Stig criticises 'moronic' Whiteladies Road in Bristol
THE Stig has slammed the narrowing of a section of Whiteladies Road – calling it "moronic" and "dangerous".
But the city council insists it will help traffic move more freely.
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The Stig (aka Ben Collins) has branded the narrowing of Whiteladies Road in Bristol 'moronic and dangerous'.
Ben Collins – best known as the white-suited former test driver on BBC TV show Top Gear – is one of many users of the road who have noticed problems since the pavements outside Clifton Down Shopping Centre were widened at a pedestrian crossing.
It has left the road so narrow that people have reported seeing lorries and buses struggling to pass each other. The pavement at a nearby bus stop has also been widened.
The work is part of the £78 million Greater Bristol Bus Network project to improve 10 "showcase" bus routes across Greater Bristol.
Stunt and racing driver Mr Collins, of Westbury Park, drives down the road regularly.
He said: "These changes are hideous. In my opinion the pavement was wide enough before. Now what you've got is a bottleneck which is causing huge traffic jams – it's a choke point and it's horrendous. Only a non-motorist could possibly have designed it. It really is moronic.
"Then you've got the problem of traffic trying to overtake stationary buses in the bus stops. Buses have to pull out into the wrong side of the road to overtake, and it's just dangerous. Eventually a bus is going to end up having a head-on with a car. You don't ease traffic by narrowing roads.
"When you've got a lorry coming down the hill and a bus going up, there isn't enough room for them to pass at that point outside Clifton Down Shopping Centre. It's dangerous for pedestrians, because at some point someone is going to go up onto the kerb, and it's dangerous for cyclists because there isn't enough space for them.
"It beggars belief – and it's our money the council is wasting."
The Evening Post asked the authority's transport director Peter Mann if the improvements had been designed to slow traffic down.
"No," he said. "The aim is to improve bus reliability whilst reducing overall levels of traffic congestion. Many of the new measures not only benefit buses but also motorists, due to the new traffic signal technology that is designed to improve traffic flow."
In fact, Mr Mann said, the pedestrian crossing had been made smaller to reduce the time traffic has to wait for people to cross.
"This will allow shorter distances for pedestrians to cross the road and therefore shorter red times for all motorists," he said.
Mr Mann said the new width of the road – seven metres – met highway design standards and was wide enough for two lanes.
As for lorries passing buses, he said road resurfacing and new markings due to go down next week will help "improve lane discipline".
Mr Mann said the bus stop had been built out into the road so that buses could align with a raised boarding platform.
"Consequently all traffic, including other buses, may have to wait a short time until the bus pulls away," he said.
"However, the bus cages [road markings] have not been completed and once they have, buses will be able to pull to the front of a stop and allow further buses to pull behind, thereby alleviating the problem."
The work follows other design changes along the busy road, including new traffic islands planted with trees, intended to make crossing safer for pedestrians.
Traders also voiced criticism.
Mark Wilmut, who manages the Clifton Colour photo shop, said: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The road didn't need anything doing to it – what a waste of taxpayers' money."
Kate Ralls, who owns Deli Delish, said: "The traffic is awful now. The back roads are just going to become a massive rat run."
Adam Denton, owner of the butchers Ruby & White and the Cowshed restaurant said: "It has made the traffic a lot slower and safer, which is good for pedestrians. But then it is a major route into the city and slowing traffic along the down means that more stress is put onto other areas."
104 Comments
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by Fuzzhead
Thursday, February 02 2012, 2:19PM
“I'd be up for the slow protest walk down Fishponds Rd - good idea.”
by NotTheCouncil
Wednesday, February 01 2012, 5:05PM
“Tim Kent had the option to create some more congestion and took it. You didn't think he would miss an opportunity like that did you?
All those 'How to create congestion' and 'How to punish the public for not using an over priced and unreliable bus service' courses have obviously paid off.
Tim would like to come on here and comment, but unfortunately there are many other communities to destroy and many other consultations to ignore. Plus, I'm afraid Tim doesn't really speak to the public, he is far too important.”
by Chipnum
Wednesday, February 01 2012, 4:23PM
“It seems strange that GBBN money has been spent on measures that may actually delay buses. Maybe the GBBN money has been misused. Logically, if a road is wide and could support two lanes in both directions or two lanes in one direction and one in the opposite direction, then there is an opportunity to put in a bus lane in both directions or in the direction where congestion is most common. A bus stopped at a bus stop in a bus lane does not obstruct other vehicles.
