Work is set to begin on one of two schemes going ahead in Bath which are hoped to improve walking and cycling along two routes in the city.
Separated cycle lanes are being created and improvements made for pedestrians along the A4 Upper Bristol Road, with work scheduled later in the summer on the A36 Beckford Road.
Residents and businesses have been written to about the Upper Bristol Road work, which was due to start on Monday 11th July but will now begin on 18th July, which is expected to finish later in the autumn.
Ahead of the main works, replacement parking and loading bays have been installed in nearby areas. This will allow the removal of parking on Upper Bristol Road in order to start reconfiguring the road space.
The Upper Bristol Road scheme will see new cycle lanes installed that are separate from motor traffic, between Midland Road and Charlotte Street. Road crossings will also be prioritised for those on foot.
Additional bus shelters and cycle parking will also be provided, however, concern has been raised that people getting off buses will have to cross cycle lanes to get to the pavement.
The works on Upper Bristol Road include:
- Creating a separated cycle lane on both sides of the road between the junctions with Charlotte Street and Midland Road
- Improvements to the side road junctions to make them easier for pedestrians to cross, these are called continuous footways.
- Remove and replace the pelican crossing near Nile Street with a new wide zebra crossing nearby that can also be used by pedestrians and cyclists
- Reduce the speed limit to 20mph and improve the crossing island near Monmouth Place.
- Two new bus shelters will also be provided at the two stops in this section of road, where there are currently none.
The A36 Beckford Road scheme will include:
- A new eastbound cycle lane separated from motor traffic created along Beckford Road
- Some on-street parking re-provided nearby
- Improvements to road crossings
Councillor Sarah Warren, cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel said: “We are writing to residents and businesses to keep them informed about the work which will reallocate road space, giving more space to cyclists and pedestrians.
“We want to assure people living and working in Upper Bristol Road that every effort will be made to minimise noise and disruption.
“Our intention was to start on July 11 however this has been put back to the July 18 because another scheme which our contractors are working on has been delayed due to a water leak.
“The aim of the scheme, when it is completed, is to encourage more people to cycle or walk and in turn reduce congestion and improve air quality as we develop a larger improved cycle network across Bath and North East Somerset.
“As part of this scheme, we are introducing cycle lanes that pass a bus on the kerb side. This means new types of ‘floating bus stops’ not seen before in Bath. All of us, whether on bikes, walking, using the bus or driving will need to get used to how these work and be mindful of each other.”
The works will be phased generally working from west to east. More detailed information on the phasing and timing of our works can be found here.
More than 500 residents and businesses commented on the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) advertising the proposed changes last December.
In the consultation, 57 per cent of respondents supported or partially supported the Upper Bristol Road scheme with 72 per cent supporting or partially supporting the Beckford Road scheme.
The majority of people who responded in favour of the proposals made reference to the need for safe and convenient infrastructure for cyclists and to create better places for people on foot.
However, the most frequent concerns raised by people objecting to the proposals were related to the loss of on-street parking spaces and questioning the need for the cycle lanes.
Both schemes are being funded by £500,000 from the Government’s Active Travel Fund to enable more people to walk or cycle for local trips.
The council submitted the successful bid to the Department for Transport through the West of England Combined Authority.