Filton Abbey Wood - a great success? Emulate it just to the north??

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Really? I would have thought that the ramped subway running from Station Rd under both the A38 and B4057 met accessibility criteria pretty well.

The second picture in my series is taken from that subway.   As it's at a level with the upper track, a flat spur off that bridge could be added to fly over the upper track and access the westbound platform in a way suitable for wheelchair users.

[Bmblbzzz]

I didn't know there was a subway, so I looked at Streetview and found both ends of it. I must have passed its western end hundreds of times.  Most subways are pretty awful IME^▸ (in my experience) – probably not actually as dangerous as they feel, but certainly as depressing – but this one seems to be largely open, so hopefully it's not so bad. Nevertheless, I can pedantically claim I was technically correct in saying pedestrian access from one side of the A38 to the other is awful, as the subway only connects to one side of the A38. 

[simonw]

The subway connects both sides of the A38, and is very heavily used every morning/evening for access to Patchway High School. school.

[Red Squirrel]

I didn't know there was a subway, so I looked at Streetview and found both ends of it. I must have passed its western end hundreds of times.  Most subways are pretty awful IME^▸ (in my experience) – probably not actually as dangerous as they feel, but certainly as depressing – but this one seems to be largely open, so hopefully it's not so bad. Nevertheless, I can pedantically claim I was technically correct in saying pedestrian access from one side of the A38 to the other is awful, as the subway only connects to one side of the A38. 

I can't think of any reason to cross the A38 there that would no be better met by using the subway, but having said that the access to the subway from the bus stop on the A38 is via a flight of steps, which could do with improving.

The A38 infrastructure between Filton and the M5 is very much 'of its time' - which is to say massively overengineered, and totally unfriendly to non-motorists. It's interesting to compare the huge flyover at Gypsy Patch Lane with the new junction just to its north, which presumably takes about the same amount of traffic or more, without all the civils.

[Bmblbzzz]

I quite enjoy the flyover.  And there are in fact pelican crossings underneath it, though I've very rarely seen anyone using them. A point against the new junction is the far greater land take compared to the flyover, and it still doesn't look very pedestrian friendly.

[Red Squirrel]

... there are in fact pelican crossings underneath it...

True. But try crossing here: https://goo.gl/maps/yCKyC86pTFn

By which I mean that for the most part the flyover is a bit of an obstacle.

A point against the new junction is the far greater land take compared to the flyover, and it still doesn't look very pedestrian friendly.

True: I wouldn't want to try crossing here: https://goo.gl/maps/q9j4utKBCt52. Not sure how the land take:traffic throughput ratio compares; the 'spare' land in the middle of the circulatory system does have a hotel on it...

[Bmblbzzz]

Six lanes of fast traffic are probably enough of an obstacle to crossing the road without the physical obstacle of a concrete flyover.

[Red Squirrel]

What they need is a subway 

[Bmblbzzz]

You never get something for nothing and the price of providing a subway is the removal of some motorist-oriented retail infrastructure. That's right, it will cost a drive-thru.

<taxi!>