Proposals to make some improvements for cyclists throughout Bath city centre are being considered.
One of the main problems for cyclists in Bath are barriers such as busy roads and one way streets which makes cycling difficult from one side of the city to the other. The attached plans show ideas which have been put forward as possible schemes. These will assist in removing some of these barriers.
· Currently cyclists travelling between the Wells Road area and Bath city centre have to cycle around Churchill Gyratory which is difficult for cyclists. The proposed route will avoid this busy road allowing cyclists to use existing footways as shared use paths and the subway under the railway. A pedestrian count has been carried out here which shows that the majority of pedestrians travelling to and from the city centre currently use steps to the west of the proposed route. The proposed shared use will utilise the the ramped access under the railway as shown on the attached plan.
· Pines Way is also difficult to cycle round with traffic lanes to cross and the route is not direct between the Oldfield Park area and the city centre. The proposal is to allow cyclists to use existing footways as shared use paths crossing the roads at existing pelican crossings as shown on the attached plan. The proposal also includes a cycle contra-flow along Cheltenham Street.
· The third proposal is for cyclists to travel across the Destructor Bridge in both directions by allowing cyclists to cycle along a widened footway on the west side of the bridge in a northenly direction. Cyclists will then join an existing footway on the west side of Midland Road beyond the Council depot and then join Upper Bristol Road.
Pedestrians will be encouraged to use the footway on the east side of the Destructor Bridge which links between existing footways and the Riverside Path. The footway on the west which is being proposed for cycle use does not link to any footway to the south.
The extension of this route to cross Upper Bristol Road and utilise the northern footway to link to Park Lane has been considered, however, this is currently not possible because of the bus stop.
Any comments?