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Author Topic: £2 billion package to create new era for cycling and walking  (Read 23126 times)
Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #60 on: August 10, 2020, 16:20:55 »

Didn't I give a link to that article? No, evidently not.  Embarrassed

I'm glad you (RS) mentioned the signage, because I'd been thinking exactly the same. I presume there's some legal reason they have to use the blue "these vehicles only" sign but a "no entry" or "no motor vehicles except..." sign would definitely be more impactful and more readily understood. The only difference I can see in the effect of the two signs is that the "no motor vehicles except" sign (but not the even more readily understood "no entry except...") would also allow in horses and horse-drawn vehicles. Somehow I doubt if that was uppermost in the minds of the highways dept, so I'll presume there is some obscure legal point.
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« Reply #61 on: August 10, 2020, 17:34:48 »

This article may go some way toward explaining it; my reading of this is 'it's a minefield'...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3650744/Motorist-beats-council-court-proving-No-Entry-sign-illegal.html
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« Reply #62 on: August 13, 2020, 22:07:36 »

Quote
New wave of major transport improvements for Bristol

A second wave of major transport improvements is being proposed to make it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport as part of work to cut air pollution and support social distancing in Bristol.

Earlier this year, the Mayor of Bristol unveiled plans to accelerate existing transport ambitions to improve walking, cycling and bus journeys in the city centre and help Bristolians get around safely during the pandemic.

Since then the council has moved quickly to pedestrianise the Old City area and close Bristol Bridge to general traffic, as well as installing new temporary bike lanes in the city centre and widening pavements across the city.

Bristol City Council, in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority, has now applied for further government funding to extend and strengthen the temporary work already done. Additional proposals to work with the community and close several neighbourhood roads to through traffic have also been put forward.

The long-term ambition is to make these changes permanent as part of the transformation of Bristol’s transport network, with new road layouts that create cleaner air and better bus, walking and cycling journeys, alongside ongoing plans for a mass transit public transport system.

Mayor Marvin Rees said: “We are taking bold action to create a better, more connected future for everyone and to help Bristol emerge from this crisis in a more inclusive and sustainable way.

“By diverting traffic away from our community hubs, we will protect public health and unlock barriers to inclusive economic growth with cleaner air, safer and better public transport, and improved walking and cycling routes for everyone.

“These major transport improvements were already in the pipeline, but the coronavirus means we needed to accelerate the plans to support social distancing.

“The pandemic has had huge impacts on our usual travel habits and, despite its challenges, we saw air pollution levels drop by almost half during the months of lockdown with big increases in walking and cycling. We want to capture those benefits and protect the long-term public health of the city as well as the viability of our public transport services that provide real value to our communities.

“This next phase will strengthen the new schemes and we will be talking to communities across the city to determine the next steps for creating more liveable neighbourhoods that are free from traffic congestion and pollution.”

Phase two of post-COVID-19 transport improvements:

Extensions of work already done in phase one:

Temporary arrangements will be improved to strengthen the schemes, such as replacing barriers with semi-permanent bollards, for the following schemes:

Old City pedestrianisation
Lewins Mead bike lane
Upper Maudlin Street, Park Row, Marlborough Street and Colston Street bike lanes (including changes to St Michael’s Hill junction to ban the left turn onto St Michael’s Hill from Perry Road and to ban the right turn out of St Michael’s Hill onto Perry Road)
Clifton Triangle bike lane (including a bus stop bypass to better integrate Queen's Road bus stops)
New cycling improvements:

Nelson Street – new protected bike lane and improvements to pedestrian crossing facilities
New high quality, on-street, secure cycle shelters across the city for residents in flat or terraced apartments.
Proposed new road closures:

The council will consult with the local community on the following proposed road closures and discuss the various options available before anything is implemented.

The proposals would retain access to the roads but prevent through traffic using them by closing one end. This would give local businesses and residents more space to use the roads, and provide safer walking and cycling routes.

Roads under consideration:

St Mark's Road, Easton
Clifton Village
Beaufort Road/Victoria Avenue, Redfield
Mina Road, St Werburghs
Cotham Hill
Greville Road/Upton Road, Southville
Langton Court Bridge, St Anne’s
Rosemary Lane, Eastville
Redcliffe Mead/Prewett Street, Redcliffe
Overton Road, Bishopston
Picton Street, Montpelier
Dean Lane, Southville
Woodland Road, Clifton

Many of these closures have been suggested by locals using the online interactive map that was launched to get ideas from the community following the announcement of phase one. Further engagement with the various communities will take place before plans are finalised.

