News / Transport
Major improvements proposed for Railway Path
Twenty permanent CCTV cameras could be added to a section of the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.
The cameras would aim to prevent increasing anti-social behaviour along a stretch of the path that runs from the entrance to the Staple Hill tunnel to the former Mangotsfield station, with two other cameras at the Warmley Waiting Room.
Another proposal is to improve accessibility at nine ‘pinch points’ by removing or altering barriers that make it hard for users of the path to get around.
South Gloucestershire Council want to make the path more secure and accessible for cyclists and pedestrians alike.
A consultation on the improvements will close at the end of January.
The council’s first proposal is to add 20 CCTV cameras from the entrance to the Staple Hill tunnel all the way up to the former Mangotsfield station – photo: Seun Matiluko
When the proposals were first announced, the council said: “We want to make walking and wheeling (use of a wheelchair, mobility scooter or pushchair), public transport and cycling not only viable, but the preferred way of getting around – especially for shorter journeys.
“To do this, we must make alternatives to the motor vehicle, like the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, safe and convenient.”
The railway path, which was created in the 1980s by cycling charity Sustrans, has become a popular commuter route over the years – photo: Seun Matiluko
As well as proposing to add CCTV cameras and remove barriers, the council’s feedback survey also asks for opinions about installing lighting on the railway path, to help them “make future decisions which balance people’s safety with the impact on ecology”.
Following the end of the consultation period, the council plan to finalise their proposals and make a request for funding to the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
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