New Esplanade road layout

[Colin]

That's OK..  By the time drivers get to Church Road, they are a bit wary to say the least...

 

Still think that the whole scheme "sucks"

Edited June 24, 2017 by Colin

[fionajohn]

they have just killed the street shops .....i will never visit the street again ...on line or out of town now 

[Lerwick antiques]

There has certainly been no improvement to the footfall on da street. I see folk are starting to get in the way of using the zebra crossing at church road so more folk seems to be going to the south end now so that will benefit the couple of shops and Queens hotel there.

 

I still think they should have put the zebra crossing a bit higher up church road as it is a blind corner when cars come around from the esplanade, and some are still going more than 20mph despite the speed bumps.

 

Hopefully in a couple of months, both road users and pedestrians will be used to the zebra crossings and feel better about using them.

 

Like everything else new, it takes time, has teething problems, but folk soon accept it and move on. 

[Scorrie]

I don't know how we will all cope with the trauma of having to momentarily having to ease off the gas a bit, turn the steering wheel a bit and then gently accelerate again to a reasonable speed before repeating the operation again a couple of times.

 

https://youtu.be/VKcAYMb5uk4

Edited June 25, 2017 by Scorrie

[Colin]

What I am finding is that, at the moment, if you stand anywhere near the zebra at church road, drivers will stop and wave you across..  If any are reading this, thanks very much, appreciated but, I didn't want to cross the road anyway.  Was just taking a look from what I thought was a reasonable distance away.

 

On the other hand, I have witnessed school kids just walk straight onto the crossing without stopping or looking..  Wouldn't be surprised if a few take themselves out of the gene pool before the message gets across..

[George.]

There has certainly been no improvement to the footfall on da street. I see folk are starting to get in the way of using the zebra crossing at church road so more folk seems to be going to the south end now so that will benefit the couple of shops and Queens hotel there.

 

I still think they should have put the zebra crossing a bit higher up church road as it is a blind corner when cars come around from the esplanade, and some are still going more than 20mph despite the speed bumps.

 

Hopefully in a couple of months, both road users and pedestrians will be used to the zebra crossings and feel better about using them.

 

Like everything else new, it takes time, has teething problems, but folk soon accept it and move on. 

 

Goodness, it takes pedestrians and road users a couple of months to cope with really technical things like zebra crossings? The pedestrians may get away with a bit of ignorance but the drivers should have their licenses taken off them for life if they find zebra crossings to be a little beyond them.

[shetlander]

they have just killed the street shops .....i will never visit the street again ...on line or out of town now

Christ - are folk really that blaet o twartree new speed humps and/or time poor that the nanoseconds they/the new speed limit will add to their trip in ower will put them off going altogether?

 

It's just as well the fortunes of most town centres south dunna rely on the custom of Shetlanders. There are a hell of a lot more 'obstructions' to get into them (traffic lights, one way systems, pedestrianised streets and a lot more traffic) and when you do, the chances are you have to pay for the privilege of parking further from the shops than you do in Lerwick.

[BigMouth]

they have just killed the street shops .....i will never visit the street again ...on line or out of town now

 

Calm down dear, it's just a few lumps in the road, nothing to get anxious about.

[Property2017]

The retail sector on commercial street is improving, I think a lot of shops, cafe's and pubs are realizing you have to up your game to pull in the buyers/punters, but I would imagine its mostly a case of use it or lose it.

 

With all the fraud about now a days I certainly prefer buying locally if its available.

 

The changes made with the traffic and road systems don't deter me at all.

[Lerwick antiques]

It took folk long enough to get to grips with the round-abouts. The reality is that folk doesn't cope well with change. I have heard quite a few folk saying they are not going to the town centre again and others refuses to drive along the esplanade now that the bumps and crossings are there. Hopefully folk will soon adapt and get on with life.

[MuckleJoannie]

 

 

I still think they should have put the zebra crossing a bit higher up church road as it is a blind corner when cars come around from the esplanade, and some are still going more than 20mph despite the speed bumps.

 

 

That was where the lights were. Far more people risked crossing at the junction rather than walk a couple of yards uphill to the lights.

[Ghostrider]

By and larger folk are inherently 'lazy', the more obstacles, perceived or actual, you put in their path, the proportionately less likely they're going to be to make the so affected journey. Add to that with the street that virtually everything on it now is either 'luxury' or 'occasional'' product/service provision, and it becomes a no brainier that humps in the road are going to be perceived by some as additional obstacles.

 

It probably has nothing to do with inability to negotiate the road or time lost, or anything similar. Rather it's a case that these new measures have been the straw that broke the camel's back with regard to how much hassle an individual was willing to put up with that made what was at the end of it worth it.

 

When you have other outlets supplying the same or comparable products to just about everything the street provides, but are far easier and convenient to access, why would anyone persist in continuing to frequent the street outlet.

 

Opticians, yes, banks, if you need to visit in person, yes. You want to rummage in charity or collectible shops, then yes too. But let's face it how often do most folk need/want to do that, once, twice a few times per year for the greatest part of who need/want at all, and for a large number more, never.

 

Unless the street can attract (attract back) vendors of day to day products who can supply aine continue to supply them competitively compared to their non-street competitions, and drive an increased footfall back in to the area, the street's terminal decline will plod on like its plodded on since the 70's.

 

What's become even of the weekend evening street trade? Not that many years ago from the Cross to the Grand, if not further would be teeming every summer night weekend until 2-3am at least. What's happened? The once or twice I've seen sight of the place around those times on a fine weekend night, it's been at best a trickle of folk, wind at worst virtually deserted.

[shetlander]

^Yes folk are inherently lazy – Shetland drivers more than most in my experience. Time was though that wir folk wid drag wis – pram and all and in all wadders – fae da Hillhead down the lanes to shop at the street. Fast forward 30 odd years and some drivers seem incapable of shifting their backsides more than is absolutely necessary to get from their car to wherever they’re trying to get to. And that’s with the 100+ (?) additional (free) car parking spaces that have since been provided between the pier, the Market Green and the lower Swimming Pool. The notion that Lerwick suffers from ‘parking problems’ is a joke. 

 

I agree da street isna what it used to be though nor will it likely ever be. There may be exceptions but generally speaking, very few independent shops who sell the same stuff as the 'big boys' are are ever going to be able to compete when it comes to choice and price.  

 

Cost and convenience isna everybody’s priority when it comes to deciding where to shop though. Shetland still has more spending power than a lot of places and where the street can (and has to) find a ‘niche’ is by scoring on providing what Tesco, the Toll Clock or the internet canna – whether than be good customer service, bespoke stuff/services you canna get/buy anywhere else, the shopping ‘experience’, an improved food and drink offering etc. That’s how most successful toon centres elsewhere – who arguably have more competition on their doorsteps than Lerwick does - have survived. 

[BigMouth]

It took folk long enough to get to grips with the round-abouts. The reality is that folk doesn't cope well with change. I have heard quite a few folk saying they are not going to the town centre again and others refuses to drive along the esplanade now that the bumps and crossings are there. Hopefully folk will soon adapt and get on with life.

Dear oh dear. I wonder how they would cope with some proper hardship. We are turning into a generation of snowflakes.

[JustMe]

Opticians, yes, banks, if you need to visit in person, yes. You want to rummage in charity or collectible shops, then yes too. But let's face it how often do most folk need/want to do that, once, twice a few times per year for the greatest part of who need/want at all, and for a large number more, never.

Chemists........two last time I looked.  Harrys!.  Post Office.  All reasons to visit the street if the Fort chippy was not reason enough.