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Cllr Fabian Breckels

fabian.breckels@bristol.gov.uk BS5 9EU


Jul 13, 07 - 8:08 PM
Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

I received the following email from Neil Terry, one of the officers involved in the Showcase Bus Route at Bristol City Council, after I was asked to raise the risk of Troopers Hill Road becoming a rat run once the Showcase Bus Route opens.

"Councillor Breckels,

"I do understand why some local residents have concerns regarding the Showcase bus route proposals, in particular the possible redistribution of through traffic onto adjacent roads.

"It is, however, very unlikely that the bus priority measures will encourage significantly more traffic to use other routes such as Troopers Hill Road. The measures do not reduce overall capacity along the route, and in some instances may actually improve general traffic flow. As you may be aware, all the traffic signal junctions and signal controlled pedestrian crossings will now be linked and controlled centrally (via our SCOOT room in Wilder House), so progression along the route should be more consistent. Upgrading the traffic signals will also improve their efficiency, particularly in relation to pedestrian crossing movements at the busier junctions.

"The bus gate arrangement on Summerhill Road (at the junction with The Avenue) will create a short queue of traffic where one does not currently exist, but this only acts to 'relocate' the existing queue from The Fountain traffic signal junction (buses will be able to pass inside this queue using the morning peak-period bus lane). The purpose of this is to enable buses to get to The Fountain traffic signals more consistently, thus providing the desired improvements to morning peak-period bus journey times and reliability.

"I trust that the above answers your enquiry, but please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

"Regards,

Neil"

I've replied

"Neil,

"Thanks for this. At the Friends of Troopers Hill meeting last night I was told that there is already a problem with Crews Hole Road with issues of traffic calming being first raised about twenty years ago. Speed here and in Troopers Hill Road is already horrendous. There are no safe places for pedestrian crossings to and from Trooper Hill and there is no path down that side of the road.

"I've been asked what can be done about traffic calming, and curb build outs by entrances to Troopers Hill and a mini roundabout at the junction of Troopers Hill & Crews Hole Road.

"It was also pointed out that last year's traffic survey was done in August, when traffic was low because the schools were out - could we have one in September.

"Finally, can we have some traffic wardens in the area as there were compaints about some of the parking at the top of Troopers Hill Road.

"Regards

Fabian"

Hopefully that covers all the points raised on Thursday.
Liz

BS5


Jul 13th, 2007 - 10:11 PM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

Thanks for that. I wasn't in the meeting but am a user of the bus route. I know it's not finished yet but there were immediate improvements in bus times. These have gradually got less as cars return now the main work is done. I have reservations about using the bus as a "plug" to stop the traffic behind it as passengers get on in order to have a clear run to the next stop but for now the bus is consistently getting me to town in less than the 50 minutes it takes to walk, which wasn't the case this time last year.

I didn't know about a bus gate at the top of the Avenue. This is pretty worrying as those of us living off the Avenue already have a hard time if we need to turn right at the top during the rush hour (towards Hanham).

I don't know if it's going to be hard for us to get out onto the main road without driving all the way down Beaufort Road and back up Church Road from the Fire Engine, I certainly hope not. A traffic light that let us out as well as giving the bus precedence would work the best. Perhaps you could tell us more about this bus gate. I'm assuming it's like the one on Redcliff Way.
Roger

on the hill


Jul 13th, 2007 - 10:39 PM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

Correctly thought out and when (not if) congestion charging comes to Bristol, I can see an ideal solution.

Make buses go up and down Air Balloon Rd/Summerhill Road/Church road, possibly 'heavy traffic too.

That means that cars and 'light' traffic can head off down The Avenue/Beaufort road/pile marsh / Avonvale road on to jarvis street /barton hill road/days road then joining Barrow road before approaching Lawrence hill roundybout.

Cars and 'light' traffic cannot turn left, but must go on to Easton way before joining Newfoundland way for the City or elsewhere.

Now if you want more bus users, stop the drivers smoking on the buses, put the bus heating ON in the winter and turn it OFF in the Summer.

In fact get them all to have air con, its not rocket science is it?

On the wish list.... force passengers to, at least, shower before travelling, passengers who have smoked in the last hour have a segregated section (along with those who have not recently showered)

Maybe a return to the Driver / Conductor system would be in order?

I echo Liz in saying that since the total chaos caused by the 'construction' work (does it REALLY) take 6 months to build a glorified bus stop on old market?) that traffic has been lighter and journey times shorter, no real idea where the traffic has gone, the buses are generally running at 90%+ capacity.

