[Closed] Bristol BRT2 route - Ashton Avenue Bridge

Apples and oranges - that's a really popular commuter route, Ashton Avenue seems to be more leisure users. Not that either of us have stood next to it and counted the user numbers, mind.

In other words, Ashton Avenue is much less busy than other routes. Which is what I said.

Yes, if it means more noise, more fumes, more user conflict (due to a narrowed carriageway), run-ins with service vehicles and a more convoluted journey.

Not wanting to sound aggro, but your comments on here and the recent Sustrans path thread indicate that you haven't got the foggiest idea why people choose to use traffic-free cycle paths.

We're getting a bit hung up on the Chocolate Path and Ashton Avenue but this will certainly affect major commuter routes like Prince Street and Bristol Bridge too.

In other words, Ashton Avenue is much less busy than other routes

So what? Placing pedestrians and cyclists (and pushchairs and dogs... drop by there on a sunny weekend) in close proximity to buses still represents a clear loss in terms of safety - not to mention tranquility, emotive as that quality is. Any [b]genuinely[/b] innovative transport plan would involve existing road infrastructure and reform of Brizzle's pish-poor bus provision - this ain't it.

I hope so - Prince st is a complete dog's breakfast

Then I suggest you have a good look at the BRT plans. The current dog's breakfast is unlikely to be improved by a large number of buses being routed over the Prince St bridge - it's going to be one hazardous intersection, that's for sure.

Has anyone officially looked at the fabric of the Ashton swing bridge? Because last time I looked at it there were rust holes in the structure that you could put your arm through! (arm sizes can go up and down, also it was a while back so it may have been sorted by now) It may have been built to a weight carrying spec many times your modern bus but I suspect the H&SE may ask for more than that and a coat of paint when you've got holes in the structures joints.
It wouldn't surprise me if it would be cheaper to stick a new bridge up next to it than effectively do a ground up restoration of a riveted construction 100 year old bridge. At which point you might as well put it in a more convenient place than be tied to that crossing point with all the political hassle that that is causing.
But then it wouldn't be a Bristol council idea if anyone was left happy at the end of the process! 😉

Has anyone officially looked at the fabric of the Ashton swing bridge?

As rusty as an unloved Raleigh Activator that's been left out in the rain. Also a listed structure, iirc.

Did anybody say "cost overrun"? 😕

I knew i was surrounded by singletrackers in Southville! Agreed on the OP, I use this every day, it will change the nice ride i have with my boy to the nursery before my Ashton Court - into town commute. Unfortunately i can see this happening, seems like the football will get their ground at some point and they've been busting to use these old tracks.

Only good thing i'd get out of it is a parking space on home games!!! Not worth it though. 🙂

Anyone still wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt should come along on Monday and talk to the members of Bristol Cycling Campaign who've just spent a week at the planning enquiry asking questions about the scheme and getting some highly unsatisfactory responses. It's being pushed through by people who don't give a rat's ass about cycling, or the majority of Bristol commuters.

Maybe the millions could be spent on painting some cartoons of buses on the road, rather like they've done with the cycle city cash?

Don't be silly, they'd rather put the cash in their own back pockets.

Is the campaign against BRT2 based only on the impact on cycling?

Seems a great shame to send buses along the harbourside when it's such a popular area to stroll around and enjoy the city. Especially with all the effort that's gone into improving the area and the excellent M Shed.

Just thinking that if the impact of this scheme is publicised to non-cyclists it could boost the campaign to stop it.

Quick bump.

Meeting is tonight - 7:30pm, at the Hen & Chicken (North Street).

Ah, noteeth beat me to it.

Is the campaign against BRT2 based only on the impact on cycling?

No. Have a read of their website, they've pretty much covered everything, including the impact on the Harbourside. There are also some suggestions for alternative schemes that the cash could be spent on.

Interesting meeting last night. I went in expecting to see a bunch of familiar faces from local cycling groups, but it was a much broader mix of local residents and transport campaigners. In fact I think me and Noteeth were the only people there on account of cycling.

I hadn't appreciated what a half-baked scheme this whole thing is. It needs to be delivered by 2015, and they haven't even got the basics in place - no vehicles have been chosen, no operators appointed and there are loads of unanswered questions about the route. There is some really shoddy thinking going on with the predicted journey times.

It seems like Prince Street Bridge is going to end up being used all three BRT schemes if this goes ahead, which will make the current confusing setup seem like a gambol in a meadow by comparison. When it swings the buses will just have to queue up.