Cllr Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member for Transport, added: “Right across Bristol we have been making walking and cycling routes more attractive and this next exciting phase will build on the work done so far.

“Many of the new ideas have been submitted by the public during the pandemic and we would like to thank everyone who made a suggestion for how to improve transport and neighbourhoods in the city.

“We will be engaging with communities to assess the new proposals, which are being recommended to protect public health in both the long and short term by reducing pollution and supporting social distancing.

“There will inevitably be a period of adjustment as we all adapt to the important changes that we have already put in place and those that are emerging. But it is crucial that we make big changes to create more efficient travel and reliable bus services in and around the city.

“We would encourage people to get out and explore the new dedicated walking and cycling routes we are providing and we are keen to hear from communities on both the impacts of the changes so far and feedback on the new proposals.”

Work on phase two is anticipated to start in winter, with the schedule led in part by the community feedback as plans are confirmed, developed and finalised.

The interactive mapping tool for people to make comments is available at: www.bristol.gov.uk/covidtransport.

For more information on phase one of the transport improvements, visit our online transport pages.

If you do not have access to the internet please write to: Transport Engagement Team, PO Box 3399, Bristol, BS1 9NE.
Source: Bristol City Council

Joy indeed to hear the phrase 'transport improvement' used in its proper context.
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #63 on: August 14, 2020, 11:38:54 »

Agreed!

With regard to the Triangle, they need to do some serious thinking about where people are going. There is no way at present to get from the cycle lane to Jacob's Wells Road. Also, the lane itself is rather narrow and full of sunken covers; hopefully( Undecided) they'll consult and listen on this and its continuation down Perry Row and past the BRI» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) to make it a decent width and somewhat more analogue than its current Morse code formation.
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #64 on: August 15, 2020, 23:04:12 »

The Brizzle Post has been exploring the ramifications of closing the Bridge.
Quote
But already, the knock-on effects are being felt. And in principle, as a major route through the city centre, its closure isn’t just going to affect the bridge and Baldwin Street itself.

There will be implications as far away as Bedminster and St Pauls, Hotwells and Totterdown.

What are the knock-on effects of the closure of Bristol Bridge and Baldwin Street to private traffic?

Some of these are real now, some will become increasingly apparent as traffic gets back to pre-pandemic levels, if it ever does, of course.
Slightly tendentious language ("for the first time in its history, people have not been able to cross Bristol Bridge freely") and technically inaccurate ("the closure of Bristol Bridge and Baldwin Street to private traffic" – it hasn't been closed to private traffic, not even private motor vehicles, just private motor car traffic) but at least someone's looking wider.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-bridge-closure-seven-knock-4422102
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Red Squirrel
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« Reply #65 on: August 16, 2020, 12:31:23 »

An interesting article, and mostly positive I think.

Of the Old City, it says:
Quote
Rome controversially banned cars from a lot of its old city centre about 20 years ago, and people just got scooters, but the city improved drastically.

On clean air:
Quote
While the reality is that people who once drove across the city centre will now just drive around it, shifting the pollution from their vehicles to other parts of the city, the idea is that they will gradually not make the journey in the first place. They’ll get the bus instead, or walk. The majority of journeys in Bristol by private car are less than two miles...
...or the train?

However according to the article Stephen Williams, former LibDem MP (Member of Parliament) for Bristol West, tweets:
Quote
Closing Bristol bridge permanently to cars is unfair to south Bristol. An urgent timetable to build the much delayed pedestrian and cycle bridge from Redcliffe St to Welsh Back/King Street would be much fairer. We need to boost connectivity in our city, not further restrict it.
So to be clear, I think he's saying that the best way to help south Bristol motorists would be to build a new cycle/footbridge over the Floating Harbour 200m south of Bristol Bridge.

The Bristol Post also points out that someone driving their car from south Bristol to a meeting in City Hall would have a longer journey. They would: about 1km further by my reckoning. But simplified junctions along the way may mean they get there quicker, so how is that a bad thing? The article goes on to say:
Quote
...the changes to funnel traffic through The Centre quickly have worked, despite the two years of roadworks, and the same is gradually proving true for Temple Circus...
...which more or less makes that point.

Apparently a dry-cleaning business on Victoria Street is blaming the changes for a fall in business:
Quote
A very eclectic mix of businesses operate along both Baldwin Street and Victoria Street - cafes and takeaways, and other service businesses and shops that have relied on the steady stream of Bristol’s people passing their front door all day.

Now, no one passes, and they are suffering.
Which ignores evidence that the best passing trade is pedestrians, of whom we may hope there will be more now.