Hence if the bus frequency is not increased, the whole project is doomed, will there be increased frequency?
Liz

BS5


Jul 15th, 2007 - 12:53 AM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

I moved here 10 years ago from a north European city of about the same size. In that city it was possible (normal, I mean) to hop on a tram on one side of the city and hop off the other side 30 minutes later. While they had not managed to segregate the recently-smoked, urban poverty was virtually unknown and my fellow passengers smelt a whole lot better. They had also long-since won the battle of hearts and minds re: public transport and bikes/walking that we haven't even started here.

I was quite startled moving here & travelling to work on ancient and filthy buses. And still no gas buses 10 years later. I really hope with all the reconstruction going on that Bristolians begin to realise what life is like outside their "village" and start to demand levels of service other cities take for granted.
Ian



Jul 15th, 2007 - 10:12 PM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

The whole show case bus route is ill conceived and planned. Recently pulling out of Beaconsfield road I was amused to see that two bus buses had brought traffic to a standstill because the bus heading towards town had not pulled over enough to allow a bus coming up from town to pass. The bus had to wait I assume (I was long gone by then) until the bus heading down had collected the passengers and moved off pulling in as it did so.

The whole plan has excluded cyclists that have no safe route in what is a much narrower road and are pused out at those ridiculous bus stops. Not only that the high kerbs give them no escape from any large vehicle that gives them no room! I await the first fatality caused by a bus crushing a cyclist - I hope I am wrong but I have witnessed near misses already.

Blocking/plugging traffic will do no nothing more than to further enrage drivers already frustrated by 12mph buses and despite narrowing of the road will still take a chance on passing the bus at the first opportunity. The transport system should be integrated and modernised before such ridiculous measures are taken - As far as I am aware no one along the route wanted the measures that are being taken (where is the democracy?). I am also aware of Bristol's total lack of the best practice advice that is given by the Highways Authority particularly on it's traffic management at roundabouts.

You are right in assuming that all traffic will go via Crewes Hole Road and Troopers Hill Road and then along the Netham as far as it can possibly through Barton Hill and onwards. I guess there will be counter measures that will eventually prevent this to the detriment of all traffic flow leading to a strangle hold on Bristol and eventually forcing businesses out.

The proposed road charging will make no diffence only to push out businesses - the millions spent on Broadmead may well be never recouped as people will go further out to places where this isn't the case.
Roger



Sep 1st, 2007 - 10:16 PM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

From 2/9/07 the X67 service is scrapped with no extra journeys added to the 43/44/45 route.

42 new busses have been ordered for the new 'showcase' route and delivery will take place from the end of September phased over 3-4 weeks.
Liz

BS5


Sep 2nd, 2007 - 6:32 PM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

Brand new buses? I bet they're old ones from somewhere like Manchester!

Anyways, the service has improved so much I've gone out and bought a monthly season ticket.
I don't like the "look and feel" of the pavements etc and wonder how many other people experience the knobbly dropped kerbs as a trip hazard. And the streetlights in Old Market .. well words fail me. Surely that's a conservation area! But at least the buses are useable now.
Ian



Sep 4th, 2007 - 8:29 AM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

As a less experienced cyclist I avoid the Church road area - there is no escape route for a cyclist - kerbs are high and the road narrowed in places by having bus stops in the road instead of the bays that they replaced! I’ll stick to the tow path and Feeder Road. I guess it will only be a matter of time before the Council turns its attention to the road and carries out similar works – god forbid!

I agree the knobbly paving is a danger my wife and I slipped on similar paving in Bath a while back. They are particularly bad when it’s icy.

There is no way I'll ever take a bus, I'd sooner cycle or walk into to town, other times for longer journeys I'll take the car.

You are correct West Street is or was a protected area but I guess the council are trying to please the bus company who hold them to ransom. Interestingly the bus stops in the middle of West Street are not yet usable by the buses and may never be as they the drivers haven't been trained to use them and the pull in may not be large enough for the buses!! Just wait until the buses go against the flow of traffic in West Street to Lawrence Hill Roundabout!!

I think the concerns of residents that haven’t been addressed anywhere is where will people living on the bus route park their cars? It will be the already congested side roads that are in turn being looked at in an attempt to reduce parking still further. Luckily I’m not affected but there will be a great many people who will be.
Liz



Sep 4th, 2007 - 4:01 PM
Re: Impact of Showcase Bus Route on Two Mile Hill Road

I spoke too soon I think. One service was withdrawn as of yesterday and today I travelled in sitting on the stairs. But fuller buses will make it look as if there are more passengers!

As I was stuck on the stairs there wasn't much I could do but some lovely people standing on the lower deck were extremely helpful to an elderly and frail man who was having trouble standing. They helped him get to a seat when one was offered. When he came to get off the kind driver kept the doors shut until he got to them to avoid him having to battle through passengers getting on! It's nice to see that kind of thing these days, doncha think.


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