On Ashton Avenue Bridge, cyclists and pedestrians are apparently going to be herded onto a bolt-on gantry on the side of the bridge to keep them out of the way of the two-lane bus traffic. The brand new Festival Way cycle track (a nice quiet way to the trails) is going to become bus lane.

If the budget overruns it's highly likely to screw over the proposed metro rail network too.

It seems like a lot is going to hinge on the mayoral elections (a bit frustrating given that I'm a South Gloucs resident). [url= http://www.tfgb.org.uk/ ]Transport for Greater Bristol[/url] are organising a hustings, so are [url= http://www.lifecycleuk.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=498 ]Lifecycle UK[/url]. If enough people go along to these and ask awkward questions then they may just get the message...

I was there, sat opposite you behind a pint of cider.

Likewise, I hadn't fully appreciated how awesomely bad an idea this is. What got me was the disparity between the speeds it's claimed the buses will travel at and the number of 90 degree bends they'll have to negotiate at somewhat less than warp speed. And yes, the bridge swings have been totally ignored by the planners.

At risk of agreeing with Mr Agreeable, this really does need Bristol locals contacting councellors / MPs / etc to say they don't want cowboys shitting a dodgy bus lane through historic Bristol under false pretences. Most of the people at the meeting seemed to live on the proposed route - which might lead to them being discredited as NIMBYs. I suspect if a greater number of people from around the city, many of whom don't know what BRT stands for, realised that there are plans to run buses through the harbourside there would be more public debate.

Harbours are for boats, not buses.

Good to put a face to a name. 😉

As wordnumb says, we definitely need to get this onto MPs', Local Enterprise Partnerships' and mayoral candidates' radars. I'm fairly sure many of them would not be supporting it if they had the warts and all briefing, instead of just the sales pitch.

http://www.writetothem.com/
http://www.westofenglandlep.co.uk/transport-and-infrastructure/transport-investment

Also very interested to discover the existence of Transport for Greater Bristol. I agree with pretty much every single one of their proposals for improving transport. http://www.tfgb.org.uk/manifesto.htm

I was there

I did wonder if other STWers were lurking... 🙂

I hadn't appreciated what a half-baked scheme this whole thing is.

Aye, utterly daft... supported only by a council desperate to spend allocated funding and consultants who sense a payday - & waved thru by politicos who seem to have no grasp of what they are agreeing to.

Quick update, following the mayoral hustings last night.

I know prospective candidates are inclined to be populist, but a fair number of 'em are against the scheme - not least because £50 million seems rather a lot of money to spend on re-routing some buses.

[url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Doubts-cast-bendy-bus-plan-mayoral-hopefuls/story-16880241-detail/story.html ]Doubts cast on bendy bus plan by mayoral hopefuls[/url]

Next public meeting at the Hen & Chicken slated for 7.30 pm, Mon 15th October.

The candidates were asked from the floor whether they supported the route, known as BRT2.

Mr Murphy had responded by saying: "Yes, without reservations."

But afterwards he said that he was against the bendy bus system and therefore should have said "No".

FFS - never mind what he thinks of BRT2, does he understand the basic concepts of I-ask-you-a-question-and-you-tell-me-the-answer?!?!

@noteeth - who was the BRT2-sceptic then, as in 'I do not, cannot and will not support this shower of sh!te'? Be good to start marking some cards for voting time 😉

who was the BRT2-sceptic

George Ferguson (Independent) and Daniella Radice (Green) are point-blank opposed. There's varying degrees of opposition among the others, as far as I'm aware.

I suspect the real issue will be to get the Gov money spent on other stuff - so long as it is earmarked for BRT schemes, BCC will be desperate to spend it (the jobs! the infrastructure!).

Good stuff - thanks

I suspect the real issue will be to get the Gov money spent on other stuff - so long as it is earmarked for BRT schemes, BCC will be desperate to spend it (the jobs! the infrastructure!).

As well intentioned as BCC might be in that respect, '...the road to hell is paved with good intentions...' 😉

'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'

What tyres for...?

If BRT2 goes ahead, the road to hell will certainly include Prince Street Bridge.

Good work all who were there. From the news report and one of the anti- campaign's twitter feed, it sounds like the scheme is rapidly being backed away from by most of the candidates.

They'd be much better off spending the funding on preliminary work for metro rail IMO, it just depends what the conditions are.

