As you will know the Council is proposing to put bus lanes on the dual carriageway between the Crow Lane roundabout and the top of Brentry Lane.
I have submitted the statement at the bottom of this post to next Tuesdays Council Meeting where I will speaking in opposition to them (I support the crossings and cycle lanes for information).
If anyone else wishes to submit a statement (you don't need to turn up but it will get read and show your feelings on the issue) then you can do so by sending an email to [email protected]
You have until noon on Friday. The statement doesn't have to be long but as the saying goes - nothing ventured, nothing gained.
MY STATEMENT:
Public Statement on the A4018 ‘Improvements’
Cabinet recently approved funding to deliver a series of ‘improvements’ along a section of the A4018. The measures include:
Introducing a new 30mph speed limit at Crow Lane to cover the whole of Passage Road
A new signalised pedestrian crossing north of Dragonswell Road across to Brentry Lane and upgrading of the one south of Crow Lane
A segregated cycle route, north- and south-bound, between Crow Lane and Charlton Road (up the Brentry Hill)
Inbound and outbound bus lanes, operative all day, from Crow Lane to Charlton Road (these are the ones that proved controversial as most of us argued that they’re weren’t needed as this wasn’t where the bus got stuck - although the lanes are shorter than first proposed they are still going in)
New bus stops between Crow Lane and Charlton Road
Installation of a pedestrian crossing on Passage Road close to Westbury-on-Trym primary school
Most of these are supported by residents and communities however it is the fourth point that is proving particularly problematic. We have made reservations regarding the proposed new bus lanes previously. Our concerns are as follows:
This isnt actually a stretch of road that buses get delayed on - feel free to ask the local bus users who on the whole agree
It is a 24 bus lane without 24 hour buses and actually only the number 1 uses that stretch of road
The stretch of road suffers from natural pinch points that will cause real mayhem if this plan if it proceeds:
As you travel north towards Cribbs Causeway the traffic crests Brentry Hill and moves from one lane to two lane. This allows a large amount of traffic to flow. Without this increased capacity the traffic will back up and over the hill - delaying the north bound buses. We have seen this previously when the bus lane was first installed by the white tree roundabout. It was too long and caused massive congestion. We in North Bristol remember this and I can assure you this isn’t nimbyism - we understand how the traffic flows in our part of the city as we will live with it all the time.
By contrast if you are travelling south into the city you arrive at the crow lane roundabout on two lanes of traffic. If you then move on and suddenly move to one lane (because the bus lane has been installed) then you will create congestion and cause the traffic to back up onto the roundabout as it tries to filter from two lanes to one lane. Again this is predictable.
I would strongly suggest that you look again at what is being proposed, and ideally remove the lanes entirely, or at the very least massively shorten the bus lanes to allow the proper filtering of traffic and give it time and space to filter from two lanes to one.
I urge the Mayor to reconsider.
