Bristol city centre congestion
Back in 1973 – when I started to work as a scaffolder at Muller Road, Eastville, on the M32 – the first thing I looked at in the engineer's office were the drawings.
They showed the M32 going all the way down Newfoundland Road to Bond Street, then the road would be built on stilts and would proceed along Bond Street, up past Temple Meads Station and to the Wells Road.
The engineer told me if this was successful, they could then extend from Bond Street and take it up on stilts past the BRI, to Blackboy Hill.
But in 1974 the money ran out; the Government wouldn't back it.
When I left in 1974, the engineer said to me: "I wonder what effect this will have on the traffic coming into Broadmead in years to come? There is bound to be more traffic."
I have often wondered why the city planners didn't get back to the original plans to ease the traffic from the city centre.
The city planners, many years ago in Dublin, came up with a plan to ease traffic congestion on morning rush hour coming into the city centre.
The police, or Garda as they are known, appointed four of their motorcycle policemen, whose job was to clear the roads coming into the city every morning.
Nobody was allowed to park outside in roads or streets. At first it caused mayhem, but then motorists realised 'move your car or we will tow it away'. I don't know what times this occurred in the mornings, but buses taking people to work had no hold ups.
We have double yellow lines here in Bristol, but motorists still park on them and go off shopping. I saw the photo in my Bristol Evening Post of the bus driver on the pavement.
Put yourself in his driving seat and see what these drivers have to come up against. Church Road, Redfield, is a no-go area for cars to park. Yet go down there, any day, any time, and you'll find cars and vans parked on double lines in the bus lane, on zigzag lines, at pedestrian crossings... and guess what? Not one traffic warden!
The Liberal city council should be ashamed to turn a blind eye.
Can't get a good traffic warden? God help us all.
Mr J Murphy, St George.
4 Comments
by Steve, Central Bristol
Thursday, October 22 2009, 5:17PM
“@Alex: "It would certainly be amazing for city centre traffic if the whole motorway went over the city centre with a big flyover"
Yes, how delightful it would be for me to live in permanent shadow with thousands of cars roaring over my head every hour. Some of us actually live in the city centre, and we're not the ones creating the huge traffic jams into Bristol every morning either.”
by captain nemo, staple hill
Thursday, October 08 2009, 12:10PM
“Good job the M32 stopped where it is. With Old Market now on a 'danger list' of very polluted places to be, can you all imagine the sight and sound of thousands of cars, jammed up above your heads, showering you in foul stinking pollution?. Lovely!!.”
by Alex, Redcliffe
Monday, October 05 2009, 12:34PM
“Wow - I did not realise what the M32 could have been if funded properly. It would certainly be amazing for city centre traffic if the whole motorway went over the city centre with a big flyover. Unfortunately, the government now want to increase congestion to try and force everyone out of their cars rather than making roads bigger and less congested. All for the sake of saving a few polar bears.”
by Paddy, Not on a bus
Saturday, October 03 2009, 8:05AM
“Definitely agree on the Church Rd situation. The "showcase bus route" is a joke. No way I'm paying for a crazy priced expensive bus ticket just to sit in queues of cars because more cars are parked along the bus lanes. I'd sooner walk and get there faster too. Is there any traffic enforcement in Bristol anywhere, ever?”