Good to hear chaps, good to hear. I'd be very sad if this went forward and would likely mean I would look to change where I live (i.e. out of Bristol) as the commute by bike is one of key draws for me.

Make it dangerous, and I'm less likely to want to risk life and limb to work in a busy city.

It seems like Prince Street Bridge is going to end up being used all three BRT schemes if this goes ahead, which will make the current confusing setup seem like a gambol in a meadow by comparison. When it swings the buses will just have to queue up.

On Ashton Avenue Bridge, cyclists and pedestrians are apparently going to be herded onto a bolt-on gantry on the side of the bridge to keep them out of the way of the two-lane bus traffic. The brand new Festival Way cycle track (a nice quiet way to the trails) is going to become bus lane.

Ok, you've convinced me. I might've swallowed it for the greater good, but that BRT is predicted to take a miniscule share of commuter traffic

Ransos and anyone else convinced by what Agreeable and No Teeth are saying - please write to your local councillors / MPs, or just to Bristol Council if you live out of the area. There are example letters to cut and paste from on the [url= http://stopbrt2.org.uk/get-involved ]Stop BRT website[/url].

Ta.

Ransos and anyone else convinced by what Agreeable and No Teeth are saying - please write to your local councillors / MPs, or just to Bristol Council if you live out of the area. There are example letters to cut and paste from on the Stop BRT website.

I can't do that for reasons I won't go into here.

I did talk to the Sustrans chuggers by Ashton Ave last night. They didn't seem all that well informed about the plans, and told me that Sustrans' official position was neutral. I wonder if they'll change their stance once they become fully aware of the proposal details?

I take it you work for the Council or one of the other people involved in the project then Ransos?

I'm a bit disappointed that Sustrans aren't kicking up more of a fuss. John Grimshaw their founder has been one of its most outspoken critics, and I think him and Sustrans now have something of an awkward relationship, so perhaps that's why they're keeping schtum.

Regardless of opinions to the contrary, Bristol City Council are still gunning for the scheme:

[url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/New-rail-station-Bristol-transport-upgrade/story-16994633-detail/story.html ]At the same meeting the Cabinet will be asked to agree that £4.65 million be put forward out of the total £10 million allocated to the Bus Rapid Transit scheme from the Invest in Bristol package.

The money is needed to cover the costs of developing Bristol's three routes over the next 12 months. Funding will be needed to help pay towards planning and licence applications.[/url]

I sense a deepening money pit...

Apologies for the bumpity-bump... but there's a [url= https://www.bristol.gov.uk/committee/2012/ua/agenda/1004_1800_ua000.html ]council meeting[/url] at 6 pm, thurs 4th October (Council House, College Green) - the agenda includes discussion (& presumably ratification) of the BRT funding allocation.

If anybody feels strongly about it, the StopBRT group & various others are planning to meet up at 5.30 pm to make a statement & demonstrate their opposition.

Email received below, thought I'd paste here for those interested. I plan to be there tomorrow...

"If you can please come for half an hour tomorrow to show your opposition to more spending on BRT2. We will be gathering
for a photo-opportunity outside the Council House at 5.30pm -prior to the Cabinet meeting at 6pm. We are aware of four statements
including three of ours (business case, Harbour and conservation and cycling and walking) and Bristol Cycling Campaign's opposing more BRT2 funding which will be read out at the start of the meeting.

The Post has already covered it in today's issue.
£20 million – just for bendybus paperwork
> [url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/pound-20-million-ndash-just-bendybus-paperwork/story-17024588-detail/story.html ]http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/pound-20-million-ndash-just-bendybus-paperwork/story-17024588-detail/story.html[/url]"

Bump.

Happening later today - in case anybody happens to be passing by.

Only 20-25 this evening, poor show but well done to those who turned up.

Unfortunately for its readers, my handsome face is obscured in the [i]Post's[/i] photo (print edition).

[url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Protesters-attack-pound-4-5m-spend-bendybus-plan/story-17039467-detail/story.html ]Protesters attack £4.5m spend on bendybus plan[/url]

BCC seem desperate to force the issue... prior to the mayoral election (or even the results of the public enquiry! 😕 ).

Bump up the jam, as Technotronic might say.

[url= http://stopbrt2.org.uk/news ]Next StopBRT2 meeting is 7.30pm Monday 15th October at the Hen and Chicken, North Street, Bedminster.[/url]

Are you the bloke peeing against the wall?

