Stephen Williams MP joins campaigners at the launch of Living Heart for Bristol
British people have a reputation for always talking about the weather. However, here in Bristol, a more likely subject for discussion is likely to be the state of our transport infrastructure.
Bristol is a great city but much of the centre is dominated by the overwhelming numbers of motor vehicles. It is this over-reliance on the car that constitutes a major part of the reason why I became a member of Living Streets which campaigns on behalf of pedestrians and to improve the liveability of our streets.
According to the 2001 census, the working population of Cabot and Lawrence Hill wards (the two wards that cover the city centre) was less than 8,500 with some 3,000 using cars to drive to work. But during the daytime this population swells to more than 90,000 as workers commute into the city centre with more than 40,000 cars flooding into the centre itself.
However even this last figure is put into perspective when you realise that somewhere in the region of 250,000 motor vehicles entered the city centre area each day in 2001. It is clear that many of those 250,000 vehicles were simply passing through the city centre on their way to somewhere else.
The effect on the city centre is devastating. The living, beating heart of Bristol, the traditional core of the city where residents, workers and visitors alike should be able to enjoy the historic heritage and general ambience of one of Europe’s most famous cities, is instead a race track where pedestrians find themselves dodging fast moving traffic and inhaling polluted air equivalent to smoking a packet of cigarettes a day.
Cyclists too find the roads dangerous and increasingly are forced to abandon the roads to motor vehicles, and find sanctuary on the pavements – which in turn inevitably brings them into conflict with pedestrians.
It is blatantly obvious that this situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely, and that some tough but necessary decisions need to be made if Bristol’s centre is once again to become the liveable heart of the city designed to benefit the workers, businesses, residents and visitors that use its wider amenities, not just those who use its roads to drive through it.
Last Friday, with the support of the local MP, eight separate groups (Bristol Cycling Campaign, Bristol Friends of the Earth, Bristol Green Capital, Bristol Living Streets, Bristol Ramblers Group, Carfree Bristol, Playing Out, and Streets Alive) combined to launch a campaign to create a more attractive city centre area – a Living Heart for Bristol.
The campaign aims to provide more public space and improve conditions for walking, cycling, and enjoying the centre by diverting through traffic away from central Bristol.
Later this month, Bristol City Council will be launching its City Centre Area Action Plan and its Public Realm and Movement Framework. These strategies will propose changes to road layouts in central Bristol, partly to facilitate the new Bus Rapid Transit networks.
The Living Heart coalition will be urging supporters to press the Council for changes to improve central Bristol during this consultation.
Other cities have taken the brave steps needed to rebalance their transport system away from one that is over-reliant on the private car, and have reaped the economic benefits. Freiburg in Germany is seen as a particularly good example of a city that has managed to combine a thriving economy with the benefits of a more balanced transport strategy. A 2004 audit of Freiburg shows that 24% of commuters travelled to work on foot, 28% by bike, 18% by public transport and just 29% by car.
More revealing is a comparison of the transport mode shares in 2001 between Freiburg and Bristol. At that time, the census shows that 64% of Travel to Work journeys in Bristol were by car, however according to the EU’s Urban Audit figures for 2001 the corresponding figure for Freiburg was 60% not massively lower.
In fact, in 2001 Bristol outperformed Freiburg for number of work journeys by foot (13% vs 11%) and by public transport (15% vs 13%). It was only in cycling that Bristol lagged significantly behind (5% vs 14%).
However, since then, cities like Freiburg have grasped the nettle, and addressed the challenge of rebalancing the traffic in their cities. Other Northern European cities like Copenhagen (where less than a third of commuters travel by car), Odense (34% travel by bike), Malmo (increased pedestrian journeys from 6% to 20% within 4 years) and Groningen (a business enhancing pedestrianisation of the city centre) have similarly reduced their dependence upon the car whilst Bristol, like almost every other British city, continues to be a slave to it.
What Bristolians need to make clear over the next few months is whether they wish their city, and especially their city centre, to continue to be dominated by the car, or do they want their city to pursue a more balanced transport strategy that will, in the end, offer greater benefits to the city and its citizens?
To find out more about the Living Heart campaign, the positive evidence from other cities, and how to support the campaign visit the website at www.livingheart.org.uk
Both Bristol Blogger and Tony are right. This city has huge working class suburbs and their public transport options reduce every year as Lib Dems cut subsidies which leads First Bus to cut the service.
My personal bug bear is that Cllr Rogers cycling city efforts seem to be directed at existing cyclists or typify the kind of top down management he is famous for. I've seen little of the Cycling City money spent where it should be. Encouraging people like me who would like to cycle but don't feel safe enough to do so. In East Bristol, bike lanes run out in Old Market (just where things get hairy!) and the Railway Path needs better lighting and safety improvements
Talk this Thursday, 6pm: Can We Tame the Traffic to Create a Living Heart for Bristol?
