Cycle England (the body that have granted £11 million to cycling in Bristol) have been in Bristol this week to discuss how we will spend the money. We will be announcing specific plans in the near future (watch this space).
The major aim of the project will be to double the number of cyclists in the greater Bristol area within the next three years. That means either cloning those of us who cycle regularly or getting more people to cycle. In my view a starting place would be to get those who do cycle, but don’t do so regularly because of traffic (35% of those who took part in Bristol’s biggest bike ride fall into this category) to become more regular cyclists. Events like Bristols Biggest Bike Ride where we close of some of the roads in the city for a few hours could help.
One of the approaches we could consider is to close some of the roads on a regular basis – say one Sunday a month – to allow their use by cyclists, walkers ect. The Portway and the Downs have been suggested as possible candidates. I am sure there are others.
The Cycling Demonstration City money will give us an excellent opportunity to put Bristol at the forefront of green alternative travel as well as making the city healthier. It should be fun over the next few years.
July 26, 2008 at 6:03 pm
[...] City money the city’s just got – if we ignore ‘Bristol’s Cycling Champion’ Terry Cook’s latest plans to close down the road network on a regular basis to run family-friendly cycling days on the [...]
July 27, 2008 at 7:47 am
I have to admit that’s an interesting idea Terry.
It’s not a new idea of course. They’ve been doing it in Bogota , Colombia, on a rather grand scale for many years, with apparent success, and other cities are taking it up. I’ve often thought it something that could work well in Bristol if carefully implemented, not just for cyclists but to give everyone the chance to experience the City free of traffic, to at least have a concept of what it could be like. Saturday nights around the centre would be a good start, and that could be extended well into Sunday.
Anyway it seems an idea worth encouraging, but we must guard against the usual timidity of the Council in these matters. They will in all likelihood select some road or zone that is so small and insignificant (as with the past “car free” closures around Corn Street) that it amounts to little more than a token gesture. What is required is something bold and substantial, something that really makes a positive difference to the lives of the majority of Bristolians.
July 29, 2008 at 9:37 am
Closing some roads to motorised traffic would be brilliant. The more the better. Chris is right also, about not being too timid – “what is required is something bold and substantial.”
If the Council wants this ambitious increase in cycling you will also have to stop giving car drivers all the privileges that they get at the moment, such as subsidised parking space and constant priority over highway space.
An example of the Council’s current favouritism towards motorists is the following tale from St Pauls:
“Lower Ashley Road is already one of the busiest roads in central Bristol. It is a vital artery not only for cars but for cyclists and pedestrians as well. However, being so stuffed full of cars, it will be fantastically dangerous for cyclists now that the cycle lane has been removed. It will be even more lethal, considering that the plans call for an extra lane to be added to the road (hence the pavement theft) which will be a left-turn feeder lane, making it necessary to cycle up the middle of the road if you do not want to turn left. You will then be spit into the middle of one of Bristol’s busiest junctions, the intersection of Lower Ashley Road, Ashley Road, and Sussex Place, and then heaven help you. This junction already has the longest cycle for pedestrian lights in the city, and something tells me that as all the plans are designed to aid the swift and smooth transit of cars through here, that ain’t changing anytime soon.
It’s all about getting the maximum number of cars off of and onto the motorway, and through ghastly St Pauls, St Agnes, Baptist Mills, and Easton, as fast as is (in)humanly possible. When I pressed the road planners on why they’d chosen a strategy that would increase road capacity, which as we all know will lead to a subsequent increase in traffic, rather than one to decrease traffic, they ignored me.
When pressed further about the consequences of their plan, they admitted that I, as a resident of the surrounding area and a non-driver, ‘would probably end up worse off’ but that their duty was to think of the larger majority of car users. Doesn’t that just say it all.”
Full story here:
http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688507
The Council seems to have a long, long way to go in developing the political will which is essential, if you’re going to give more people the courage and safe, peaceful space to cycle in Bristol.
You’ll need great fortitude to stand up against the likes of the Evening Post, and vocal fellow-travellers, who constantly push a reactionary pro-car agenda.
Happily, the great turnout to save the Bristol-Bath cycle path clearly shows that here is an ever-growing constituency who are enthusiastic to walk and cycle and will strongly support the Council’s best efforts to enable more people, and the whole city, to enjoy the tremendous benefits that we could get from cutting car-use.
August 1, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Chris and Dona
Thanks for the encouragement. You are quite right in your comments about timidity and fortitude. If we are to be true to the ethos of cycling demonstration city we need to both bold and sustainable initiatives and that is certainly the approach that I will be advocating.
There are a number of vested interests that I am sure will stir but as you have pointed out Dona the demonstration over the Brstol – Bath cycle path has shown the way in how to over come them.