What does the Roseburn
Path currently deliver in
terms of active travel?
The Roseburn Path has a key position in Edinburgh’s active travel network as an arterial route with high usage, supporting 590,000 active travel journeys every year. It sits as the key connector to the North Edinburgh Path Network, enabling active travel to and from the city centre, serving many communities in the North of the City.
In a recent survey by Sustrans, over half of the respondents were using the path to access family or friends and 40% had used the path to access a workplace, highlighting its importance to our community.
Why are off-road routes
like the Roseburn Path so
important?
Routes like Roseburn Path are known to be effective at getting more people cycling in Edinburgh.
A March 2024 report by Sustrans highlighted the most important factor in getting more residents to cycle is the provision of more paths away from roads and more dangerous junctions.
The Roseburn Path is off-road, sheltered and flat, making it an enabling route for less experienced and less confident cyclists.
Is there a commitment to
keep a cycling path next to
the tram route?
The council knows that it should provide space for active travel next to any proposed tramline.
However, reports prepared for the council indicate that the incorporation of policy appropriate active travel provision would be difficult due to space constraints and would involve the demolition and reconstruction of five bridges, at significant cost.
See Jacobs Steer ESST Phase 2 Report for more information.
There is no guarantee that walkers and cyclists will win the battle for space within the physical and cost constraints of the project.