Part of Bristol University’s Climate of Change Series
When: Feb 09, 2012 from 06:00 pm to 07:30 pm
Where: Lecture Theatre 1.15, Queens Building, University of Bristol
The Living Heart for Bristol campaign (www.livingheart.org.uk) aims to create more public space and change travel behaviour by diverting through traffic away from the central areas of Bristol.
The campaign, supported by a growing list of local and national organisations, was started by Steve Melia, a Senior Lecturer at U.W.E., who has visited and researched cities across Europe which have been successful in shifting travel behaviour away from car use.
This talk will look at some of those examples from across Europe, and a few in Britain, and ask what lessons can be learned for Bristol. It will explain the aims of the Living Heart campaign and the opportunities, starting later in February, for the public to influence the Council’s plans for central Bristol.
All are welcome (no need to book or reserve seats)
Venue directions: Queens building on this map http://www.bristol.ac.uk/maps/precinct/
The elephant in the room with all this is that the vast majority of people going into town to do normal jobs with normal wages can't afford to live anywhere near enough town to walk or cycle to work.
Since public transport abysmal and expensive that leaves the car as the main option.
The kind of people who take charge of "Public Realm and Movement Frameworks" can obviously stroll down from their Clifton/Redland/Cotham townhouses to the Council House most days.
Unfortunately most of us don't have that option.
And, BB, the BRT will make little difference, as it does not run through the communities, at least here in South Bristol, that are most in need of good public transport. Infact, you will, in most cases, need to drive or catch a bus to actually reach BRT, which seems to defeat the whole purpose and leads on to another question. Will there be parking facilities at the terminal stops of BRT? And, while I'm on the subject, why will the council give no guarantees that our regular bus service will not be cut to compensate for having BRT?
The fact is, I'd much rather walk around Montpelier or Easton or Clifton village because there are less cars. If we had fewer cars passing through the centre, more people would want to spend their time there.
And what do you think will happen if cars are prevented from going through the center?
Yep, that's right. They'll detour through Montpelier or Easton or Clifton Village.
Why?
There already exists a signposted route around the city centre which is the directed route to get from one side of the centre to the other. Why would cars suddenly go wandering around Easton, or Clifton Village or Montpelier if that is not where they want to go?
Meanwhile if we continue to improve the railway network, and cycling and pedestrian routes and improve bus-based networks this will accelerate the already existing shift to those alternative modes leading to a reduction in the number of cars on the road whilst also improving the health and safety of many of those living and working in the city.
It ain't rocket science and it is exactly what has worked elsewhere.
All those other routes are slowly but surely being 'traffic managed' by the Council.
Which means they will be full of No left turns, no right turns, one way streets, Bus Lanes, 24 Hour Bus Lanes with no 24 Hour Bus Service, un-needed traffic lights, badly timed traffic lights, contraflows, one way systems, road bumps, speed humps, artificial cul-de-sacs, pedestrian zones, bump outs, build outs, speed cushions, traffic islands, diverters, reduced turning radius's, narrowing of lanes, chokers, chicanes, detours, curb extensions and Sticky Out Bus Stops.
Making it hard to use a car will not force people onto public transport. Only making public transport a serious option will do that.
More carrot… less stick.
Fed Up.
Ring Road – incomplete(intentionally). When somebody can give a detailed way of joining what may become the western end at Long Ashton, with the northern end at Filton, to complete the "ring", I may think it a good idea. Untill then, I know it will continue to cause traffic chaos, wherever it begins or ends.
It's a shame the M5 isn't closer as it would have been perfect to complete the loop.
That would be the M5 they are currently planning massive road-works on because it is already over-congested.
What is it with you "if we just build a bit more road all our traffic problems will be sorted" dinosaurs?
South Glos are now looking how to relieve congestion on the Avon Ring Road – which was built to relieve congestion. Doh!
To quote Chandler in Friends " Joey, when the q-tip meets resistance, stop pushing!"
Did I say build new roads? A question was asked how to finish the ring road. No need to be angry, it's not good for you. Ever driven around Southampton? The way the M3 is marked works well, it could work for the M5.
Personally I think alot of congestion in Bristol is caused by not having a route to avoid driving through it, coupled with no real alternative option. For example getting from where I live to South Bristol means either going through Brislington which is already crowded, or possibly through Hotwells. Depending on where I'm headed. Is this journey doable with public transport? Yes if you want to pay MORE than the cost of fuel for the car journey and have to change busses at least once. The train would be the same.
The avon ring road gets congested, which is hardly a suprise considering the development AFTER it was built, developments that didn't come with improved public transport links. As you so maturely put – "Doh!".