It's always been a bit of a mystery to me: Who owns all those parked cars that until recently lined all the major thoroughfares? Where do they go? Personally I've never had much luck parking near any particular shop; that's one reason why I don't drive into town.

Anyway, aren't there special parking facilities outside fast food shops? Easily identified by two yellow lines, and red paint on the road with a picture of a bicycle...
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #66 on: August 16, 2020, 14:22:04 »

I was intrigued by Stephen Williams talking about a bridge near King Street. I don't remember hearing about this before. I'm not entirely convinced it makes sense. Firstly, in the context of people driving from south Bristol, a pedestrian and cycle bridge won't make any difference to their journey. Then in terms of foot and cycle access, while King St is a busy place, the bit of Redcliffe opposite it isn't and it doesn't seem to connect anything much more usefully than Bristol Bridge and Redcliffe Bridge, both of which have the inestimable advantage of already existing. Finally, and trivially, I didn't know that the former MP (Member of Parliament) for Bristol West had an interest in south Bristol. But perhaps he lives there (I happen to know that the MP for Bristol South lives in west Bristol roughly halfway between Redland and Montpelier stations, in fact!).
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Red Squirrel
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« Reply #67 on: August 16, 2020, 17:50:53 »

There has been talk of a footbridge linking King St with Redcliffe St for many years. It may only be 200m south of Bristol Bridge, but that saves a 400m walk. Also bear in mind that the area between Redcliffe St and St Thomas St is currently being redeveloped which means that (a) there will be a lot more people living there, and (b) there'll be a heap of s106 money burning a hole in the council's pocket.
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« Reply #68 on: August 17, 2020, 09:34:05 »

Having looked up S106, that makes sense.
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #69 on: August 29, 2020, 21:24:26 »

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People who have been caught crossing Bristol Bridge and driving through Baldwin Street in an unauthorised vehicle will “shortly” be getting warning letters from the council.

Bristol City Council will start issuing £60 fines in a few weeks to anyone who has breached new traffic restrictions introduced on August 2 in a bid to cut pollution and make it easier to walk and cycle in the city centre.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/warning-letters-sent-people-caught-4467137

They might have it working by November...
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Marlburian
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« Reply #70 on: September 03, 2020, 14:57:32 »


This morning I did an extended walk to buy a newspaper and milk and went past Tilehurst Station. (Just seven cars parked there at 0715.) There was a new cycle lane along the edge of the road between Kentwood Roundabout and the Station. I wandered up as far as the Roebuck and was puzzled by a number of  new "bicycle icons" painted in the middle of each traffic lane. There must have been a dozen in that short stretch. I couldn't work out what they signified.
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Richard Fairhurst
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« Reply #71 on: September 03, 2020, 15:14:36 »

They're sometimes known as "sharrows" (share-arrows, because the US design has an arrow in it) and they simply signify "you might expect to see bikes here". Generally they're on a chocolate teapot level of usefulness.
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #72 on: September 03, 2020, 15:33:09 »

They might be taken to signify "even we realised that a painted line cycle line would be too narrow/unprotected/etc to do any good, so we painted these instead." In some cases at least.

They are some use though in the case of "bike boxes" aka advanced stop lines at traffic lights.
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« Reply #73 on: September 03, 2020, 15:33:17 »

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Hundreds sign petition to demand Bristol Bridge traffic closure is reversed

"The decision to close off Bristol Bridge, Baldwin street and some of the access to the city centre is beyond a joke"

Hundreds of people have signed an online petition asking the Mayor of Bristol to reverse the traffic measures introduced in the city centre a month ago.

Almost 700 people signed the online petition set up by Ben Thomas in the past week, with numbers rising every day.

The petition calls for the roads into the Old City part of Bristol to be reopened to private vehicles, and says the decision to close off Bristol Bridge, Baldwin Street and other parts of the city is 'beyond a joke'.
...continues
Source: Bristol Post
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« Reply #74 on: September 03, 2020, 22:18:12 »

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Hundreds sign petition to demand Bristol Bridge traffic closure is reversed

"The decision to close off Bristol Bridge, Baldwin street and some of the access to the city centre is beyond a joke"

Hundreds of people have signed an online petition asking the Mayor of Bristol to reverse the traffic measures introduced in the city centre a month ago.

Almost 700 people signed the online petition set up by Ben Thomas in the past week, with numbers rising every day.

The petition calls for the roads into the Old City part of Bristol to be reopened to private vehicles, and says the decision to close off Bristol Bridge, Baldwin Street and other parts of the city is 'beyond a joke'.
...continues
Source: Bristol Post

700 people doesn't sound a lot of signatures for a petition.
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