£2 billion package to create new era for cycling and walking

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Meanwhile, in Bristol:

King Street, Clare Street and Corn Street to be closed to traffic



The temporary closures will begin on Friday 3 July

The Bristol Street Space programme will offer more space for social distancing and support businesses as they begin to re-open.

Following discussions with local businesses and communities, King Street, Clare Street and Corn Street, will be closed to traffic from Friday 3 July.

The streets will be open for vehicle access between 5:30am-10:30am, to allow for deliveries to local businesses. There will be no vehicle access outside of these times.

We are working with local businesses to ensure access for disabled users is available at all times, including the installation of additional disabled bays.

The programme is part of the on-going work across the city to pave the way for safer and better public transport, cleaner air and improved walking and cycling routes.

Cllr Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member for Transport and Energy, said:

“It has been a long standing ambition to make this historic part of the city centre more pedestrian-friendly, and something we have been building towards.

“I would like to thank the local businesses and Bristol’s communities for their continued engagement to help develop these plans and bring them forward during this difficult time. We firmly believe these changes will offer significant long-term benefits for the people and businesses in the area, and appreciate everyone’s co-operation while these measures are put in place.

‘’This initial phase of road closures will use a temporary traffic regulation order in first instance, with the view to make permanent changes as part of the wider Old City pedestrianisation project.”

The Bristol Street Space programme includes the widening of pavements, the suspension of some parking bays and some road closures to ensure people are able to socially distance around the city.

It is one of the transport projects that has been accelerated in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Other projects include the pedestrianisation of areas of the Old City, prioritising pedestrians and cyclists across Bristol Bridge and pavement widening across the city.

Many of the schemes were previous mapped out through Bristol’s element of the regional Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

Central Government have also announced additional funding of £2bn for walking and cycling projects.

Source: Bristol City Council

[Bmblbzzz]

They've actually put those plans back a week or a couple of weeks. It was originally to be total car ban from 3rd July but they've made it time-related with a full ban to come in later. Or so I read in another BP^» (Beyond Petroleum (Former name - British Petroleum) - home page) article.

[Red Squirrel]

This is the most recent Bristol Live story I can find. I can't see anything about a delay...

I see there are also plans to reduce Staple Hill High Street to a single lane...

[Bmblbzzz]

This is the most recent Bristol Live story I can find. I can't see anything about a delay...

This is what I'd seen.

But pub owner Marc Griffiths received a letter from the council on Wednesday (June 24) stating vehicular access will "remain to St Stephens Street and St Nicholas Street at all times".

The letter says timed closures of Corn Street, Clare Street and St Stephens Street will be implemented from July 3.

The council has said it still plans to pedestrianise St Nicholas' Street - and the July 3 changes are just the "first phase" of the project.

Plenty of room for some selective interpretation on the part of the pub owner, the council and the Post. Perhaps the bigger news, long term, behind the story is support from affected business owners for pedestrianisation.

I see there are also plans to reduce Staple Hill High Street to a single lane...

That's better! What I'd read before implied a one-way system, which would obviously entail displaced traffic onto smaller surrounding roads. But it's to be a single-lane bi-directional road rather than a one-way system.

[Red Squirrel]

Ah, OK, so King Street, Clare Street and Corn Street are being pedestrianised on 3rd July, but St Nicholas Street isn't. Seems odd, but presumably BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) have their reasons.

The King Street scheme, as I understand it, was hatched astonishingly quickly - three weeks from suggestion to agreement, I believe. Really positive to see business owners recognising that getting rid of cars is good for them!

[CyclingSid]

Money awarded for Phase 1 can be found at:
https://twitter.com/awjre/status/1279025996986036224.
In Berkshire, Slough did Ok, but Bracknell, Reading and Wokingham were found wanting.

Original link via All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking https://twitter.com/allpartycycling

[Red Squirrel]

Ah, OK, so King Street, Clare Street and Corn Street are being pedestrianised on 3rd July, but St Nicholas Street isn't. Seems odd, but presumably BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) have their reasons.

The King Street scheme, as I understand it, was hatched astonishingly quickly - three weeks from suggestion to agreement, I believe. Really positive to see business owners recognising that getting rid of cars is good for them!

The Bristol Bridge and Baldwin St closures hadn't happened as of Sunday morning (5 July). King Street, however has closed and pubs have expanded their outdoor seating accordingly.

[Red Squirrel]

Curiouser and curiouser... I've seen no announcement of this, but deep in the bowels of the council website, in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard’, I found a page giving at least some detail: it seems it's now slated for August, though the dates 'may change'.

Can't help feeling that by the time they've got this sorted a great deal of momentum will have been lost... and winter will be just around the corner.

[Celestial]

Curiouser and curiouser... I've seen no announcement of this, but deep in the bowels of the council website, in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard’, I found a page giving at least some detail: it seems it's now slated for August, though the dates 'may change'.

Can't help feeling that by the time they've got this sorted a great deal of momentum will have been lost... and winter will be just around the corner.

Had the lightbulb gone as well?

[Western Pathfinder]

I miss Douglas .

[Bmblbzzz]

I'm as surprised as a sand-coloured sandman in the Great Sandy Desert.

[Red Squirrel]

I'm madder than Mad Jack McMad, the winner of last year's "Mr. Madman" competition.

[Bmblbzzz]

And in another sign of BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about)'s commitment to cycling and walking:

Widened pavement being removed on
@NorthStreetBS3
 by
@BristolCouncil
 A driver's complaint is worth a thousand pedestrian voices apparently. This isn't good enough.

https://twitter.com/JontyFlower/status/1281558184461832192

I expect there's a bit more to it but it doesn't seem like a good sign.

[CyclingSid]

Joins Gloucester, Reigate and others. A trial needs to be longer than a couple of days or weeks to be meaningful. These sort of reactions will continue as long as elected members mostly worship at the altar of the great god motor car.

Wonder if they will be handing back the money they had from the Government for these schemes.

[Red Squirrel]

Here is the map explaining how those who bring cars with them will be able to get to destinations in central Bristol under the new arrangements:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/documents/20182/32847/Road+Closure+Map+2+-+August+2020+v6.pdf/a2502875-ce9f-277e-253b-0302e826961c

It seems to resemble the 'G(h)ent Model', whereby traffic can go around the central area but not across it.

Edit: Details here, including new bus lanes: https://bristol.citizenspace.com/tro/bristolbridgeconsultation/user_uploads/3.-experimental-traffic-regulation-order--etro-.pdf