Routes drawn up for Bristol bendy bus scheme
Experts have been told to forge ahead with preparatory work on a new "bendy bus" scheme between the northern fringe of Bristol and Hengrove.
The rapid transit route is designed to ease congestion for thousands of commuters who pour into the city centre each day.
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Routes are being drawn up for the Bristol bendy bus scheme
Members of the West of England Partnership are keen to press ahead with the scheme which has already been promised £168 million Government funding.
But this money will only be part of the final cost which is not yet known.
Experts are now being asked to draw up possible routes for the rapid transit scheme and people are expected to be asked for their views during a consultation period in early December. The West of England Partnership is keen to see this preparatory work completed so that a funding bid can be put before the Government in March.
Campaigners in south Bristol have expressed concern where the route for the scheme might be, with worries that it will endanger wildlife in the Malago Valley – one of the routes which has been suggested.
The bendy buses would run on their own dedicated bus lane so they do not get held up by normal traffic.
Funding is already in place for the first bendy bus route between the Long Ashton park-and-ride site and Bristol Temple Meads. The £42 million scheme could be up and running by 2012-13.
Bristol City and North Somerset Councils gave official approval to Bristol's first rapid transit bus route in February.
The route will have rubber-wheeled bendy buses running from the park and ride at Long Ashton, across the Bristol-Portishead railway line, along the Harbourside and through the city centre to Temple Meads.
Bendy buses from the city centre to Hengrove would form part of a multi-million regeneration scheme in the area, including a new hospital, leisure centre and skills academy.
Bendy buses are already used in a number of British towns and cities, but in July London mayor Boris Johnson replaced all the bendy buses on one route in the capital. He still plans to scrap the "much-loathed" buses, which he says are dangerous and enable fare evasion.
The bus that might be used in a future rapid transit scheme in Bristol was unveiled in January. The bus, which runs on an electric and diesel hybrid engine is 19 metres long and weighs more than 30 tonnes – almost double the size of a single-decker.
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by Count of Monte Cristo, Ashtonia
Monday, October 05 2009, 7:00PM
“We need a German design tram system. Preferably with women drivers in extremely tight black uniforms. I know their odd lot but the sausage guzzlers know how to move people around cleanly, quietly, efficiently and on time. Bendy-bus what bol***ks.”
by Nigel, East Side
Monday, October 05 2009, 4:15PM
“I totally agree Bob. I am just so fed up with years of no progress.
Mind you the people of Leeds are having the same fight and the strugggle. They were robbed of there tram system and now they have a second rate trolley system to look forward to, although I am not confident that this will even happen for them.
I am resgined to the fact that tram lines will not be running along our city streets in my life time.”
by richard, bristol
Monday, October 05 2009, 4:13PM
“send it up denmark street”
by Bob de Bilde, Bristol
Monday, October 05 2009, 3:44PM
“Nigel,
They'd claim to have 'CONsulted' with us and then gone ahead to do First's bidding anyway!
I agree that the bid doc doesn't specify the method of transport and that, in the dim and distant future, we might get trams running along some of these routes.
However, there would need to be planning for the infrastructure for electric trolley buses, either overhead power cables (as in Leeds) or a power rail in the track (as in Caen, France). None of this will be done - the tracks will simply be concrete paths for the buses to run on - effectively bus lanes, and very expensive bus lanes at that.
Unfortunately, First are very much driving BRT forward - they're on the project board - despite an operator allegedly not chosen as yet (yeah right!) - and the vehicles will be the Wright Streetcars, an example of which visited Bristol recently.
First already run these diesel vehicles in York, Leeds and Swansea.
Funnily enough, they call them bendy buses in York and Leeds. Our local councils are calling them 'Rapid Transit' down here.
Quite clearly, our local authorities have been sold a lemon with BRT. How they thought that more diesel buses run by First would actually instigate the 'modal shift' from the car that they're all so desperate to achieve is beyond me.
It must be down to serial incompetence.”
by Nigel, East Side
Monday, October 05 2009, 3:09PM
“Bob if only the council would listen to us and not waste that £90,000 !!
I will correct you on one thing though, if you read bid document on the West of England web site it does state that the method of transport has not yet been decided upon, whilst a full tram system is not on the cards yet, the BRT lines could yet be trolley bus units like those proposed in Leeds.
Lets keep our fingers crossed on that one.”