Liveable streets for our town centres
East Lothian Greens welcome the Musselburgh Active Toun routes but more needs to be done to tackle car dominance and humanise our streets.
The current Active Toun plans contain six routes: together they create a network of connections that research shows can enable more people to make active travel choices[1].
Cllr Shona McIntosh argues that this is only one part of the overall picture. “Studies show that to really create change, we must also include measures to reduce cars[2]. For Musselburgh, we could consider a congestion charge –15,000 vehicles come through the high street daily, many of them through traffic[3]. It’s time we recognised the negative impacts on air quality and the viability of businesses. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and school streets have also been shown to improve health and wellbeing for all.[4]”
Amanda Grimm, general election candidate for Musselburgh, said "Transport emissions make up 25% of Scotland’s carbon footprint[5], and the Scottish Government is working to reduce car use by 20% by 2030[6]. Measures like the Active Toun, increased public transport and traffic-calmed streets can all help to reduce individual car use: tackling the climate emergency and improving our public space."
[1] https://blogs.napier.ac.uk/tri/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2019/11/Essential-Evidence-4-Scotland-No-18-Cycling-safety-growth-through-building-cycle-networks.pdf
[2] See statistics on lower motor traffic following introductions of congestion charging in London, workplace parking levy in Nottingham, or road user pricing in Singapore.
[3] East Lothian Council travel data gathered week commencing 28/01/24 showed 15,917 motor vehicles; 6900 pedestrians and 127 cyclists from a sensor on Musselburgh High St. A council ANPR study in 2009/10 showed that 42% of vehicles were through-traffic (no ANPR study has been carried out more recently although Greens would like to see one undertaken).