Lord Oldland, you are the only person who keeps suggesting people are angry? Wonder why? Personally I am simply bemused by comments by yourself. It also appears that you are unable to cope with a little gentle ribbing – my poor delicate flower.
You have however avoided responding to the fact that you suggested that the M5 would be a useful way to complete the ring road despite the fact that it is already congested. I am also interested in how you would complete the ring road, which you imply would be a good thing, without building new roads, which you say you don't suggest?
Yes I have travelled to Southampton, which funnily enough has recently been assessed as the 9th most congested city in the UK with the 4th highest level of increase in road traffic. This is the example you want us to follow?
You've not really read what I'd put have you. Lets break it down shall we. "It's a shame the M5 isn't closer as it would have been perfect to complete the loop."
Now as you can see, I instantly dismiss it as a viable way of completing the ringroad with "..shame the M5 isn't closer." It just wouldn't be feasable to link to the M5 because of the distance. This doesn't mention building a new road. I also make reference "to complete the loop". That's all. Simple as that, as it could complete the loop. I didn't actually say it would change the world.
You mention congestion on the M5. I don't really care – I've already dismissed it as a none starter anyway, so I'm hardly going to interest myself in the levels of congestion. Personally i've only ever found traffic heavy on it once, due to an accident. But then I avoid rush hour driving as much as possible. I'm sure others have had different experiances, but then I doub't it is anything close to the M25.
I couldn't fit this last bit on
Southamptons congestion is a mute point, you're not reading what I put. The way the M3 is marked works well and in theory could be used if a imaginary ringroad was linked to an imaginary stretch of motorway.
Also as far as ribbing goes, it's not really my type of thing with strangers on the internet. It doesn't exactly make for good debate, but each to their own.
The roads we are talking about were not built for cars and their design shows it, why do we assume that because its there the motorist has a right to drive over it regardless of the consequences for all the other users and potential users.
Before cars these roads were shared by all users. pedestrians were not pushed to the sides. The shared space concept would be suitable for large parts of Bristol, both central and suburban.
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Come on Ben, times have changed drastically since then! People no longer live next to their workplace for starters!
it would be interesting to hear, how these cities held as example of car free utopias actually achieved this. How much does public transport cost in terms of % of annual wage.
Also whats conviently never mentioned, is how the local infrastructure in these cities was already suited to mass transit.
building communities of people that live ,work ,go to school, and relax in the same locality is the biggest challenge, The car had unseen effect of destroying communities.
Better public transport is part of the solution but getting people to travel less is probably more important.
Indeed fed up. I do have to laugh at the anger some people have about, shock horror, cars using roads! How dare they.
The public transport in Bristol is shocking. People wont give up cars untill there is a realistic system in place. Closing roads would simply displace the traffic elswhere.
I was in the centre at lunchtime today, as I am most lunchtimes. You wouldn't really notice the traffic, unless that sort of thing bothers you. Hell I even managed to cross two roads without waiting for longer than 30 seconds.
I do conceed though, that if done properly the centre could make for an amazing square.
Brilliant news:
Artery roads – traffic managed (Council speak for 'made as difficult as possible to use')
City centre – traffic managed (Council speak for 'made as difficult as possible to use')
Ring road – incomplete (Intentionally)
Maybe if the Council put half as much effort into ensuring people could travel around the city as they do artificially creating congestion through pinch points/road narrowing/road closures/stickyout bus stops etc… we wouldn't be in this position.
Do any of the above 'encourage' motorists to use public transport or do they just delay/annoy and make them more determined not to be forced onto an overpriced, inconvenient, unreliable and disintegrated public transport system run for profit rather than service?
All I can say is that the last 10 years plan of trying to force the public to use Buses in Bristol is the sole reason we are in this mess…. and they seem to want to continue down this path!
Felix, the 2001 data comes from the census. There have been more recent estimates of data but until the 2011 census data becomes available this remains the most comprehensive data.
There is other more recent but less comprehensive data, for example Bristol City Council monitor traffic along the major routes and estimate that the number of vehicles entering the City Centre has decreased from 250,000 to 200,000 in 2011. Meanwhile a commuter count survey involving some 11,000 workers indicated that 48% travelled by car, 16% by public transport, 17% by foot and 14% by bike. Given that this was a voluntary survey and only a small proportion of the workforce we cannot know for certain how accurately it reflects travel mode share.
However, you don't need to have 100% up to date figures to see that the city centre is dominated by car traffic, you just have to walk around it for 10 minutes or so. What would be madness is to do nothing just because we don't have exact numbers, and see the city centre become even more jammed with traffic whilst other cities progress.
Do you really not have any more up-to-date data than 2001? It would be madness to make decisions based on that.
"Public Realm and Movement Framework"
Does anyone in Bristol City Council speak plain English?
Who is the idiot standing in front of you all ?
Did he "pledge" to support this campaign ?