Get ready for Cabot Circus traffic rush
An estimated 20,000 extra vehicles a day are expected to come into Bristol when the new Cabot Circus shopping centre opens next week.
To cope with the influx the developers and Bristol City Council have spent more than £30 million on reshaping roads, upgrading traffic signals, bus lanes and signs.
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Overseeing it all will be a bank of cameras in the city council's new Urban Traffic Control Centre in Wilder Street, St Paul's.
The control centre will be operated by council staff from 7am to 7pm on weekdays with extra cover on busy weekends.
A video wall is able to display up to 60 CCTV images at once showing congestion and how individual junctions are operating.
A real time car park information and variable message system is now in place. This will be run from the control centre allowing staff to provide traffic information to drivers when incidents occur, or in advance of major events.
Cabinet member for sustainable development, Councillor Mark Bradshaw, said: "By investing in the new control centre the council will make significant improvements to traffic flows.
"By using the latest technology and the skills of our traffic management experts, delays and congestion will be kept to a minimum.
Bristol Alliance property director, Steve Wehrle, said: "With over 24 million people expected to visit Bristol's city centre during the next 12 months, it is vitally important that Cabot Circus can be easily accessed by shoppers.
"A series of new measures are being introduced with this in mind, including a ferry service from Temple Meads, new Park & Ride routes and an improved cycle network, giving consumers an array of travel options to come and take advantage of the new shops on offer."
The Portway Park & Ride extension will open on September 23 and another Park & Ride will operate from the University of the West of England along the M32 at weekends until Christmas.
First Bus are laying on extra buses between Bristol Temple Meads and the shopping centre and a new ferry service for shoppers will be launched from the train station to Castle Park.
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by eimear, Bristol
Saturday, September 20 2008, 7:30PM
“I can't understand this! A park and ride system? bicycle lane? It's not that difficult. .... Up the Revolution, Get rid of Cars in Bristol...”
by craig, bristol
Tuesday, September 16 2008, 5:58PM
“sorry Alex the congestion charge will only be in effect mon-fri so won't really apply to the busiest shopping hours, it sounds like you would rather nobody visited the city centre and it was just left to become a shabby run down disaster, rather than something that will create loads of jobs and bring money into the region, before this opened i used to drive to the bullring in birmingham. Now i will have to drive less.”
by I.R KITTEH, Bristol
Tuesday, September 16 2008, 4:15PM
“I vote for a Mono rail link round the Torremolinos on Yeo..sorry harbourside development and linking the new broadmead shops and Rovers imaginary new stadium. Also a deathslide from the top of park street to the new harvey nicks. This I hope you agree will solve all our problems.”
by Ian, Bristol
Tuesday, September 16 2008, 4:08PM
“The Bristol Property Alliance said "with over 24million people expected to visit Bristol's city centre over the next 12 months....". Wow,that's about 40% of the population of the UK. This is a popular place!”
by Anon, Bristol
Tuesday, September 16 2008, 3:21PM
“Wonder if these cameras will be able to catch the people who have been shooting air rifles at the panes of glass.....looking great before it even opens!!”