Are you the bloke peeing against the wall?

ha ha, no - a different photograph was used in the actual paper.

Meeting is tonight.

The council proposal has been "called in". This means that the proposal will now be reviewed after the mayoral election, which is significant, given the opposition of some of the leading candidates.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-19872109

Did a lunchtime of pounding the streets and trying to get local shops and other businesses to put up posters lately, and it was fairly astonishing how few have been informed of the proposals, or have any idea what they could mean for the Harbourside area. The Council are flying this one under the radar for sure.

Of all the businesses, only the Princes Pantry had any enthusiasm for Prince Street being turned into a transport depot, presumably visualising hordes of fatties waddling off their buses to gorge themselves on a Myocardial Infarction.

to gorge themselves on a Myocardial Infarction.

Mmmm, bacon.

it was fairly astonishing how few have been informed of the proposals

This is key, imo - makes you wonder what will happen if/when they start building the damn thing.

I rode this bridge for the first time yesterday .I live on the Mendips and rode to town via Long Ashton and Aston Court .I rarely ride into town but found this a pleasant quiet route in .There were 2 guys from Sustrans canvassing support on the North side of the river yesterday lunchtime

a pleasant quiet route in

I hope it remains that way!

I don't know whether they actually do a sandwich called a Myocardial Infarction, but they should do, it sounds ace if you say it with a Bristol accent.

This thread is making me hungry - and not just for a change in transport policy.

They do do something called a "Heart Attack" or something similar - I have a feeling it involves avocado and bacon.

I don't know whether they actually do a sandwich called a Myocardial Infarction, but they should do, it sounds ace if you say it with a Bristol accent.

LOL at this - I found myself putting on a Wester / Bed-me accent trying to pronounce it!

Update-type bump.

Given the likely impact on the popular dockside railway, a demo event there is planned for 11 am, saturday 3rd November.

Some of the mayoral candidates have [url= http://stopbrt2.org.uk/what-do-mayoral-candidates-say-about-brt2 ]published their views[/url] on the BRT scheme - the mainstream parties are generally in favour; George, the Greens & other indys are broadly opposed.

Next public meeting is 7.30pm Monday 19 November, Hen and Chicken, North Street.

There's now a petition, aimed at the incoming Mayor:

[url] https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-mayor-of-bristol-please-stop-brt2 [/url]

(NB the following is just what I've gleaned from people I know, and not necessarily 100% correct or the official views of Sustrans - just my understanding of the situation)

I'm not sure if this has been covered in the thread or not, but I believe the view of sustrans towards it is that there's a resignation that something will happen, and that BRT represents the best of a bad bunch. If the money isn't spent, the money will be lost (not saying this is a good or bd thing). Sustrans don't 'support' it as such, but are involved to make sure that cyclists/walkers interests are best represented in whatever happens - the BRT route disrupts a lot of work which sustrans has put in place already.

(please remember, this is re-hashed, and not neccessarily correct - don't want anyone to get into hot water - so [u]do not[/u] quote me!)

The new bit of path currently being built from the girder bridge to the self-store warehouse is nothing to do with BRT (as someone not on this thread suggested) but part of the Connect2 scheme - improving access to the network for all.

There were 2 guys from Sustrans canvassing support on the North side of the river yesterday lunchtime

a little bird tells me they'll be there today too, freezing their tits off!

I passed the bridge for a quick zip up to AC and LW earlier, expecting to do that nice little bank that runs down from the footbridge above and found its all fenced off with some sort of haul road looking affair cutting through from the storage warehouse down to the bridge. This isn't something to do with BRT is it?

I saw that yesterday after the fixed n chips race and wondered what was happening

Sammy, read hungry monkey's post above - sounds like that's what you saw.

Sustrans don't 'support' it as such, but are involved to make sure that cyclists/walkers interests are best represented in whatever happens - the BRT route disrupts a lot of work which sustrans has put in place already.

John Grimshaw made this point too - the people behind it are probably going to end up pushing it through regardless (possibly before the mayoral election) so the best we may be able to hope for is to make sure walking and cycling facilities are included.

the best we may be able to hope for is to make sure walking and cycling facilities are included

The people behind it have already demonstrated that they are willing to ignore the needs of cyclists/pedestrians... but I agree, it's an opportunity to try & get more leverage.

