In May 2020 the Department for Transport launched the Active Travel Fund to enable more journeys to be made on foot and by bicycle. This initially supported temporary highway schemes to aid social distancing in response to the Covid-19 pandemic but a next phase of funding (tranche 2) was then launched for permanent schemes, focusing on reallocating road space to promote active travel.
One of the schemes proposed incorporates lightly segregated cycle lanes along both sides of the A4 Upper Bristol Road, between its junctions with Midland Road and Charlotte Street, and reducing the existing 30mph speed limit to 20mph. Due to the impact on the existing road layout, particularly changes to on-street parking, a local consultation was carried out between 26 February and 21 March 2021 to which a majority of respondents were in favour of the scheme.
On 23 July 2021 Cabinet agreed that the Upper Bristol Road scheme should proceed to the TRO consultation stage.
In view of the comments received, the proposals were slightly modified and included some areas of on-street parking bays with cycle lanes running alongside them, separated by a ‘buffer’ area.
The proposed Traffic Regulation Orders for the parking and loading restrictions, cycle lanes, 20mph speed limit, the notices for the road humps at side road entrances (part of the continuous footway designs), and the notice for the change to the pedestrian crossing, was advertised on 2 December 2021.
PROPOSALS
21-015 (Road humps)
21-015A (Parking and loading restrictions)
21-015B (Mandatory cycle lanes)
21-015C (Pedestrian crossing)
21-015D (20mph speed limit)
The above are necessary in order to provide segregated cycle infrastructure on Upper Bristol Road, to promote an alternative mode of transport to motor vehicles for road users, to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists in the area, and to enhance the local environment. The new proposals will restrict on-street parking in the area. However, these restrictions are necessary for the safety of all road users.
Road humps
It is proposed that ‘continuous footways’ (also known as ‘blended crossings’) which raise the level of side road carriageways to the height of adjacent footways where they meet the major road, are provided at the Upper Bristol Road junctions with Nile Street, Victoria Bridge Road, Onega Terrace and the western access road leading to the service road behind Crescent Gardens. The purpose of these is to slow vehicles approaching when entering and exiting side roads and to give pedestrians priority when crossing.
Marlborough Lane junction
The proposals include reducing the width of the carriageway by widening the adjacent footways in order to make it easier for pedestrians to cross.
Parking and loading restrictions
In Upper Bristol Road the proposals are to remove all existing parking bays and replace them with double yellow lines in order that cycle lanes with light segregation in both directions can be provided. Existing single yellow lines would also be replaced with double yellow lines. A total of 10 parking spaces and one loading bay has been included within the proposals and these are located where there is sufficient road width to do so. Parking in these bays would be restricted to 30 minutes to enable a regular turn-around of use. A 30 minute time limit would apply between 8am and 6pm on eight of the 10 parking spaces. Two bays on the north side of the road near the junction with Nile Street would be subject to the 30 minute restriction up to 11pm in order to cater for people going to the takeaway opposite. If this facility were not provided it is possible that vehicles in the evening could park in an obstructive manner elsewhere, possibly on part of the cycle lane.
A prohibition of loading restriction is proposed to operate between 8am and 9am and 4.30pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday, in order to help keep motor traffic moving at the busiest times.
Changes to parking restrictions in a number of other roads leading off from Upper Bristol Road are also proposed, increasing the amount of parking spaces in these roads, particularly for permit holders, in order to mitigate for the parking that would need to be removed to accommodate the cycle lanes in Upper Bristol Road. This includes additional Zone 6 permit parking bays in Marlborough Road, Royal Avenue, Nile Street, Midland Road, James Street West, New King Street, Great Stanhope Street, Norfolk Crescent and Nelson Place West, new dual use three hour parking / Zone 12 parking bays in Park Lane, and converting dual use Zone 6/pay & display bays in Marlborough Lane to Zone 6 permit holders only.
Mandatory cycle lanes
These are proposed either side of Upper Bristol Road between Midland Road and Charlotte Street in order to provide dedicated space for cyclists which motor vehicles must not enter, other than to cross into or from a private access /driveway/car park or a side road.
Pedestrian crossing
It is proposed that the existing Pelican crossing in Upper Bristol Road to the west of the junction with Nile Street is moved to the east of the same junction and converted to a Parallel Zebra crossing. This provides a crossing that cyclists can use without having to dismount, replaces the existing crossing which has reached the end of its serviceable life and enables parking to be provided where the existing crossing is located.
20mph speed limit
This speed limit is proposed on Upper Bristol Road between its junctions with Charlotte Street (already covered by a 20mph limit) and St Michael’s Road. The purpose is to bring about lower speeds of motor traffic and create an improved and safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
Please see the final decision documents and sealed Orders which can be found attached to this page on the right hand side under Documents.
