The Living Heart for Bristol has responded to a Council consultation on a ‘Dutch style’ cycle route along Baldwin Street with an alternative proposal, to pedestrianise part of Baldwin Street, with a cycle route through it, instead.
The consultation proposed to extend the existing cycle path at the Eastern end of Baldwin Street (near Bristol Bridge) across the junction with Queen Charlotte Street, after which it would end with cyclists returning to the road. It is being proposed to reduce cycling casualties at that junction and is intended to form part of a “network of ‘8-80 inclusive’ infrastructure (meaning anyone from the age of 8 to 80 will be able to use it to get around the city)”.
The Living Heart’s alternative follows the proposal made by the Executive Member for Transport in 2009, to remove the link for through traffic between The Centre and Baldwin Street. The Western end of Baldwin Street, between The Centre and the junction with Marsh Street, would be pedestrianised, with a cycle route running through it. This would have the effect of removing through traffic from Baldwin Street, turning it into a quieter street, where a separate cycle route would no longer be necessary.
Spokesman Steve Melia said:
“This type of Dutch-style cycle path is generally a good idea, along main roads where you can’t do very much to reduce or remove the traffic. But as it stands, this proposal doesn’t make much sense. A cyclist coming from The Centre would have to cross over two streams of traffic to reach the path which would only run for a few hundred yards. Our suggestion would be cheaper, more effective and benefit everyone: pedestrians as well as cyclists. It would build on the experience of the Make Sundays Special, improve the environment of the city centre, and reduce through traffic across the whole of the central areas of the city. It’s not just our idea – something very similar was suggested by John Rogers, when he was in charge of Transport. It made a lot of sense then, and it still does now. The whole of this area is under review for the Metrobus. We hope the Mayor will look again at those ideas.”
Western end of Baldwin Street during the first Make Sundays Special and a map of the Living Heart’s Proposal
