Get project news
Do you want to receive an email when news items are posted?
Latest news
Stay involved in the discussion. Keep up to date with the latest news and share it with your fellow community members.
Temporary Cycle Route segregation to be installed on Grassyards Road, Kilmarnock
The existing advisory cycle lanes on Grassyards Road (between Strawberry Bank Road and Sutherland Drive) will soon be improved through the installation of “soft segregation” measures.
Wands and kerb units will be installed to prevent vehicles from entering the cycle lane, either to pass other vehicles or to park. These soft segregation measures help to reduce feelings of vulnerability, particularly amongst novice cyclists and those who only cycle occasionally, increasing their confidence and therefore supporting cycling as a method of active travel.
The measures will be in place for up to 18 months with installation programmed for April 2021.
After installation it will be possible to give feedback on the scheme using an online questionnaire and monitoring will be undertaken to help to determine if the measures could be made permanent.
Plans showing the proposals have been uploaded here .
School Streets Trials Agreed
Catrine Primary and St Sophia’s Primary in Galston will be the first schools in East Ayrshire to take part in a School Streets trial.
The schools were chosen based on feedback received through our online engagement about temporary school streets at various locations in East Ayrshire.
The trials will last a minimum of four weeks, with a start date dependent on the lifting of Scottish Government restrictions that have closed schools.
Further information on the proposals can be found at www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/schoolstreets
The scheme will be monitored during the third week of the trial period, with questionnaires being posted to residents, circulated to all parents/carers via the school app, and promoted to the wider community via the community council, ward members and social media channels.
Updates on these projects will be available on East Ayrshire Council’s website.
Have your say on our proposed School Streets trials
Thanks to all those who sent in the 94 comments we received during our initial consultation on proposals for temporary measures to improve physically distancing at or near school entrances at eight schools in East Ayrshire.
In response to your feedback we have done three things:
1. Prepared a Frequently Asked Questions and Benefits of School Streets information pack which can be found here – we hope this will answer many of the general queries raised about School Streets projects
2. We are reviewing our proposals at these eight sites to specifically consider detailed comments raised at some of the locations, particularly at Gargieston Primary and Stewarton Academy
3. We are now asking for feedback on the four schools where the initial trials of the proposals are planned to be undertaken – have your say . The schools are:
Have your say on proposals to support physical distancing on roads near schools
We are seeking your views on proposals to introduce measures that support physical distancing on the public roads at or near school entrances and at School Crossing Patrol locations.
We have identified a number of schools where we think that it might be possible to implement temporary school streets and have passed these locations to Sustrans for further investigation and design work. Please see our news article for more information.
Have your say and find out more about the Spaces for People project .
Spaces for People is a new, temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland which offers funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during Covid-19.
The programme is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland.
A School Street is a road that is closed to all vehicular traffic at school start and finish times.
Temporary ‘School Streets’ to be considered at five East Ayrshire schools
Five schools across East Ayrshire have been identified as possible locations for a trial of temporary ‘School Streets’.
A School Street is a road which is closed to all vehicular traffic at school start and finish times. The restriction would not apply to permit holders or blue badge holders, and residents of the street would be contacted directly and issued with free permits as the schemes are developed.
The schools identified are:
These are all locations at which there have been reported issues between vehicles and pedestrians or vehicles and residents, as well as problems with significant congestion leading to unsafe manoeuvres at school times.
The sites have been passed to Sustrans who will review them and undertake design work. If they are deemed suitable for the trial, it’s hoped that the temporary School Streets would be in place as near as possible to the planned reopening of schools.
Funding for the project comes from the £550,000 that the Council received from Spaces for People, a new, temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland which offers funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during Covid-19. The programme is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland.
You can find out more about our proposals to support physical distancing on our streets and leave your ideas about where physical distancing could be improved at: https://spacesforpeopleeastayrshire.commonplace.is/ . You can also sign up to the newsletter there to receive the latest updates on the progress of the Spaces for People programme in East Ayrshire.
First week of East Ayrshire Commonplace going live
Thank you to everyone who has visited the site and contributed so far. Since the launch of the East Ayrshire Commonplace website on Thursday 16th July 2020 we have already received a total of 914 visitors to the site .
Comments received
Kilmarnock Town Centre interactive map: We’ve received a total of 34 contributions on this map which includes 16 comments and 18 agreements.
East Ayrshire interactive map: We’ve received a total of 146 contributions on this map which includes 58 comments and 88 agreements. Below is a screen shot of the map with the comments to date. The darker the pins the more ‘critical’ the barrier is that the respondent commented on:
Your feedback will help prioritise the delivery of temporary interventions that will have the greatest benefit to public health, which can be delivered in a short timeframe, and which can accommodate the needs of all road users without creating inequalities.
Please share the project
Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far. Remember to share the East Ayrshire Commonplace page with your family and friends. The more people involved, the better the needs of the whole community will be reflected.
Have your say on how we can improve physical distancing on our streets
Residents can now help East Ayrshire Council decide on some temporary measures it can take to protect public health and support physical distancing on our streets.
The Council has received £555,000 following a bid to Spaces for People, a new, temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland which offers funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during Covid-19. The Spaces for People programme is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland.
Web pages have been created on the Sustrans Spaces for People website through which residents can leave comments on proposals put forward by the Council, or suggest any locations in which they think improvements could be made in relation to physical distancing for people who are walking, cycling or wheeling. On the website at https://spacesforpeopleeastayrshire.commonplace.is/ residents can learn more about or comment on:
Residents can also leave comments on improvements that can be made in Kilmarnock town centre specifically, and East Ayrshire as a whole, by pinpointing locations on interactive maps.
Priority areas for temporary pavement widening and enhanced waiting areas will be considered at:
Other measures could include:
Kevin Braidwood, Interim Head of Roads for Ayrshire Roads Alliance, said: “We are looking forward to receiving suggestions and comments from our residents about how physical distancing can be made easier and safer for everyone who uses our streets, schools, bus stops and cycle lanes. Although we won’t be able to implement every request or recommendation we receive, we need our residents’ input to identify areas where physical distancing is most difficult. We can then direct the funding to where it is needed most. I would encourage everyone to take part and have their say.”