From Councillor Mark Wright’s latest Cabot eNews:
“At the same Cabinet meeting as the Cumberland Basin plans, the Mayor’s Clean Air plan was passed. It now fuses the two previous options, of a small-area diesel ban and a wider-area charging zone. It also contains the unexpected detail that Cumberland Road will be closed to eastbound traffic!
“This comes as a total shock and no further details are available yet, including what the purpose of the closure is – as Cumberland Rd is less polluted than the alternate route of Hotwell Rd. Critical details are obviously where the “No Entry” points will be, whether the aim is to substantially increase bus use of the road instead.”
The mere suggestion that Cumberland Road is to be for one way traffic is absolutely absurd. I have lived on Spike Island for over thirty years and in that time the various road routes which have been altered has resulted in having to drive several more miles by a circuitous route than previously eg Prince Street bridge being made one way necessitating driving to Bedminster roundabout which is always congested, no entry into Avon Crescent from Cumberland Road, no entry into Guinea St., no right turn out of Baldwin St etc etc. These changes result in having to drive further than previously to get to the destination required, with more congestion and air pollution. If Cumberland Road is closed to East bound traffic then all the properties along its route and some travelling over Prince St bridge will have to drive to Bedminster roundabout which is already too busy and only usually allows 3-4 vehicles out of Commercial Rd. at a time and there are very long queues at peak times now let alone if it has more traffic. Cumberland Road has sufficient space for buses with 2 way traffic. I hope all affected residents will object.
I totally agree sir. I drive into Bedminster every day (7 days a week) and since Cumberland Road has been closed to incoming traffic I’ve been forced onto Coronation Road, just like everyone else! For the last few days there’s some road works going on (total waste of City funds – “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”) which causes a tail-back the COMPLETE LENGTH of Coronation Road!
My point is that with all these unnecessary road closures where does the Bristol City Council expect people to go to get to their central city destinations.
I could rant on & on but car drivers are certainly getting the rough end of the pineapple!
David Backhurst.
Brentry.
BS10
I live on Spike Island and drive Eastbound to work in Keynsham. Having to drive Westbound would result in an increase in mileage by having to drive around and down Coronation Road and would obviously cause an increase in pollution. With the likely increased traffic and more traffic lights, this will cause a worse stop/start journey than it already is. I already have to drive through approximately 27 sets of lights on my journey to work !
I also live on Spike Island and work on Avonmouth Docks. If there is no option to drive Eastbound along Cumberland Road, the journey home will mean significant extra time spent in gridlocked traffic to come back in via Bedminster roundabout. This will generate a lot of extra pollution. Bedminster roundabout needs a full review anyway. The Cumberland road entry onto it was made worse when they changed a car lane into a bus lane. Especially when there is a pedestrian crossing just around the corner on Redcliffe Hill which seems to change to red when Cumberland Road goes green. Maybe need to re-think the synchronisation? The lights generally through Bristol do not allow for good progress when driving, due to very poor timing. This must significantly increase the pollution levels. Let’s install the very latest Smart technology to improve traffic flows. Also some more filter lanes so that traffic turning left doesn’t get stuck behind traffic going straight ahead or right.