Could destroying a 'linear park' ever be the green option for city trams?

No straightforward route for the proposed £2 billion north-south line

Tucked away below street level and cushioned by grassy, tree-covered banks, Edinburgh has a hidden web of nature. On converted railway lines which curve across the city, you walk, run, or cycle for miles which feel more like forest than town. These paths are part of what makes Edinburgh a famously green city, and a fabulous example of success for safe and popular active travel routes. So why on Earth would the Council want to sacrifice that in the name of sustainable transport? 

During the last fifteen years of construction and extension, the word “tram” in Edinburgh has inspired strong opinions. With passenger numbers surpassing one million a month since the Newhaven extension opened last June, it seems that Edinburgh’s trams have been, against many predictions, a significant success. Still, there is nothing new about the passionate debate over proposals for the £2 billion new North-South tram link from Granton to the Royal Infirmary. One of the hottest topics has been the proposal that the tram would be constructed on the Roseburn Path, which is currently part of the immensely popular off-road active travel network. 

Since the announcement, a Save Roseburn Path group has emerged, with over 2000 members vigorously calling for the path to be protected, and for the tram to take the alternative road-based route. It is easy to understand why. The path is a tranquil spot yet busy with bikes and walkers at almost any time of the day. You can hear the birds in the trees even as you pass under traffic-choked Queensferry Road. Others, like Spokes cycle campaign group, are “not fundamentally opposed to a tramline on Roseburn Path” but are adamant there should be high quality cycle and pedestrian paths alongside it. 

So what is the best path for the tram to take? And how does this fit into the decarbonisation, active travel infrastructure and sustainable growth of Edinburgh? 

Choosing the route

The proposed route of the £2bn tram extension, including running along part of the Roseburn Path.

While the details of the public consultation on the north-south tramline is yet to be confirmed, there are two key decisions which will affect Roseburn Path. The first is the route of the tramline itself: along Roseburn Path, or over Dean Bridge and Orchard Brae. The second is the route for a replacement cycle path if the tram does use the Roseburn Path: a roadside cyclepath might be constructed on Dean Bridge and Orchard Brae, or the cycle path could follow the tramline along Roseburn Path (albeit with some diversions in tighter spaces such as around the old bridges).

At first glance, the destruction of a cycle path to build a tramline, if a viable road route is available, doesn’t look particularly sustainability-focussed. Nevermind the fact that it proposes to replace a very popular transport route with one which has been, at best, controversial. But on closer inspection, there are many good reasons for the Roseburn Path tram route. The Roseburn route is expected to see more passengers than the Dean Bridge route, a key factor in the council’s attempts to secure Scottish Government funding and the eventual success of the extended line. The route assessment by council officials also found it will connect more residential areas to Haymarket and the airport, and crucially includes a stop at the Western General whose staff in particular are expected to use the service in large numbers. It will be faster than an on-road route too, as it won’t have to compete for space with road vehicles, the assessment concluded. The construction of the route is also expected to be quicker; partly because the Council has already obtained the legal rights to build a tramline on the path. There is an argument too that it is the Greener option in at least one sense. Construction on Roseburn Path would avoid dealing with under-street pipes and cables, and above-ground traffic disruptions. This is expected to reduce the carbon emissions associated with the construction, and will make a huge difference to the monetary cost. 

Losing ‘a linear park’

But what about the overall social and environmental costs? Alex Robb, from the Spokes campaign, sums it up as the loss of “what is effectively a linear park.” The leisure value, greenspace and biodiversity of the path would inevitably suffer from a tramline. While the Council promises to develop Roseburn “in a controlled way,” many are cynical of this, and fear it will become a “concrete corridor.” 

And, of course, the Roseburn Path will not avoid all traffic disruption. A new route will need to be created for the many cyclists who currently use the Roseburn Path - and the question is where. Robb told me that Roseburn Path is currently an important commuter route, but many people do not feel safe using off-road cycle routes like Roseburn after dark, due to the lack of lighting and surveillance. He believes that the lighting and surveillance provided by a tram route could improve this, making a tramside cycle path more accessible to cyclists at all times of day. However, according to Robb, the most important reason to maintain a cyclepath on Roseburn is for the leisure cyclists, families with children, or people learning to cycle. For these cyclists, an alternative cycle path on a crowded, noisy Dean Bridge is of little use. Robb is also concerned that an on-road cycle path, separate from the tramline construction, will become a forgotten side-project. He  gives the example of the cycle paths which were promised after cycling was excluded from parts of the tram route on Constitution Street in Leith. While construction of the tramlines has started and finished, those cycle paths are still nowhere to be seen. Councillor Scott Arthur, Convenor of the Transport Committee, assured me that the Council has committed to an alternative cycle path being safe and functional before any tram construction is started on Roseburn Path. With the proposed new line only scheduled to open in 2035 the start of construction work is likely to be some years away yet.

Avoiding a Leith Walk-style squeeze

Cllr Arthur agrees that a tramside cycle path is feasible, but warns against “trying to squeeze too much into the space” as has happened on Leith Walk. A cycle path over Dean Bridge and Orchard Brae also fits into the long-term development of Edinburgh’s on-road active travel routes. These routes are particularly important for commuters who cycle at a faster pace and generally prefer to take the most direct routes. Safe on-road cycling can also encourage more people to commute by bike; the more cyclists we see, the more confidence we have that we could do the same. And while off-road cycle paths have huge value, they can be criticized for maintaining the idea that cyclists should be “out of the way” when in cities across the UK and Europe it is perfectly normal for cars and bicycles to share the road. Cllr Arthur pointed out that if the tramline is constructed on Dean Bridge, it will be very difficult to develop good active travel routes on the narrow stretch of road in future. 

Of course, maintaining off-road cycle paths such as Roseburn does not prevent the development of Edinburgh’s roadside cycle network. Robb explains that Spokes are in favour of a “both-and” approach to cycle networks in the long-term. “People should be able to commute on roads,” he says, “with a nature, leisure option available to them, but not something they feel forced to use.”

Will promises be delivered?

Finally, Robb warns against the Roseburn Path debate becoming an unnecessary competition between different forms of sustainable transport. “We need to have both,” he says, “We need to have a network where people feel safe and comfortable walking and cycling around the city, whilst also having that transport spine [provided by public transport].” Cllr Arthur also appeals to the bigger picture of the new tramline; which is about effective planning for the growth of the city, and tackling climate change. “We’re doing this to relieve congestion and hit our climate targets,” he says. “Whenever we make these decisions, there's never an option that involves no compromise. We have to think carefully about the path we take through this. We have a moral obligation to reduce our carbon emissions.” 

The fate of Roseburn Path is as of yet undecided; a lot will depend on the consultation and strategic business case, which will then go back to the council’s Transport Committee around the autumn. Given the expected huge cost difference, it is relatively likely that the Roseburn Path will become a tram route. And this may turn out to be a necessary compromise for the future of Edinburgh’s transport network and sustainability. 

But all eyes will be on what happens around the tram- will the high quality cycleways to accompany it actually materialise, or will they be a clumsy afterthought like on Leith Walk? The Council are so far showing signs of responsiveness to public demand; in response to Spokes’ campaign, the consultation plans have been changed to put more emphasis on active travel around the tramline. “We’re really glad that the transport committee listened… but after the consultation it’s a bit of a waiting game,” says Robb, explaining that Spokes are prepared to keep pushing for cycle infrastructure throughout the long tram project. The Council is going to have to act quickly and decisively on its promises to preserve active travel and minimise damage to nature, to rebuild trust that past mistakes won’t be repeated.