This is\u00a0despite the fact\u00a0that, without a decision, the council could be forced to rip out traffic barriers without any\u00a0plans to instal cycle lanes along the route.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Cllr Booth wants the members of TEC to be briefed by council officers on what options are available, and if possible for the quasi judicial Traffic Regulation Orders Sub-Committee to meet \u2013 extraordinarily \u2013 before 15 June to \u201cregularise the situation\u201d. He also asks that nothing on the route is ripped out until the decision is made in a \u201cprocedurally correct re-run\u201d.<\/p>\n
TEC decision in 2024<\/p>\n
The council voted in March 2024 to dismantle traffic filters on Morningside\u2019s Braid Estate, originally part of a Covid active travel scheme paid for by UK Government funding, and\u00a0install segregated cycle lanes. This is\u00a0part of the larger Morningside to Greenbank<\/a> \u201cQuiet Route\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n That decision was thrown into uncertainty after it was revealed that two of the councillors <\/a>who voted on the motion\u00a0failed to\u00a0declare the fact that they live near the Braid Estate.\u00a0They have since been censured by the Standards Commission.<\/p>\n Conservative Councillor Marie-Clair Munro and Liberal Democrat Councillor\u00a0Neil Ross\u00a0were both censured for breaching the Councillors\u2019 Code of Conduct.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city\u2019s\u00a0Transport\u00a0Convener, Stephen Jenkinson,\u00a0has\u00a0said\u00a0that the vote will have to be retaken, and pointed out that the current traffic order\u00a0expiring in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n Work to remove the filters from Braid Avenue and Hermitage Drive was due to start\u00a0in January, but\u00a0Cllr Jenkinson decided to\u00a0delay\u00a0these works until after the\u00a0decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the Covid measures were put in place they were retained with experimental traffic orders (ETROs) and as the order affecting this route will expire on 15 June, time is running out for a decision to be made.\u00a0<\/p>\n Without a fresh decision, the council may be forced to dismantle the \u201cmodal filters\u201d without putting in any new segregated cycle lanes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chas Booth, tabled an emergency motion\u00a0at last week\u2019s meeting of the full council to have a briefing\u00a0for councillors and an\u00a0urgent report\u00a0setting out options\u00a0prepared for the Transport and Environment Committee on 2 April.\u00a0<\/p>\n But this motion was shot down by Edinburgh\u2019s Lord Provost who\u00a0deemed\u00a0the motion \u201cnot urgent\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following the Lord Provost\u2019s decision, Cllr Booth asked: \u201cPlease can I ask for the reasons that the emergency motion on the Standards Commission implications is ruled not urgent \u2013 in particular given that, if there is no decision of the Council before the 15th of June, the quiet route will be ripped out?<\/p>\n Aldridge responded: \u201cMy understanding is that we are in a legally competent position.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Transport and Environment Committee took a decision on how to proceed on this while the inquiry was underway and that there is therefore no legal reason why we need to proceed as a matter of emergency at this stage, but I\u2019m sure the Convener of Transport and Environment Committee has heard what you have said today and that the matter will be dealt with at the next TEC committee, which will happen I think quite shortly in April.\u201d<\/p>\n Cllr Booth\u00a0said the uncertainty surrounding the\u00a0ETRO and quiet route was \u201cnot acceptable\u201d and urged to council to take \u201cfirm and decisive\u201d action.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said:\u00a0\u201cThe Standards Commission ruling means the original decision of committee in March 2024 is no longer legally sound and must be revisited.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, I am extremely concerned that because the legal permission for the current situation expires on 15 June, unless the council\u00a0makes a decision\u00a0soon, that deadline may pass and the council may be forced to rip out the protections for vulnerable road users.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGiven that\u00a0local residents\u00a0have already seen considerable uncertainty around the future safety of their streets, this would not be an acceptable situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0therefore essential that the council ensures the current road safety measures can stay in place while the committee decision of March 2024 is revisited.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TER2020SA907969-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>The restriction were initially placed on the Braid estate as a Covid-19 safety measure. Photo: Martin P. McAdam<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/16042021TERBraidRoad-2-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>The Greens have described the current quiet route as \u201cmuch-loved\u201d but the restriction have generated controversy and furore since their installation \u00a92021 The Edinburgh Reporter<\/p>\n