How we are monitoring and evaluating the project
We are monitoring a range of ‘before’ and ‘after' data to assess the scheme's impact on the area.
Indicators that we are measuring include
- gauging community reaction to the on-street changes via general feedback and responses to the ETRO
- gauging community reaction to the on-street changes via surveys and focus groups
- surveys of the number and speed of vehicles using the streets
- air quality monitoring
- noise monitoring
- business surveys
- visits with Edinburgh Access Panel
Information gathered will be used to guide future recommendations and decisions on the trial parts of the project.
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
A summary of our monitoring plan and pre-implementation data can be seen in the reports below.
Sandport Place Bridge
An automatic counter at Sandport Place Bridge has been counting users of the bridge since November 2022.
The bridge closed to through motor traffic in May 2023.
Counts for comparable months show
- a year-to-year increase of up to 17% for pedestrians following closure to motor traffic
- minus 7% to 69% increase in people on cycles
- up to 95% monthly increase in buggy classification (wheelchairs, prams, cargo bike/ trailers) counted by the automatic counter following closure to motor traffic.
Six-month post implementation monitoring
We reported on our 6-month post implementation monitoring in September and you can download and read the full report.
Please note that this report is not fully accessible. If you need any help with this, please email the project team.
Twelve-month post implementation monitoring
We have recently carried out our 12-month post implementation monitoring. Download and read the full report. Please note that this report is not fully accessible. If you need any help with this, please email the project team.
Summary of traffic count findings
We have carried out traffic counts within the project area for a week prior to the introduction of the changes in March 2023 and repeated the counts in June 2024 and October 2024. We found
- a reduction in traffic since pre-pandemic levels and also a reduction in traffic levels post implementation of the changes made in 2023.
- Streets monitored which are no longer usable as through traffic routes (with some timed or bus/taxi exemptions) recorded reductions of vehicle traffic of between 66% and 88% (a weekday average flow reduction of up to 4,389 vehicles).
- Other internal roads show reductions in motor traffic volumes of 36.5% (Elbe Street) and 62% (Queen Charlotte Street).
- Duncan Place has seen an increase in traffic volume of just under 19%, given the restriction of use as a through route of Wellington Place to the west. The total of two-way traffic on Duncan Place and Wellington Place together has seen a drop in traffic of just under 14% suggesting that not all traffic previously using Wellington Place has diverted via Duncan Place.
- Peak time monitoring of key junctions on the project area boundary roads show changes in levels of overall traffic of between minus 7.4% and plus 9.1%.
- A reduction in weekday average 85th percentile speeds was noted at seven out of 10 monitored sites.
Qualitative research data
Market research has been carried out to help understand the views of local residents who might not otherwise respond through the advertising process and to gather the views of business owners and operators.
We appointed an independent specialist market research company to gather these views through on street surveys and focus groups. In spring and October 2024 we carried out a further two independent surveys to find out what residents and local businesses within the project area felt about the trial changes.
Download the Leith Connections market research reports
This research, carried out by the market research company, indicates that:
- 74% of residents support the project changes and 6% oppose, with 20% either saying they are neutral or don’t know. This shows an increase in support from the second survey undertaken in spring.
Business surveys showed strong awareness of the project with slightly more overall support for the project (38% support to 30% oppose in the third survey). A large increase in ‘no opinion’ was noted compared to baseline results.