As for pushing the scheme thru, IME there's steadily mounting anger among Ashton Rd/Southville/Cumberland locals that this thing is being foisted on Butterfly Junction, Chocolate Path etc. Nobody down 'ere will see any benefit from it - I mean, it's not as if I'm going to hop on a guided bus to go to the Nova!

The new bit of path currently being built from the girder bridge to the self-store warehouse is nothing to do with BRT

A good addition & I'm glad to see it being built - partly because I hope a busy cycle/pedestrian intersection gives the BRT planners a headache. 😈

It's the mayoral cycling and transport hustings tonight - I've already tabled a BRT2 question, as no doubt a few others have.

Good stuff. Unfortunately I can't be there tonight, but my fist is raised in solidarity. 😀

BCC seem to be firing a [url= http://stopbrt2.org.uk/misleading-media-headlines-about-brt-bendy-bus-being-dropped-council-havent-dropped-brt2 ]certain amount of chaff[/url] - dropping [url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Plans-bendy-buses-Bristol-dumped-council-bosses/story-17197328-detail/story.html ]bendy-buses[/url] doesn't mean the end of BRT. And citing funds [i]already[/i] [s]spent[/s] wasted is hardly a reason for pressing on... except in the thru'- the-looking-glass world of local politics, of course.

Feelings are running pretty high judging by some of the comments on that petition site.

Mayoral hustings last night was interesting. The Lib Dem and Labour candidates are the only two left supporting BRT2 (the Conservative candidate, Geoff Gollop, has backed away from it) on the grounds that if we reject it, the funding will be snatched back by the DfT. Some of the other candidates thought it would be possible to renegotiate the funding and apply it to light rail schemes like the Bristol Metro.

All the candidates were saying all the right things, albeit in slightly different ways, and it seems the only thing separating them is BRT2.

The bendy bus thing seems more like expediency than policy - apparently they can't obtain the vehicles they originally wanted so they're defaulting to the second choice. The promise of "Dutch-style" cycle infrastructure is a carrot to the cycle campaigners opposing the scheme, and nothing of the sort has shown up on any plans to date, apart from some wishy-washy artist's impressions.

[img] [/img]

Bristol trains/metro would be great - especially as the tracks are there.

BRT2 may actually shaft the Metro proposals if it goes ahead. £100 million isn't a lot for a scheme of this kind (they've spent nearly £10 million just developing the current half-baked scheme we have now), and any budget overspend will have to be met from the local coffers. Which could well mean no money for Metro.

The fur is flying over at the Council House.

http://www.bristol247.com/2012/10/31/tories-attack-bendy-bus-u-turn-as-complete-shambles-22902/

And the reasons given for changing the plan, from the original futuristic mass transit solution to a bog-standard bus route with a couple of new bits, are getting more and more ridiculous, if this Tweet from a BBC reporter is to be believed.

https://twitter.com/robinmarkwell/status/263703278532050944

All the candidates were saying all the right things, albeit in slightly different ways, and it seems the only thing separating them is BRT2.

Thanks MrA. I suppose my worry is that a political juggernaut, er, bendy-bus like BRT2 takes on a demented logic of its own - we have already spent this much, [i]ergo[/i] we must spend more etc.

As for opposing it, there's always Plan B: 😈

[img] [/img]

The StopBRT2 page has a [url= http://stopbrt2.org.uk/brt-funding-truth-about-%C2%A358m-funding-gap ]useful debunking[/url] of BCC's claim that abandoning BRT will mean "losing £200 million" - not least given that the proposed funding includes £58 million to be raised [i]locally[/i]....

And another bump for the [url= https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-mayor-of-bristol-please-stop-brt2 ]mayoral petition[/url] - not just for numbers, but for the list of stated reasons: there's clearly much affection for the Ashton/Chocolate Path/Docks cycle & pedestrian route. The proposed scheme simply isn't welcome.

[url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/need-tackle-congestion-practically/story-17274394-detail/story.html ]"So scrap forever not just the bendy buses but the entire Bristol Rapid Transit scheme."[/url]

Succinct editorial comment from the Brizzle Post....

Heads-up for commuters: the StopBRT2 lot will be asking people to sign their petition, tomorrow morning at Gaol Ferry Bridge, 8-9.30ish.

More signatures on the [url= https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-mayor-of-bristol-please-stop-brt2 ]e-petition[/url] also welcome.

Petition thing at Gaol Ferry Bridge was cancelled due to inclement weather - rescheduled for Monday 19th Nov 8-9.30am.

