Serious concerns have been raised over Edinburgh’s walking and cycling improvements, as nearly 70% of the city’s active travel projects are now delayed — with some facing setbacks of up to ten years.
It has emerged that 27 out of 39 active travel schemes currently managed by the City of Edinburgh Council have slipped beyond their original completion dates. The delays were disclosed during a full council meeting last year.
Chas Booth, Green Party co-leader and city councillor, has urged council officers to address the situation by filing an emergency motion.
Booth cited funding shortages, limited staffing, and bureaucratic hurdles as the main reasons behind the extensive delays in delivering new infrastructure.
Among the most delayed projects is the improvement to Charlotte Square’s active travel facilities, which has seen its completion date pushed back from 2016 to 2027.
Similarly, active travel works on Fountainbridge and Dundee Street have been delayed from 2017 to 2027, while the cycle route connecting the Meadows to the Union Canal has been pushed from 2016 to 2026.
Other notable delays include the Meadows to George Street link, now expected in 2028 instead of 2022, and the George Street improvements, postponed from 2021 to 2029.
Several projects are currently listed as ‘on hold’ with no confirmed completion dates, such as the Powderhall Railway active travel works in Broughton. Others, including the proposed route from Portobello to Musselburgh, are now under review.
Although the emergency motion raised by Booth was not accepted by the committee convener, the Green group intends to refile it at the next Transport and Environment Committee meeting following the council’s April recess.
If approved, the motion would instruct council officers to return within three months with a plan to cut down the ongoing delays and accelerate progress on Edinburgh’s active travel initiatives.
