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Work to restore Bristol bike path finally underway after 2 years of delaysClarence Road Bristol

Work to restore Bristol bike path finally underway after 2 years of delays

Work has begun to replace concrete bollards with raised kerbs after vehicle damage
by Sarah Barth
Sat, Nov 28, 2015 09:25
12

A long-delayed Dutch-style cycle lane in Bristol is being revised after vehicles damaged the concrete bollards that were installed to keep cyclists safe.

The bollards will now be replaced with a strip of raised kerb for the 700m path instead - meaning that the lane, which cost £380,000 and was supposed to be finished in summer 2014, is even later delayed.

The Toby bollards, used on the new "Dutch-style" Clarence Road bike lane alongside the River Avon in Bristol, are commonly seen in Europe, but appear not to be strong enough to withstand life on a busy British A road.

Bristol bike lane bollards: "If they're stopping cars they're doing their job" 

Bristol bike lane bollards to be replaced within weeks

Although the bollards were only installed in October, work to replace them with more expensive but sturdier kerbs has been defended by campaigners who say councils have a duty to trial cheaper options that haven't yet been used in the UK.

The first delays were caused by the partial collapse of the New Cut wall. Now the project should be finished next month.
Peter Mann, director for transport, told Bristol 247:“Work is underway to replace them with robust kerbs and this being carried out within the original project budget, with completion due mid-December.

“Bristol has a history of innovation in cycling provision, for example it was the first city to bring in advance stop lines for cyclists at traffic light junctions.

“As a result we have one of the highest cycle rates for any major UK city and it is important for us to continue that commitment to reduce congestion and pollution

“We will therefore continue to investigate and invest in innovative ways to make cycling safer and more attractive in Bristol as part of our £4m cycling investment.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused in providing this facility, which when completed will provide all road users with a safe and pleasant environment.”

A recent survey by Sustrans found 89 per cent of people who do not cycle supported an increase in protected bike lanes, with 83 per cent of occasional riders and 86 per cent of regular riders also in support. Around two thirds of those living in Bristol (68 per cent) think the city would be better if people in general cycled more.

In 2013 Bristol was awarded funds from the Government's Cycle City Ambition Fund, as well as cycle funding from a number of other schemes. Mann says the council will continue to trial new cycling measures as part of their £4m cycling investment.

“It is important for us to continue that commitment to reduce congestion and pollution," he said.

Additional delays to completion of the Clarence Road route were caused by replacement of a water main by Bristol Water.

Bristol
Clarence Road
bike lane
infrastructure
George Ferguson

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12 comments

Avatar
felixcat | 8 years ago
0 likes

They should cover the bollards with HiViz.

Judging by the damage drivers do to all sorts of street furniture perhaps all road signs, telphone poles, keep left posts, bus stops, roadside fences need to be HiViz too.

Avatar
balmybaldwin | 8 years ago
0 likes

How on earth did he manage that? I think more than a sight test is required

Avatar
Redvee replied to balmybaldwin | 8 years ago
0 likes

balmybaldwin wrote:

How on earth did he manage that? I think more than a sight test is required

 

Streetview from a little further back

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4456867,-2.5900207,3a,75y,121.35h,71.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sf_YuOpRPysa8V4mJZfDtnA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

 

Possibly coming out of the side turning, or just being a typical Audi driver.

Avatar
brooksby replied to balmybaldwin | 8 years ago
1 like

balmybaldwin wrote:

How on earth did he manage that? I think more than a sight test is required

So, s large SUV gets grounded on a bollard because the driver was an idiot (but wasn't able to get into the cycle lane), so we'll replace the bollards with a kerb that any old motor vehicle can drive up and over with no damage caused... Well, that makes sense now. 

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to brooksby | 8 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

balmybaldwin wrote:

How on earth did he manage that? I think more than a sight test is required

So, s large SUV gets grounded on a bollard because the driver was an idiot (but wasn't able to get into the cycle lane), so we'll replace the bollards with a kerb that any old motor vehicle can drive up and over with no damage caused... Well, that makes sense now. 

 

No, but at least a career with the tabloid press awaits you should you wish.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to brooksby | 8 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

balmybaldwin wrote:

How on earth did he manage that? I think more than a sight test is required

So, s large SUV gets grounded on a bollard because the driver was an idiot (but wasn't able to get into the cycle lane), so we'll replace the bollards with a kerb that any old motor vehicle can drive up and over with no damage caused... Well, that makes sense now. 

 

No, but at least a career with the tabloid press awaits you should you wish.

Avatar
brooksby replied to fukawitribe | 8 years ago
0 likes

fukawitribe wrote:

No, but at least a career with the tabloid press awaits you should you wish.

Oh darn it! I just knew I should have used the <sarcasm> tag to make my meaning clear ... 

Avatar
stealfwayne | 8 years ago
0 likes

Always stories about the South West. When is London Town going to get a mention or a share of the squillions of pounds of cycle funding for the matter?

 

fires now lit.. wait for the fun to begin

Avatar
Housecathst | 8 years ago
2 likes

It had to be an Audi driver didn't. 

Avatar
Gus T | 8 years ago
10 likes

So, as I read it, a car driver tries to misuse a cycle lane & parks their car on a bollard and the money to prevent this happening again comes out of the cycling budget. Surely efforts to protect car drivers should come out of the general roads budget not a ring fenced cycling budget. Personally I'd have had the idiot in the car sight tested to see if their vision was up to the required standard.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Gus T | 8 years ago
4 likes

Gus T wrote:

So, as I read it, a car driver tries to misuse a cycle lane & parks their car on a bollard and the money to prevent this happening again comes out of the cycling budget. Surely efforts to protect car drivers should come out of the general roads budget not a ring fenced cycling budget. Personally I'd have had the idiot in the car sight tested to see if their vision was up to the required standard.

I agree. In fact, I think we should go further and scrap the cycling budget and instead use general road maintenance/building budgets to include cycle specific improvements. After all, each person on a bike is usually one less person in a car and thus reducing traffic congestion.

Avatar
brooksby replied to hawkinspeter | 8 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Gus T wrote:

So, as I read it, a car driver tries to misuse a cycle lane & parks their car on a bollard and the money to prevent this happening again comes out of the cycling budget. Surely efforts to protect car drivers should come out of the general roads budget not a ring fenced cycling budget. Personally I'd have had the idiot in the car sight tested to see if their vision was up to the required standard.

I agree. In fact, I think we should go further and scrap the cycling budget and instead use general road maintenance/building budgets to include cycle specific improvements. After all, each person on a bike is usually one less person in a car and thus reducing traffic congestion.

If there wasn't a ring-fenced cycling budget then no money would get spent on cycling.

I don't for a minute believe that cycling would get factored into general road projects if there wasn't a dedicated pot of money to pay for it.

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