No need to use subways to cross the Bear Pit

“&Richard34 The Neighbourhood Partnerships (NHP) are a good idea in theory, however they are very much controlled by Councillors who do not care on the whole how the Partnership think, the back door deals being done, between Councillors (and sometimes I imagine BCC Officers who minute meetings etc) back in the Council House! The Cabot Clifton & East Clifton NHP and Ashley Easton & Lawrence Hill (AELH) NHPs did not want devolved S106 development money for parks and children's play areas (monies for the NHP to say where to prioritise spend in it's area) spent on a pollution hot spot like the Bear Pit refresh scheme, that was also out of area for AELH NHP spend. The Councillors for Ashley Easton & Lawrence Hill NHP overruled the Partnership at it's last meeting on the 3rd of July where they introduced this item again, after the Partnership had already made a sensible decision that parks and children play areas in it's own area should come first, back in it's 7th March meeting this year. The Cabot Clifton and East Clifton NHP that also didn't want to spend it's parks money on this scheme, saying it wasn't green enough, were 'misinformed' by their Chair at it's 28th March meeting this year that the AELH NHP had agreed to commit a third of costs (£21,000) when it hadn't - they then obviously felt obliged to commit to a scheme in their area that they didn't want, to the tune of £45,000! So £66K of parks and green space spend is to be wasted on a Bear Pit scheme that will be circumnavigated by a new path around the top! What a waste of time, The Ashley LibDem Cllrs that have pushed this scheme through against NHP wishes, should be ashamed of taking money out of the NHP area and away from parks and children's playgrounds in probably the most impoverished NHP in the City - check out the minutes from Cabot NHP, the AELH minutes are incorrect and will be updated possibly!? :-

https://http://tinyurl.com/c7c4lsa”

“The decision on improvements to the St James Barton roundabout will be made at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 4 July. You can watch the meeting online live from 6pm at http://tinyurl.com/6xm2mps”

“I entirely agree with sillygovrnmnt.”

“@SamSaunders – "If it takes three minutes more to complete your journey, no one is going to worry about having to wait for you."

I agree, unfortunately that is not a principal that the LibDem Executive Members are prepared to accept when it comes to bus passengers:-

a) £1.9 million spent in Fishponds on GBBN to save 35 seconds bus travel time (which failed)!

b) £13.5 million planned for a BRT bus-only junction on the M32 to save an estimated 5 minutes bus travel time!”

“katachua I totally agree that this is used by all of us but when we start to rip apart the passion and hard work of local people who are trying to transform their own area in the city, then it's time to stop and think at whether we would want this in the our own community. It's easy to walk through this or cycle across it one or twice a week or in lots of cases once a year but the people behind this are here every other day and they want their part of the city to be enjoyable for everyone and not just commuters.
Have a little respect for local people.”

“Tody123 "liking the fact is so dangerous for Lycra louts"

Whatever you call someone in a hospital bed, it's possible to hope that less people follow them into the same ward. The current arrangement is not safe. Check the data. There have been numerous incidents on and around the roundabout in recent years and it's clear that changes must be made.

An arrangement that suits pedestrians and cyclists is likely to help people in cars as well. Reduce the conflict, reduce the accidents, reduce the stress. Make it possible for less confident people of all kinds to make their way across the junction. If it takes three minutes more to complete your journey, no one is going to worry about having to wait for you.”

“dungbob "I have just cycled across the bearpit, using the road (sorry to disappoint) and I still don't see where the problem is... pedestrians are seperate to vehicles, plenty of space to cycle, cars and buses all seemed to flow well."

I think that we have to accept that many road users, and many people who would like to be road users are not as confident, competent and well-informed as you. In some cases it would be no more than not knowing the way - that roundabout is very challenging and confusing for drivers and cyclists who have not used it before. Inevitably Bristol's traffic includes a number of strangers who will have to move slower and signal later.

As a very experienced urban cyclist I would not advise anyone to use the current roundabout and I avoid it myself. Its record of hospital-visiting incidents is higher than almost any other part of Bristol.”

“I have just cycled across the bearpit, using the road (sorry to disappoint) and I still don't see where the problem is... pedestrians are seperate to vehicles, plenty of space to cycle, cars and buses all seemed to flow well.
Spend the money on dealing with people's concern's about the subways - the drinkers and godbotherers and any crime - and leave what work's alone.”

“@Richard34

"There are too many of us commenting on an area of Bristol which isn't our own neighbourhood."

This is a public space used by every pedestrian in Bristol on the way to and from Broadmead. I would suggest that we all have a stake in what happens to it...”

“@manchestergas...yes it does really, I like cider and dogs...in any order. If you actually had a point to make why not make it?”