'Let's make Bristol city centre bike-only'
Cars should be banned from the city centre, says the councillor championing Bristol's new drive to encourage cycling.
Terry Cook, a member of the ruling Labour cabinet, told a meeting of bike riders that Bristol's newfound status as a Cycling City meant motorists' attitudes would have to change.
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Terry Cook wants to make Bristol city centre bike-only
He said the importance of cycling needed to be ingrained in the city council "right from the top of the political tree".
Mr Cook told last night's meeting that "radical steps" needed to be taken to rid the centre of Bristol of cars.
He said he did not expect the ban on motor vehicles to happen before 2010 but it was something the council needed to work towards.
Plans are already afoot to introduce a controversial congestion charge in the city centre – probably not before 2014 – but Mr Cook's comments go even further.
He said: "We are prepared to ban cars from the city centre. We are prepared to take radical steps. Cycling is the future.
"Within 10 years we should see most of the traffic in the city centre being cyclists and if we can get a critical mass of cyclists, then the attitude of motorists will have to change.
"Right from the top of the political tree, we have to ingrain cycling in the city council."
Mr Cook was speaking at Fairfield School in Horfield as the council revealed details of how it planned to spend £22.8 million on making Bristol a Cycling City.
Half of the money for the initiative was won from the Government in May and the rest will be provided by Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils. The funds must be spent by the end of 2010.
Bristol City Council is aiming to double the number of cyclists in the city from 30,000 to 60,000. Measures proposed include:
Three 20mph zones in residential areas around the city centre;
Enhanced cycleways on four main routes – the city centre to Bristol Parkway; Bedminster to Hengrove; around Cribbs Causeway; and out to Yate.
Up to 35 contraflow cyclepaths to allow cyclists to ride in both directions along one-way roads;
Improved signs and altered traffic light sequences;
More cycling proficiency lessons for schoolchildren – 9,200 a year, compared with 2,500 now.
At the start of the meeting, the council came under fire from Cycling England, the government group which awarded the Cycling City status earlier this year, and eco-charity Sustrans for its progress since the winning bid was announced.
John Grimshaw, founder of Sustrans and now working for Cycling England, said: "We chose Bristol because of the number of cyclists here but doubling that is going to be a huge challenge. I hope things have been going flat-out in Bristol."
Peter Lipman, of Sustrans, said: "I get the feeling that the stakeholder involvement has not gone as it should have and I can understand why there's some negativity from the cyclists who are here tonight.
A plan for how the £22.8 million will be spent is due to go before a cabinet meeting of Bristol City Council later this month.
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by andy smith-morse, bristol
Saturday, October 25 2008, 4:06PM
“a naive idea . get real.”
by Peter Andrews, Bristol
Friday, October 17 2008, 7:52AM
“Excellent idea! Well said Councillor Cook. Bristol is choked with traffic and we need to reclaim the streets for people. If treasures such as Corn Street, King Street or Park Street were in any other major European city they would be car free. With trees, benches, bicycles, cafe tables and PEOPLE rather than metal boxes.”
by craig, bristol
Sunday, October 12 2008, 11:53AM
“ok ignoring the hills and weather, what roads would be closed exactly? and how would car, lorries, etc get from one side ot the city centre to the other?”
by H, Bristol
Saturday, October 11 2008, 7:31PM
“I was born and bred in the Netherlands, pretty much came out of my mum on a bike! I have lived in the UK now for 12 years, and have never ridden a bike here. Why? Because there are not sufficient provisions for bike riders that would make me feel safe to do so. I am not blaming motorists - but due to there not being provisions cyclists have to share the same road. There is intolerance on all sides, and cyclists feel they have to be 'resourceful' to get on 'safely'. Pedestrians get annoyed with cyclists as they flout the rules, and I have to say it is very bad in Bristol! There are not enough laws for cyclists. I see them go down the wrong way in one way streets, shoot on the pavement when the traffic light goes red on the road so they can use the green pedestrian crossing light, not having a bell but using their voice to go through a busy pedestrian area - do you always look up when someone just goes round behind you shouting 'Excuse me!' or worse, 'Move!'? I even saw someone with a bike in the covered area of Cabot Circus - on opening day! Yes, I suppose there are a number of towns and cities in the Netherlands and other countries where cars have been banned from the centre - but in many cases you're not allowed to ride your bike there either and you are meant to stall them on the fringes where you can 'park' them securely. I don't think the debate will ever go away, unless laws change, and the mindframe of people.”
by Sam, Bishopston
Friday, October 10 2008, 10:16AM
“Steve,
Sarah of Keynsham was the complainee in question. Now of course her disabled son and every disabled individual deserves consideration and various disability groups are consulted by the council on these projects (and yes I do support that). What I find erksome is she uses her son as some kind of excuse for poopooing this idea and worst of all suggesting that it would be discriminatory. Your overtly PC'ness defends this odious position so who really is the ghastly individual?
I would also like to reiterate the point that we don't actually know what closing off the city centre to cars actually does mean. And therefore we cannot make snap judgements or even worry about how it will affect any group of people be they cyclists or blue badge holders. It may not even come to anything.”