Next steps for multi-million-pound transport schemes
Plans for the next steps to improve major transport routes in the city are set to be considered as part of the proposed multi-million pound investment in Bristol’s highways.
When Bristol City Council’s Transport and Connectivity Committee meet on Thursday 20 March, they will consider a series of reports that set out the next steps for key phases of transport projects in the city, including the A37/A4018 number two bus route improvement project and the Bristol city centre transport corridor project.
The reports include proposals for:
- College Green, Park Street, the Triangle and Queens Road
- Temple Way
- Bedminster Bridges
They are part of transformational projects for Bristol that seek to increase the proportion of trips made by bus, walking, wheeling and cycling by improving bus journey times and making active travel safer and easier. They are being funded by the UK government through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement secured by West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
The proposals for College Green, Park Street, the Triangle and Queens Road are included in the central phase of the number two bus route improvement project, which is part of the A37 and A4018 Stockwood to Henbury transport corridor.
Committee members will be asked to approve plans to submit a full business case to the Mayoral Combined Authority that seeks £15.4 million to build this significant part of the number 2 bus route scheme.
Find out more about plans for the number 2 bus route.
Committee members will also consider proposals to submit a full business case for Temple Way to the Mayoral Combined Authority that seeks £2.1 million of the £4.1 million needed to build the scheme, which includes a segregated cycleway, bus lanes and other improvements along Temple Way. The rest of the project will be funded by section 106 agreements secured by the council from nearby developments.
Temple Way is one of the five areas that make up the Bristol City Centre Transport Changes project, which also includes the Broadmead area, Redcliffe Roundabout, Bond Street, and Bedminster Bridges.
Following the summer public consultation, the council published the engagement report which showed 63 per cent of people who completed the survey agreed with the proposals for Temple Way.
The Transport and Connectivity Committee will also consider a report to submit an outline business case to the Mayoral Combined Authority to develop plans for Bedminster Bridges and seek the £14.1 million to build the scheme.
This project includes a series of changes to Bedminster Bridges Roundabout, including Bedminster Parade and Redcliffe Hill.
Proposals include removing the roundabout and making each bridge two-way, with one for buses only and one for general traffic. They also include building segregated bus and cycle lanes, providing better pedestrian crossings, and using high quality materials to reinforce the important gateway from Bedminster, Southville, and all south Bristol to the city centre.
These proposals were also consulted on last summer as part of the City Centre Transport Changes project, with 54 per cent of respondents agreeing with the proposals for Bedminster Bridges. Since then, the council has updated the designs to address concerns raised during the consultation, for example Guinea Street will remain two-way due to concerns raised by the public about proposals to make it one-way.
Find out more about the Bristol City Transport Changes project.
With congestion impacting our economy, environment and health, we need to improve public transport and create more people-friendly spaces.
Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee,
By enhancing our transport corridors, we can speed up bus journeys and make walking, wheeling, and cycling safer and more pleasant.
We are focusing on key bus routes, such as along the A37, A4018, the A4 Portway, and through the city centre, to provide a quick and reliable service.
Our aim is to prioritise buses, make active travel safer, and create new public spaces to support the local economy.
It is vital that our plans include local communities, businesses, and regional authorities to build a well-connected city with cleaner air and sustainable transport options.
At the same meeting committee members will be asked to approve the proposed budget for highways maintenance of up to £21.466 million.
Over the next two years, this will be spent to replace bus shelters, manage flood risks, repair and resurface roads and pavements, inspect and repair structural assets, improve drainage systems, replace lampposts, upgrade traffic signals and more.
Councillor Plowden added: “This funding is vital if we are to keep the city’s highways and structures, such as our harbourside bridges, in good working order. By investing in these critical areas, we aim to maintain and enhance the infrastructure that supports our city’s connectivity and local economy.”
The £21.466 million is made up of £17.544 million from the maintenance and integrated transport block funding allocation from the UK government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement secured by West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Settlement, along with £2.362 million from the Pothole Action Fund, and £1 million of council funding, and £560,000 Transforming Cities Fund.
