Stopgridlock Mythbuster
Here are ten common misconceptions about the measures we are proposing – and our answers to them.
‘Measures to tackle congestion in Bath simply aren’t needed.’
Without these measures, the Council will be unable to provide the transport infrastructure needed to develop a modern, sustainable economy for the future prosperity for the area. Improvements to Bath’s transport system are needed now regardless of growth projections given the 27,000 people travelling in and out of Bath every day. Research indicates that traffic congestion is top of residents' concerns, and one transport website claims that Bath is the fifth most congested Parliamentary constituency in the country. Existing transport services, like the Park and Ride sites at Newbridge and Lansdown that are full by midday, need improving.
‘The Council should build an A46/A36 bypass to tackle congestion.’
In the Bath urban area, Government figures suggest that fewer than 1 in 20 cars represent through traffic during the morning rush hour, so a bypass would not tackle the thousands of cars whose destination is Bath. In any case, there is little prospect of securing a bypass for decades given the extensive planning process needed – and this assumes that the numerous local communities that would be affected could agree on the route.‘Charmy Down would be a better location for the A4 Eastern Bath Park and Ride.’
Wrong – because of where Charmy Down is. Two-thirds of traffic on the London Road comes from either the A4 bypass or from Batheaston, while only one-third travels past Charmy Down. If vehicles from the south had to travel to Charmy Down instead of the proposed A4 Eastern Bath Park and Ride, it would result in an estimated 1.4 million extra car miles travelled per year. This assumes that people would even travel two and a half miles north away from the London Road to Charmy Down to catch a bus that would then take longer to reach the city centre.‘There will be huge light pollution at the A4 Eastern Bath Park and Ride.’
Wrong. Bath and North East Somerset Council will use directional lighting to cut light pollution. Screening and landscaping will be used to minimise visual impact from the site. Lighting will stop when the Park and Ride closes in the evening.‘Park and Ride sites are an outdated way of tackling congestion.’
The argument against Park and Ride sites is that they do not remove through traffic. In the Bath urban area, Government figures suggest that fewer than 1 in 20 cars are through-traffic during the morning rush hour. One in three cars are travelling to Bath and these are the ones that need greater encouragement to use Park and Ride. The expanded and new Park and Ride services will provide a total of 4,510 spaces for the 8,500 cars whose destination is the Bath urban area in the morning rush hour. Without expanded Park and Ride capacity the city will clog-up with cars and harm the local economy as businesses simply will not be able to get their workers into Bath, or attract their customers.
‘The BRT won’t provide significantly quicker journey times.’
Wrong. The journey for Park and Ride users on the bus rapid transit route will be much easier and convenient. On some days, it can take 30 minutes for vehicles to travel from the city boundary to Churchill Bridge. The peak journey time of the bus rapid transit route between Newbridge Park and Ride and the city centre is approximately 6 minutes.‘Not enough work has been done on alternative BRT routes.’
Wrong. The work undertaken on the Lower Bristol Road shows this route would cost millions of pounds more, cause greater disruption, and would take longer than the proposed bus rapid transit route, undermining the Council’s plans to tackle congestion. The Government has confirmed adopting this route would require a resubmission of our business case and put at significant risk the entire £54 million package of improvements.
‘First Group will operate the BRT.’
The route will be subject to competitive tender. The local authority has no powers to set bus fares other than on its Park and Ride services. The Council is looking forward to receiving bids from operators to provide a 21st century standard service that will serve the expanded Newbridge Park and Ride, Bath Western Riverside, the city centre, and the new A4 Eastern Park and Ride.‘The Council should do more to get people using trains.’
Provision of rail services is not in the control of Bath and North East Somerset Council. However, the city can look forward to a 21st century transport interchange at SouthGate serving Bath Spa Station. This represents part of the Council’s integrated measures to tackle congestion because the Station will be served by the expanded and new Park and Ride services from Newbridge and A4 Eastern.
