News / Transport
Mayor puts brakes on Park Street improvement plans
A senior Bristol councillor says she has “struggled” to comprehend the rationale behind the regional mayor’s decision not to approve funding to ban most cars from Park Street.
But through-traffic could still be prevented from using the popular shopping street in order to free up more space for buses.
Funding will just need to come from Bristol City Council rather than the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
West of England mayor Helen Godwin said she attempted to propose a compromise of a 12-month trial with the bus gate at the top of the road only operational at peak times but this was not accepted at City Hall.
Godwin said that the main problem of the proposed £15m plan was that traffic would likely be diverted along Park Row, passing both the BRI and the Children’s Hospital.
Bristol’s transport bosses, however, have previously said the scheme could actually help congestion along Park Row, rather than worsen it.
Speaking on Politics West on BBC One, Godwin said: “My instinct was this wasn’t something that was popular (and) it didn’t seem entirely necessary…
“We’ve tried to get to a compromise position. The funding was never there anyway so it hasn’t been pulled.
“We’re not now funding the scheme. It’s Bristol’s scheme. We couldn’t get to a place where we agreed.”
Flags were draped across Park Street in 2025 as part of an art instalation – photo: Martin Booth
Responding to Godwin on the programme, Bristol City Council deputy leader, Heather Mack, said: “We’ve heard from the metro mayor that buses are at the centre of her mission for the region for transport.
“This is a project that we’ve been putting forward for the number 2 bus route, which currently gets delayed about ten minutes at peak times.
“This project is putting a bus gate on the top of Park Street, among some other interventions, and could save six minutes of that.
“So it’s really transformational for those that are getting that bus route.
“I would like to understand better Helen Godwin’s decision. We’ve struggled a bit, we’ve had a lot of back and forth and we’re not quite sure where this comes from.”
Kate Territo at Uncle Sam’s – which has since closed – was one of the traders against the scheme – photo: Will Stannard
Main image: Bristol City Council
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
