Equal Footing Porty
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equalfootingporty.bsky.social
Equal Footing Porty
@equalfootingporty.bsky.social
14 followers 2 following 15 posts
Welcome to Equal Footing Porty!🦶🟰🦶
If you:
- use a buggy
- use a bike
- use a wheelchair or other mobility aid
- have legs (/don’t have legs)
and want to make portobello more accessible for everyone, you’re in the right place!
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equalfootingporty.bsky.social
Come and vote on where we map next
A screenshot map taken from Drop Kerb Mapper shows portobello with many pins along the prom and high street. Around the wider vicinity are lots of ???s. The title says "Where should we map next" and "Come along to our next meeting to vote, tuesday 15th 2-3.30pm on zoom")
July 8, 2025 at 4:35 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
HUGE news, gang! The City of Edinburgh council have agreed to allocate £50,000 of this year's budget to fixing our top 5 worst kerbs in Porty. To celebrate we will be holding a pot luck picnic on the 11th of June in Brighton Park between 12 and 2. Please save the date @portyenergy.bsky.social
A photo of Rosie, a white femme person in a mauve jumper, at the entrance ton the Prom via Bath Street. The sky is very blue and there are people, dogs and cyclists enjoying the beach behind her. blue background, a photo of the drop kerb number 89 which is outside scotmid and number 95 which is outside the Bath Street Theatre Blue Background. A photo of number 103, which is the end of the Prom on Bath street and number 104, which is the north entrance to the prom via the playpark Blue background. A photo of number 118, which is the south entrance to the prom via the playpark
May 16, 2025 at 8:31 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
At that rate we calculate it will take 230 years to get through the backlog of 17,000 reported drop kerbs on the system. That is not good enough!

@portyenergy.bsky.social
photo shows the corner of 11 straiton place, a red stone tenement building with a large window facing the road, which is next to the play park. There is a warped safety railing blocking the access to the pavement, and no drop kerb to get into this main access to the beach. The text says: "We asked Edinburgh City Council for an FOI request on the rate of drop kerb repair for the last 2 years" The photo shows the access road, which is cobblestones, to the old cinema on bath street. The text says: "at the current rate of drop kerb repair it will take 630 years" the photo shows the end of bath street onto the prom, where there are bollards and no drop kerbs. The text says: "to get through the 17,000 currently on the system" The photo shows the entrance to the playpark off malborough street, where there is a very high kerb and no drop kerb. The text says "This is unacceptable. Access is a right not a privilage"
April 8, 2025 at 11:25 AM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
🚨 Fun event alert! 🚨

Do you love ceilidhs but hate dancing?

This @portyenergy.bsky.social ceilidh is for you.

Saturday 22nd Feb at 7pm in Porty town hall.

- local food and bar
- music from @hudyerwheesht.bsky.social
- waulking songs with Rena Gertz

www.tickettailor.com/events/ceili...
A pink poster featuring a graphic with a pair of hands holding a gold heart-locket in their palms with the world inside. The words say: “Love the planet Valentine’s Ceilidh, saturday 22nd feb 2025, 7pm portobello town hall.” There is a code for tickets. A photo shows a group of women in traditional Hebridean dress sitting round a long wooden table. They are beating a skein of tweed on the surface with their hands to soften it. “When tweed comes off the loom, it needs to be shrunk and softened before it can be made into clothes. In the olden days, particularly in the Hebrides, that was done by hand by a group of women and could last all day - the tweed was soaked in ‘natural ammonia’ (yes, stale urine…) and then thumped rhythmically on a long table. The women would sing songs to keep the rhythm steady and to entertain themselves.” Rena is a traditional Gaelic singer and teacher of waulking songs, most of which she I learned from the great tradition bearer Rona Lightfoot, and whose mother, Kate MacDonald (Bean Eairdsidh Raghnaill), had over 260 waulking songs recorded for the School of Scottish Studies.
February 13, 2025 at 4:00 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
(2/2) Top 5 places to start improving Porty's accessibility for all

#activetravel @portyenergy.bsky.social
blue background, a photo of the drop kerb number 89 which is outside scotmid and a google map with a large red pin locating it. Legend says: “#2: Entrance to the Prom from Bath St. What3Words: Bumps.rinse.universally. status: Blue. Problems: main access to beach, needs drop kerb added and bollard removed” blue background, a photo of the drop kerb number 104 which is at the North entrance to the prom via the play park, and a google map locating it with a large blue pin. Legend says: #3: N Entrance to the Prom via playpark What3Words: Lowest.rice.hush. Problems: Main footway off prom back to high street, needs drop kerb” blue background a photo of the drop kerb number 118, which is at the south entrance to the prom via the play park, and a google map locating it with a large blue pin. Legend says: #4: S Entrance to the Prom via playpark What3Words: shield.clock.employ**. Problems: no access to playpark and prom, needs drop kerb added”** blue background a photo of the drop kerb number 162, which is at the south entrance to the prom from Brunstane Lane, and a google map locating it with a large blue pin. Legend says: #5: Entrance to the Prom from Bruntsane Ln. What3Words: dining.items.frock. Problems: official cycle route onto the prom with no drop kerb”
January 31, 2025 at 1:08 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
(1/2) Top 5 places to start improving Porty's pavements for everyone! EFP’s drop kerb survey of Porty high street and Prom threw up some pretty stark statistics. Greater than half of our drop kerbs in high traffic areas need improvement to bring them up to a safe and useable standard.
a blue background with EFP’s tyre tread and foot logo on it. The legend says “EFP’s top 5 places to start improving porty’s pavements for everyone” blue background a photo of the drop kerb number 103 which is at the entrance to the prom from beach lane, and a google map locating it with a large blue pin. Legend says: “#1: Bath Street Scotmid entrance. “What3Words: energy.wants.friend. status: Red. Problems: too steep, not flush, broken road surface, angles into the road”
January 31, 2025 at 1:06 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
It’s time for a catchup!

