Barnton Junction re-think could ease Fife commuters' journeys

Fife commuters who are hit by delays at the Barnton Junction as they head in and out of the capital could see changes coming.

Councillors in Edinburgh have called for a review of the busy A90 corridor which links directly to the Queensferry crossing.

Officers have agreed to new measures such as yellow “no waiting” hatching on the junction.

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They will also examine the current lane design on Whitehouse Road and Maybury Road.

The action comes after an hour-long debate on the problems encountered regularly by commuters.

Councillors on the North West Locality Committee called on the executive Transport and Environment Committee to carry out the widespread review.

Liberal Democrat Cllr for Barnton, Kevin Lang, whose motion prompted the debate, said: “I am pleased that officers have now agreed to consider a number of changes to the junction.

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“These could certainly help to ease some of the congestion in the short term. However, we know there are much bigger and wider issues that need to be addressed and before potentially thousands of new homes are built nearby.”

He added: “It is clear we need a proper strategic plan for the whole A90 corridor.

“It must look seriously at public transport improvements and how current and new bus services can be prioritised along the A90. We also need to open discussions with other councils like Fife where decisions around charging for park and rides will only add to the congestion we face.”

The committee heard from members of Cramond and Barnton Community Council, who labelled proposals for smart speed cameras as “a gross misuse of public money” and dubbed part of Barnton Junction as “suicide lane”.

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Andrew Mather, chairman of the community council, said: “We cannot sit around and do nothing. There’s a clear need to improve safety and eliminate restrictions on traffic flow.”

Ian Williamson added: “There’s a need for the council to confirm that there will be a strategic transport review.”

The community council members recommended a number of structural improvements to the junction to ease flow.