The latest data confirms that our busiest neighbourhood junction demands a serious rethink.
As part of the Polwarth junction redesign, the City of Edinburgh Council commissioned surveys to understand the traffic situation at Polwarth Roundabout. The results have confirmed what many of us already know – our roundabout needs improvements to make it safer and more user-friendly for everyone. In November 2024, the Council measured vehicular traffic and pedestrian movement at three key points around the roundabout, and the numbers paint a vivid picture. Of course, numbers can fluctuate and only give a snapshot of a given week. But they do highlight key issues that make the Council’s job quite challenging in terms of balancing competing priorities, as we discuss below.
At the end of this post we also share the latest updates on the junction redesign. Plenty of work has been going on behind the scenes!
What the Data Tells Us
🚗 Traffic Volume
- Polwarth Crescent recorded 42,515 vehicles in one week
- Polwarth Gardens recorded 37,782 vehicles passing through in one week
- Merchiston Avenue counted 23,956 vehicles in one week, representing a 70% increase since our 2022 counts
- On Polwarth Crescent alone, an average of 6,500 vehicles travel each weekday, which is comparable to traffic levels some days on Dalry Road (2023 data)
- 37% of vehicles on Polwarth Crescent are vans and commercial vehicles, with around 270 larger vans and mid-size trucks using this road daily
- Merchiston Avenue takes 106 large vans and mid-size trucks on a 5-day average, nearly as many as Polwarth Gardens which counted 114 in the same period.
⏱️ Traffic Speeds
- On Polwarth Gardens heading east, 73% of vehicles exceed the 20mph speed limit with 34% of traffic exceeding 24mph
- 40% of vehicles traveling south on Polwarth Crescent drive above the speed limit
- On Merchiston Avenue, 40% of northbound traffic travels faster than 20mph
- The Council did not assess Granville Terrace.
🚶Pedestrian Numbers
- The most used north-south crossing point is from the Pharmacy to Cafe Florentin / Bell Bottom Eatery
- The north end of Merchiston Avenue is the most used crossing point for children, with 60 children crossing there without any crossing assistance during the survey period
📐Project Progress
The Council’s road safety team is making good progress on redesigning the roundabout:
- They’ve resolved issues around the eastbound bus stop on Polwarth Gardens
- They’re currently addressing final maintenance questions before moving to internal review
- They’re exploring options for street greening including opportunities for community-maintained planters – we will need volunteers from the community!
- We expect to see design plans in the coming weeks
Once the designs are ready, the Council will consult with local businesses, and our Community Council will develop easy-to-understand visuals of the plans to share with residents.
The redesign will need to balance several priorities:
- Making crossing safer for pedestrians, especially children
- Supporting local businesses’ needs for loading and customer access
- Addressing speeding concerns
- Maintaining necessary traffic flow while discouraging cut-through traffic
🚦Update on Planned Yeaman Place Crossing
There are more positive developments for local road safety! The City of Edinburgh Council have shared with us draft plans to install a signalised pedestrian crossing at the north end of Yeaman Place. This improvement, part of broader Dundee Street/Fountainbridge active travel upgrades, should help reduce cut-through traffic reaching the roundabout, especially for large vehicles. Ward 9 Councillors have long campaigned for this change. Public consultation is expected later this year. We welcome this bit of joined-up thinking, which complements CEC’s approach to the Polwarth junction.
Stay connected and share your views!
We are keen to spread the word that change is coming. You may have seen our posters or flyers, and our email subscriber list is growing at an encouraging rate. Please share the news with your friends and neighbours and encourage them to sign up for project updates at our website. We’ll continue you informed as this project moves forward.
You can always contact us with your questions or suggestions and we will ensure that key points are shared back with the Road Safety team.
Thank you for your interest in improving our neighbourhood!