The next Equal Footing Porty meeting will be 13.30 -15.00 on Monday 3rd of February @‌Bellfield (in the celebration foyer, which can be accessed via the big church hall). Please come along for a cuppa, a snack and some wholesome chat about accessibility!
a photo of the prom intersection of Beach Lane, where are are clearly no drop curbs. The legend says “NEXT EFP MEETING 13.30-15.00 on Monday 3rd February at Bellfield Celebration Foyer.”
January 30, 2025 at 3:50 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
What about places where there SHOULD be a drop curb to allow you to keep using the pavement, and there just isn't? Meet the Blue category.

We identified 33 such places around Porty that need new drop curbs installed.

#kerbyourenthusiasm #curbyourenthusiasm
blue background with a graphic of a traffic light, which has an extra blue light. the text says "what does a blue rating mean?" Blue background with a photo of Rosie in her wheelchair by the bollards at the end of Beach Lane. The Raised lip of curb is stopping her getting onto the beach there. the text says: "Sometimes there needs to be a drop curb where there isn’t one. That’s why we created the BLUE category!" Blue background with a photo of a curb ending with a raised instead of dropped edge. The text says " a BLUE rating means that a pavement user is impeded from using that section of pavement due to a lack of drop curb connecting it to another pavement or the road " Blue background with a google satellite map showing all the blue pins along the prom and high street. The text says "We identified 33 areas where a new drop curb was needed"
January 23, 2025 at 12:21 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
Final instalment of our series: "top 5 reasons we gave a curb a red rating"

#kerbyourenthusiasm #curbyourenthusiasm
Text: "5. Broken road and pavement surface" A red and white traffic sign showing a mountain Text: "Pavement users forced into the road because of the surface We found 10 drop curbs onto broken road or pavement surface " Two photos show areas of mixed terrain where a pavement should be; the first of cobblestones showing through and the second of both cobblestones and dirt. Both were impassable to my chair and i had to go in the road
January 21, 2025 at 5:23 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
Part 2 of top 5 reds

#kerbyourenthusiasm #curbyourenthusiasm
Text: "3. curb lip too high" A blue traffic sign shows a wheelchair user falling off a cliff into the sea. Text says: "When the curb is too high, it stops smaller wheels and those with gait challenges in their tracks, and prevents people from using that stretch of pavement We found 14 drop curbs that were too high" Two photos show drop curbs that are more than 8cm (the legal limit for drop curbs) Text: "No visual or tactile markings" A yellow road sign graphic with a road on it is obscured by two large black blobs of darkness Text: "Missing white/yellow lines/tactile pavement at a curb or crossing is dangerous to visually impaired/blind people We found 14 drop curbs without visual or tactile markings" Two photos show absence of tactile or vidsual markings at pavement crossings that are in high footfall areas. The first is down by oscars at the prom and the second by Lidl.
January 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
Part 1 of our top 5 reasons why we awarded a curb/kerb with a red rating

#KerbYourEnthusiasm
Text says: "top 5 reasons we gave a curb a red rating" a yellow road sings depicts a buggy falling off a cliff into the sea Text says: "1. Gradient too steep. A steep gradient from pavement to road prevents wheeled-users from safely going up or down. We found 27 drop curbs with gradients too steep to be safe for everyone" a photo taken outside porty tap shows Rosie in her wheelchair and Black and white collie Ruffie struggling to use the crosswalk, due to the deep gradient. Text says: "2. uneven terrain" A yellow traffic signs shows a mountain biker inn front of some mountains Text says: "Uneven road or pavement terrain could cause a wheelchair user to halt or even fall out of their chair, and is confusing for guide dogs. Some pavements incorporate obstacles like cobblestones and storm drains, rather than resurfacing the whole stretch of pavement We found 25 drop curbs with uneven terrain" There are two photos. One shows a pavement ending in cobblestones and the other shows a road surface of mixed storm drain, uneven camber and broken road surface
January 21, 2025 at 5:19 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
Come join us at Porty Community Energy's AGM this Saturday!

Sign up for the AGM/exhibition via the link in the bio.

#AGM #portycommunityenergy #getinvolved #directorsneeded #volunteer #communityclimateaction
blue background with porty community energy (yellow house and blue sea) and equalm footing porty (teal footprint and tyre) overlapping. The text says "AGM saturday 18th jan 2-5pm @Bellfield".
January 14, 2025 at 12:44 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
More drop curb data from our 2024 survery

#Accessibility #CurbMap #CurbYourEnthusiasm #KerbYourEnthusiasm #KerbMap
January 14, 2025 at 12:15 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
In 2024, we surveyed 218 drop kerbs on Portobello high street, prom and roads in between, and logged them in an open access google map. Here are some of the things we found out!

#Accessibility #CurbMap #CurbYourEnthusiasm #KerbYourEnthusiasm #KerbMap
January 14, 2025 at 12:14 PM
equalfootingporty.bsky.social
We made a map of all the drop curbs in edinburgh! Go here to see it:

www.google.com/maps/d/u/3/e...

#KerbYourEnthusiam #Accessibilty #20minuteneighbourhood
January 14, 2025 at 12:12 PM