The [url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Transport-minister-m-looking-forward-working/story-17300975-detail/story.html ]Brizzle Post[/url] recently ran an article suggesting that the BRT funding could [i]potentially[/i] be switched to other projects... significant if true.

Next StopBRT2 meeting 7.30pm Monday 19th November, Hen and Chicken, North Street.

Several of the [url= http://stopbrt2.org.uk/what-do-mayoral-candidates-say-about-brt2 ]mayorial candidates[/url] have been fairly vocal in their opposition to BRT, populist as that may be. So, if this ill-thought-out scheme affects you in any way, use your vote wisely!

Oh, and don't forget to sign the [url= https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-mayor-of-bristol-please-stop-brt2 ]petition.[/url] 😀

Post-mayorial-election-type bump.

So, George is [url= http://stopbrt2.org.uk/mayoral-election-brings-great-hope-dose-sanity ]reportedly[/url] against the BRT scheme - how much power he can actually wield over it remains to be seen...

Public meeting is tonight, 7.30pm, Hen and Chicken, North Street.

Stop BRT2 and the Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance have released a joint statement, calling for BCC to halt spending on BRT. The Mayor is - apparently - in favour of diverting the Government funding towards other schemes, but he will be up against some powerful interests....

http://stopbrt2.org.uk/press-release-call-mayor-halt-bristol-city-council-spend-brt

PSA-type bump: next public meeting is at 7.30 pm, Tuesday 8th Jan, at the Hen & Chicken, North Street.

Mayor George hopes that he will be able to [url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/new-year-bring-great-good-look-ahead/story-17731082-detail/story.html ][i]"implement changes to unsatisfactory Bus Rapid Transport scheme"[/i][/url]. By "changes", I hope he means "abandon" - at least as far as the Ashton Avenue Bridge->Chocolate Path->Dockside section is concerned....

If you haven't done so, please consider signing the [url= https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-mayor-of-bristol-please-stop-brt2 ]petition[/url]. There's now over 3000 (paper & electronic) signatures.

BTW, does anybody know what happened at Bunker Bikes? - somebody appears to have torched their stashpile of 2nd hand bicycles... 😯

Ta for the updates 8)

No problem Wallop.

*Raises clenched fist in BS3 solidarity. 😀

Petition signed - the proposed scheme is a ridiculous waste of money for little gain for public transport users, and will ruin one of the city's major tourist and cultural assets.

Bumpity-bump...

Meeting is tonight.

<wonders how long it will take for George Ferguson to u-turn on his opposition to BRT2>

George Ferguson [i]and[/i] John Grimshaw were at the meeting last night... 😯

Unfortunately, because my shifts end at 19:30, I always get there late - and so I missed much of what was said, but things seem to be moving pretty fast.

I don't want to second guess the detail, but I reckon the harbourside is probably safe. The status of Ashton Avenue Bridge and the New Cut/Chocloate Path remains unclear. It's obvious that George wants to retain the available funding, and hopefully re-direct it. As to what that will involve, I dinnae know - so, wait out...

Good news.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-20969679 ]Well done George. [/url]

Good news.

Indeed - it was a bludy stupid idea putting it thru the harbourside.

I hope they also spare the Ashton Av Bridge and New Cut... we'll see, I guess.

[url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Dedicated-volunteers-devastated-arson-attack-bike/story-17746460-detail/story.html ]Bunker bikes hit by arsonists[/url]

Bunker bikes was attacked twice over the New year period, assume it was just drunken scumbags...

Lib dems aren't happy!

"It took six years to get to where we are at, so at the eleventh hour, once again, it appears Bristol is about to scrap a transport scheme.

"Is that what we want Bristol to be known for? Or do we want them in London to think 'down in Bristol they can get on with projects, they can deliver'?"

WGAF what London thinks?

I hope they also spare the Ashton Av Bridge and New Cut...

Very much this. Thanks for the update.

WGAF what London thinks?

Disappointingly but unsuprisingly, self-serving local councillors who want to progress their 'careers' regardless of whether it serves their voters.

I hope they also spare the Ashton Av Bridge and New Cut... we'll see, I guess.

My thinking is that, now it can't go through the Harbourside, or over Prince's Street bridge the most sensible* route to the centre is via Hotwells. Obviously that would save the Chocolate Blocks and probably Ashton Ave Bridge.

*now that sense seems to finally have come in to play.

now that sense seems to finally have come in to play

I admire your optimism and hope that you are right.