If a road is not wide enough for bus lanes then there are two alternatives - make the road bus-only (if an alternative route exists for displaced traffic), or implement measures to smooth traffic flow. In London, TfL introduced a BRT project called 'East London Transit'. On roads too narrow for bus lanes they installed parking and loading lay-bys so that buses weren't obstructed.
http://tinyurl.com/7w6pw24
Running a Google search I found a link to the Transport Advice Portal which provides examples for local authorities on how to design and implement bus priorities:
http://tinyurl.com/6qkzd9g”
by blowtorch
Monday, January 30 2012, 6:03PM
“For somebody who spends his time driving around in a white boiler suit he seems to think he knows a lot about civil engineering.”
by smoosername
Monday, January 30 2012, 4:29PM
“I imagine you would get quite a bit of support from local residents and businesses. Once a date has been set, get some posters in shop windows, get leaflets out to residents, get some newspaper articles, get a blog... get as much publicity as possible.
You could start up on The Downs and crawl down to College Brown.
David Jolley (Campaigner turned North Somerset Councillor) lead the campaign and walk in Portishead. Would seriously consider getting in contact with him to find out the legal side of things etc... Unfortunately Bristol Council and Tim Kent can cause congestion with their schemes but you may need to inform Police etc... before hand.
Martin Cassini and Colin Buchanan are two other names who were involved and may be interested to hear from you.”
by DM_Fishponds
Monday, January 30 2012, 4:10PM
“@Smoosername, nothing that involves driving a tank onto College 'Brown' and pointing at Barbara Janke's and Tim Kent's window, then!
A massed 'slow walk' down Whiteladies Road and Park Street to the Council House seems the next alternative.
Who's with me?”
by smoosername
Monday, January 30 2012, 3:55PM
“Just some thoughts (take them or leave them)...
1. Vote for a mayor (maybe stand yourself DM with your main point to remove all congestion creating GBBN aspects?)
2. Organise an Anti-GBBN group
3. Organise a slow walk. The residents of Portishead for years and years complained that some traffic lights caused chaos. Only when they became the slowest moving objects (they walked in mass down the High Street) on the road (holding up Tim Kents beloved Buses) did they get removed. Unfortunately it does delay all road users but it certainly got the message across.
4. Post a letter and contact email addresses of the people responsible, when ever a GBBN story appears, that people can copy and paste and send.
5. Don't vote LibDem (ever again)”
by DM_Fishponds
Monday, January 30 2012, 3:46PM
“@Smoosername - "Come on people, if we all joined forces to condemn this we may be able to change it. If we are constantly at each others throats then nothing will."
I agree but what can we do?
Tim Kent and Peter Mann might be doing a rubbish job but day-to-day they are unaccountable.
I'd like to think that they cry themselves to sleep each night over their handling of GBBN. But they're more likely to get support from the Council's other Executive Members knowing that they don't even have the threat of local elections for the next 16 months!
Apart from declaring a "Bristol Spring" and taking to the streets to overthrow an oppressive regime, does anyone have any suggestions?”
by SpinyHedgehog
Monday, January 30 2012, 3:34PM
“@smoosername
"This should be one topic where all users of all transport should be angry, but not at each other, at the people that caused it.
Come on people, if we all joined forces to condemn this we may be able to change it. If we are constantly at each others throats then nothing will."
Yes, you're probably right, but he is sooooo irritating :-(”
by smoosername
Monday, January 30 2012, 3:24PM
“The crazy thing about this (despite the usual person turning this into the usual trolling match) is that the changes, many people believe, make the road more dangerous for all road users. Cyclists, pedestrians, motorists, motorcyclists, the lot. Even buses could be delayed as they will be held up in the congestion caused by the bus being stationary in the middle of the road for minutes at a time further down the road.
Why doesn't everyone knock the arguing on the head, starting from now!
Instead we should all be focusing our efforts on the people that caused this:
Tim Kent
Peter Mann
The unelected and unaccountable GBBN Team
This should be one topic where all users of all transport should be angry, but not at each other, at the people that caused it.
Come on people, if we all joined forces to condemn this we may be able to change it. If we are constantly at each others throats then nothing will.”