Prince Street Bridge could be closed to cars
Bristol's Prince Street Bridge could be completely closed to private vehicles if the £48 million bus rapid transit (BRT) scheme is given the green light.
The Grade II-listed bridge near the Arnolfini arts centre is used by cars from Southville and Bedminster as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
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Prince Street Bridge could be closed to cars
Currently, traffic uses one side of the bridge and pedestrians and cyclists use the other side of the bridge.
The West of England Partnership (WoEP) has submitted a bid for money to the Department for Transport for rapid transit that would use the bridge as part of the route from Ashton Vale to the city centre.
A map shows the existing car lane on the bridge would be widened, strengthened and then used for the rapid transit buses and cyclists. The west side lane would just be used by pedestrians.
The report makes no mention of a second bridge the council has previously said it might look at building for the rapid transit buses.
The loss of the bridge for car traffic would force drivers on a lengthy detour to get into the centre.
Anyone coming along Cumberland Road would instead have to head along Commercial Road past Bristol General Hospital, turn left onto Redcliff Hill, left again at the St Mary Redcliffe roundabout, head straight past the Thekla on The Grove and then turn right onto Prince Street at the Shakespeare pub.
The council spent £40,000 on alterations to the bridge to make it a one-lane system in January, with traffic lights controlling cars and cyclists. The new scheme, if approved, would mean further alterations, as no buses currently use the bridge.
A consultation exercise is due to be held in the summer to gauge public opinion on the one lane changes, but when the Post carried out a straw poll shortly after they were introduced, commuters said they had not been necessary.
Rapid transit is intended to provide an affordable, fast and reliable solution to Bristol's congestion problems.
Stops on the route would include Ashton Gate, the proposed site for Bristol City Football Club's new stadium near Ashton Vale, Spike Island, the soon-to-be renovated Museum of Bristol, Cabot Circus, Broadmead and the Arnolfini.
If approved, the partnership aims to have the scheme up and running by 2013.
The partnership – made up of Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset councils – has stressed no plan for the rapid transit route has been finalised yet.
But Bristol councillors and campaigners have raised concerns about the closure, and the new layout as marked in the submission document.
Cyclist and heating engineer Chris Hutt, 58, of Richmond Park Road, Clifton, said: "It certainly looks like Prince Street Bridge will be closed to all motor traffic except for the bendy buses.
"I'm concerned about how cyclists and pedestrians are going to interact with the BRT bendy buses generally."
Conservative group leader councillor Richard Eddy said: "My understanding is that no final decision has been made as to how rapid transit will bridge the docks at Prince Street.
"However, I would strongly oppose any design solution that would banish private traffic from using Prince Street Bridge."
A spokesperson for the West of England Partnership said: "The partnership's news release on this issue last November clearly stated that any decision about how the route would cross the Floating Harbour would be informed by the result of the consultation and partly by cost and engineering requirements.
"Funding is still to be secured and detailed design work is yet to begin, with completion of the project unlikely before 2013."
Julia Dean, of the West of England Partnership, said the idea is at a very early stage.
She said: "Just because this idea has been put forward does not mean it will happen.
"We don't work out all the details before putting a bid in because you would never put in a bid."
Executive member for transport and sustainability councillor Jon Rogers had not been made aware of the proposal to close the bridge to motor traffic, and said it contradicted the partnership's earlier claims the bridge wasn't suitable.
He said: "I am disappointed the WoEP hasn't discussed these changes with me.
"They gave a pretty categorical assertion in November that Prince Street Bridge wasn't suitable for rapid transit.
"I would welcome the fact nothing is finalised."
The press release issued by the partnership last November said: "The current bridge is not suitable for rapid transit.
"We may need to build a new bridge instead, either for the rapid transit, or for other vehicles as well as cyclists and pedestrians."
24 Comments
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by Alice, Bristol
Saturday, June 06 2009, 10:35PM
“Sarah, Bristol "Ok, first of all, cyclists do not use the pedestrian lane, more often than not they will still squeeze into the traffic lane"
Because you have to cross the oncoming traffic to get over to the pedestrian /cycle side if you're heading out of town? It's a terrible idea, carried out with a terrible design. I am one of the many people that saw no problem with the bridge as it was with two way traffic a few months ago. It was much safer for cycling. It was a nightmare for pedestrians though. Especially those pushing pushchairs, in wheelchairs or simply trying to walk over the bridge while someone did the same from the other direction.
It is widely beleived that the restriction to one lane and making the one side look like a "cycling side" was a thinly disguised attempt to make cyclist take the blame for the loss of use to cars in advance of the bus route suggestion, therefore reducing opposition to BRT scheme taking over the bridge.”
by Martin, Clifton
Tuesday, April 21 2009, 8:03PM
“If the council want to implement a new transport scheme, it should supplement what we already have, not replace current transport routes with something which will undoubtedly have less capacity.
Did the council and WEP not learn from trying to put a BRT scheme along the railway path?”
by craig, bristol
Tuesday, April 21 2009, 7:14PM
“@steve BRT is simply some diesel buses with bodykit running part of the route along a concrete kerb - for £48 million that's an absolute disgrace. Why not just run buses without the bodykit along bus lanes for a fraction of the money?
steve couldn't agree with you more don't suppose you want to run as an MP! I would vote for somebody who spoke common sense like you.”
by alex, Mangotsfield
Tuesday, April 21 2009, 6:07PM
“Yet again we have another piece of council idiocyt hey are not of this world, surely they belong in cloud cuckoo landI am amazed at the monotonous regularity that these foolish schemes are attempted to be fobbed off on us ,(the electorate) I am annoyed at the disdain & contempt with which we are treated almost as if we were semi-educated zombies .Simply use & improve the current system surely it will cost millions less”
by clair, bedminster
Tuesday, April 21 2009, 5:43PM
“i cant see why there has to be another transport system in bristol. the one we have now would work great if first lowered their prices, i had family stay from the midlands who where shocked at the prices of bus fares here. if the fares were reduced more people could afford to use the public transport available then there would be no need for more systems that cost the taxpayers more money, there would be no need to close roads or bridges and there would be less congestion which is better for everyone”