Dear Spurtle
Further to your piece on the latest George Street Stakeholder Meeting (Breaking news, 15.6.15), here are a few thoughts from someone who attended the meeting.
1. While the second quarter's survey results (presented in March 2015) were very much less positive than the first, Quarter 3 seems to have represented something of a bounce-back.
2. One interesting aspect is that residents of Edinburgh remain very much less enamoured of the trial layout than those who live further away. Does that matter? Is the Council's role to do things for its residents?
3. In any case, the Council's determination to pedestrianise – and increase cycling provision on – the street, seems undimmed. They consider that the survey results give them a mandate to do so.
4. For the time being, no funds have been committed by anyone for the project, but there seemed to be some optimism that funding might be obtained from Lottery sources or similar.
5. The Council is pleased with the results of the trial because its measures of success are (a) footfall and (b) longer lingering, measured by stated intention of survey respondents. I was interested to note that George Street businesses, with perhaps different (broader?) measures of success, seem less universally cock-a-hoop. One restaurateur challenged the footfall findings, saying that as far as they were concerned, footfall had fallen off a cliff. Either the Council's footfall counters were badly placed, as not giving accurate information along the whole length of the street, or if there was footfall it was not at the right times of the day for their business.
Caroline Roussot
(Cumberland Street)
[25 JUNE UPDATE: Minutes of the meeting on 15.6.15 are now attached at the foot of the page here.]
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@theSpurtle point 3 - no, independent designer was introduced & takes over now. Point 5 - no,its evidence based decisions > partisan hunches
@theSpurtle otherwise, though, thx4 the summary, interest, passion & engagement. Key Q is what would be a George Street at full potential?
@theSpurtle other summary point from meeting was the danger of complacency esp with st James on horizon, lessons from Princes Street 30y ago
@theSpurtle The fact the council will not open up their survey for scrutiny speaks volumes. I have asked & never even got a reply.
@theSpurtle @LeithCitizen & previous surveys showing any differences. Same for training given, questions asked & staff.
@theSpurtle @LeithCitizen & previous surveys showing any differences. Same for training given, questions asked & staff.
@Motivationprobs @theSpurtle really? Drop me a note to iain.macphail@Edinburgh.got.UK and you'll get 100% of all responses verbatim tomorrow
@Motivationprobs @theSpurtle.. Dot Gov
@Motivationprobs @theSpurtle this project has put the public in charge of the research - it's your questions & info so drop me a note thx
@Motivationprobs @theSpurtle final point,the feedback has been released immediately to public Before politicians/officials see it throughout
@theSpurtle @LeithCitizen Good to hear we are having some transparency at last. Can you upload ALL data & post link to it. That should -