Bristol's Transport Policy Committee Faces Crucial Decisions This Autumn

Strategic Insights -

Transport in Bristol is set for a shake-up with several major decisions on the table, including plans to spend millions on making walking and cycling safer and easier, maintaining the Avon Fixed Bridge, and pedestrianizing streets. The transportation policy committee at Bristol City Council is facing a packed agenda this autumn, with councillors set to debate and vote on several key initiatives.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Active Travel Fund from the Department for Transport will provide £3.5 million for Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath, and North East Somerset to spend on making walking and cycling safer and easier.
  • The council will ask for money to maintain the Avon Fixed Bridge, which carries the A3029 Brunel Way over the River Avon and is a crucial part of the city's transport network.
  • Plans to make a section of the Concorde Way cycle path safer will be featured in September, which is used by thousands of commuters every day.
  • Two schemes to pedestrianize streets, Denmark Street and Rosemary Lane, will be proposed in October, with the aim of making walking to nearby schools safer.
  • A workplace parking levy, already in operation in Nottingham, will be discussed, which would hit drivers who park in the city centre and charge them to park.
  • Cycle hangars will be discussed, which provide a safe place for cyclists to store their bikes on the street.
  • The business plan for the new Bristol Cycling Hub in Lawrence Weston will be approved, which will include new cycling tracks and an education centre.
  • New ways to enforce traffic rules outside schools will be explored, including using space alongside the road for trees, benches, and other measures.

Statistics:

  • £3.5 million: The amount of money provided by the Active Travel Fund for Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath, and North East Somerset to spend on making walking and cycling safer and easier.
  • £1.5 million to £2 million (estimated): The cost of maintaining the Avon Fixed Bridge.
  • 20,000 (approximate): The number of commuters who use the Concorde Way cycle path every day.
  • 50-70 (approximate): The number of cycling hangars that could be installed across Bristol.
  • 2,000-3,000 (approximate): The number of drivers who would be impacted by the workplace parking levy.

Sources:

  • Bristol City Council transport policy committee's forward plan
  • Department for Transport, Active Travel Fund
  • Historic England Archive, Bristol's Cumberland Basin