you stop left turns at both junctions, then a resident living on Swanston Drive or a delivery driver coming from Biggar Road would need to do a long detour turning left at Fairmilehead traffic lights and accessing Swanston Avenue from Oxgangs Road, passing through other Swanston roads. Also if a resident or delivery driver is not using the road as a cut-through but to reach a destination in the Swanston area, it seems sensible that they can make these left turns. The council seldom look at knock-on effects of road closures.  I never use these left turns myself. Well done not restricting the consultation to Swanston residents; it affects others.”
3. Swanston View Resident – Stop irresponsible parking at corners especially Top of Swanston avenue – oxgangs rd turning left Biggar rd turning into Swanston avenue. Swanston avenue turning into Swanston gardens Kids crossing at oxgangs road at caiystane is a concern. No crossing attendants in the area for school kids
4. Swanston Gardens Resident – We also need a no entry box to vehicles at the Swanston Avenue to Biggar Road junction as cars never let traffic in or out at peak times.
5. Swanston Grove Resident – If money is tight would it not be better to utilise this money in other places. As a parent of young children at Pentland primary school we use the swanston avenue route to get to school. It is already hard to turn onto Biggar road and with the change in use of the Craigdon building it will become harder and quite frankly more dangerous for us to use this route.
6. The real problem is parking especially where you turn off Biggar Rd onto Swanston Ave.  If someone is waiting to get out you can’t get off the main Rd due to parked cars. Yellow lines are needed to the crest of the hill. Parking on the road and pavement is a problem in the whole estate. People need to use their drives. Adding speed bumps or narrowing the street will just make things worse.