Edinburgh Transport

EDINBURGH TRANSPORT

This article outlines some ideas for improving Edinburgh's public transport network, in particular the bus network.

Transport networks are a common interest among Asperger individuals, not least because they involve a lot of systemisation. I did a talk about the various types of transport in Edinburgh at a past ELAS meeting, and among other things the tram network and perceived missing links to Lothian Buses' network were discussed, especially a link to Haddington (currently served by FirstBus but not Lothian Buses).

I do not necessarily agree with the tram network, to start in Edinburgh in 2011, at least not in the form it will take. It will pretty much consist of one line (airport to Leith via city centre) and I feel that the cost of the network would have been better expended in high-quality bus corridors around the city. The routes that the trams will follow would be part of a bigger plan of such bus corridors throughout the city (not just one or two areas which the tram network will link).

This top level of high-quality bus routes, then, would be limited stop services, stopping only at certain well-used stops. Of course the existing network would exist as it is, but at certain selected 'designated points' spaced around the city would integrate with the limited stop services.

Some such limited stop services exist, mainly for commuters during morning and evening rush hours, but the idea would be extended to form a spider-web network in the city operating all day, with stops spaced more regularly than the typical limited stop network that exists. A good model of the type of service intended is the X48. Buses on this route are specially coloured in green, so perhaps a distinguishing colour like this could represent the top-level services.

Edinburgh has many radial bus routes, coming in and out of the city centre. Selected radial routes connecting to the designated points would be improved under the high-quality bus corridor plan. The radial routes would also, where practical, extend outside Edinburgh to nearby towns.

There are also routes connecting outer suburbs, evident from looking at a Lothian Buses map, but these are usually not well integrated into anything like coherent routes (there used to be full circular services such as the 32/52 but these were done away with a few years ago). Nor are these services always very frequent, including the 18 and 21 which are half circles around the outskirts of the city. But they are a key part of the plan for reasons including that Edinburgh's circular layout makes them practical, to avoid the city centre and its traffic, and because the designated nodal points such as the Royal Infirmary and Gyle/Edinburgh Park are areas visited by people from throughout the city.

I also envisage an inner circular route, something which Edinburgh lacks but would be useful given the density of inner Edinburgh in both population and services, and to integrate with the radial routes. Again, these could also act as a bypass of the very centre of Edinburgh (Princes Street/Old Town/New Town etc.). The idea is to connect points on the radial routes halfway between the city centre and the outer nodal points. I have made an attempt at defining such a route on the map.

The key nodal points would be:

North-east: Leith/Ocean Terminal
East: ASDA The Jewel/Fort Kinnaird
South-east: Alternating between Cameron Toll, a major bus interchange; and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
South-west: Possibly Wester Hailes/Westside Plaza, which already acts as a major bus interchange.
West: Gyle/Edinburgh Park
North-west: Waterfront development

This would entail high-quality routes between the city centre and all of the above points. The nodal points would also be linked north-west to north-east, north-east to east etc. in a circular service. These routes could for instance be every 20 minutes. The east radial route would also extend to East Lothian towns like Musselburgh, Prestonpans, Tranent and Haddington (the last two could be served along the A1 alternating with a coastal route). The south-east route would extend to the towns of Midlothian, alternating in the different directions from the city. The west and north-west routes could re-open previously closed Lothian Buses routes, i.e. west to Livingston/Bathgate, northwest to South Queensferry.

Such a network is a good idea because of Edinburgh's very dense bus route network. This makes a top-level network a good idea, as a recognised, simple, well-spaced structure around the city would benefit travellers. Perhaps the buses could be similar to those used by Citylink, or Stagecoach Fife in whose network there is a similar idea of top-level routes around the county.

Map of suggested network lines

By: Mark