Bristol BRT2 route – Ashton Avenue Bridge

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 published their views 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:

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

(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(please remember, this is re-hashed, and not neccessarily correct – don’t want anyone to get into hot water – so do not quote me!)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 certain amount of chaff – dropping bendy-buses doesn’t mean the end of BRT. And citing funds already spent 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.

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.

Lib Dem candidate for #bristolmayor Jon Rogers told a hustings today bendy buses were dropped because they are no longer being manufactured.

— Robin Markwell (@robinmarkwell) October 31, 2012

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, ergo we must spend more etc.

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

The StopBRT2 page has a useful debunking 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 locally….

And another bump for the mayoral petition – 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.

”So scrap forever not just the bendy buses but the entire Bristol Rapid Transit scheme.”

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 e-petition also welcome.

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

The Brizzle Post recently ran an article suggesting that the BRT funding could potentially be switched to other projects… significant if true.

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

Several of the mayorial candidates 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 petition. 😀

Post-mayorial-election-type bump.

So, George is reportedly 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 “implement changes to unsatisfactory Bus Rapid Transport scheme”. 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 petition. 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 and 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.
Well done George.

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.

Bunker bikes hit by arsonists

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.