Your voices, your concerns, your solutions
We want to start by saying thank you. When we launched our survey about the Merchiston Avenue/Merchiston Place/Rochester Terrace junction in January 2026, we hoped for a good response. Indeed, we received 102 responses from residents who took the time to share their experiences, concerns, and ideas. This strong level of engagement shows how much our community cares about safety in our neighbourhood.
You can download our full synthesis of survey responses (PDF) or read a short summary below.
A junction that needs attention
The message from our community came through clearly: this junction represents a serious accident waiting to happen. More than 85% of respondents rated their concerns at the top two levels, expressing significant worry about crossing what should be a straightforward neighbourhood junction.
This junction is a main walking route for primary school children heading to Bruntsfield Primary, St. Peter’s, James Gillespie’s, and George Watson’s. University students navigate it heading to Napier Campus. Elderly residents, parents with buggies, wheelchair users, and cyclists all depend on this crossing point. Yet it lacks any formal pedestrian crossing infrastructure. You told us clearly that something needs to change!
The reality on the ground
Your survey responses painted a troubling picture. Over 50 separate incidents were reported, including one person knocked down, multiple car collisions, and numerous near-misses. Several of you described incidents when children were nearly hit by cars that failed to stop. One respondent wrote: “It feels only a matter of time before there is a serious accident or fatality, particularly among primary school children.”
The number of self-reported collisions and near-misses in our survey far exceeds the officially reported figures, which suggests the level of risk at this junction may be underestimated by the city council.
The problems you’ve identified are interconnected and serious:
Lack of pedestrian crossings was mentioned by more than half of respondents. Parents told us they cannot allow their primary school-age children to cross independently, with one noting this junction is “the only obstacle” preventing their child from walking to school alone.
Poor sightlines create danger from every direction. Pedestrians must step out between parked cars to see if it’s safe to cross. The curve in Merchiston Crescent means traffic approaching from the west appears suddenly, often at speed. One wheelchair user described the difficulty of gauging traffic speed when visibility is so compromised. High hedges and vegetation also hinder these sight lines
Driver behaviour emerged as a critical concern. Despite the Highway Code requiring drivers to give way to pedestrians at junctions, most drivers simply don’t. Many of you reported being ignored, honked at, or worse, even when crossing with young children.
High traffic volumes and rat-running compound every other problem. The junction serves as a shortcut for drivers avoiding main roads, creating dangerous interactions between speeding commuters and vulnerable pedestrians during school run times.
A junction that’s avoided
Perhaps most telling is what many of you told us about avoidance. Several parents described deliberately walking longer routes to avoid this junction entirely, even when it means extra time with tired children and heavy bags. One mother explained: “I 100% avoid this junction entirely and cross somewhere along the length of Merchiston Avenue. That way I only have to look out for traffic in two directions.”
Cyclists reported similar concerns, with one former regular cyclist noting they gave up cycling to work partly due to this junction. This avoidance behaviour matters because it means official pedestrian counts at the junction significantly underestimate how many people actually need to use this crossing point. It also means the equation used by the City Council to assess the need for crossing infrastructure doesn’t offer a true reflection of pressure at this specific junction.
Your suggested solutions
Alongside identifying problems, you offered a range of practical solutions. The most popular proposal was zebra crossings, mentioned by 45 respondents. Many suggested a raised table or raised junction to slow traffic naturally. Pavement widening and junction pinching could improve sightlines while making drivers more cautious.
Other ideas included modal filters to reduce rat-running, restrictions on HGVs, better signage, and even a crossing patrol during school times. One respondent even proposed closing the Rochester Terrace arm entirely to simplify the junction geometry and create play space for children.
Several respondents emphasized that danger should be reduced at source through traffic reduction measures, suggesting low-cost modal filters similar to those on the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route.
What Happens Next?
Late in 2025, the City of Edinburgh Council invited MDCC to submit proposals under the Local Traffic Improvement Programme for this junction. Your survey responses—with their detailed incidents, specific concerns, and thoughtful solutions—have provided the evidence we needed to make a strong case.
We’ve now submitted our proposal to CEC, drawing directly on your feedback. The proposal focuses on the priorities highlighted in the LTI Programme: road safety, pavement and carriageway quality, access for those with mobility issues, and active travel enhancement.
We expect the Transport and Environment Committee to discuss our proposal at their April meeting. While success isn’t guaranteed, we believe your voices have given us a convincing case for action. If approved, improvements at this junction would join the queue for construction at a later date.
One piece of news in the meantime: we have learned that Merchiston Avenue is to be completely resurfaced in 2027. An earlier proposal for superficial treatment this year was revised in light of the extremely patched and eroded state of the carriageway. Still, we will press for improvements at the junction to complement a better road surface.
We’ll keep you updated on progress and let you know the outcome once the committee has made their decision.
