News Releases >

Charlie welcomes support for Railway Path Vote

21 February 2008 for immediate release

 
It was confirmed today that Bristol City Council will debate controversial proposals to rebuild the Bristol-Bath railway path as a bus rapid transit corridor.

Southville's Green Party councillor, Charlie Bolton, has tabled a motion ^[1] that rules out the use of the cycle path for bus rapid transit as an 'inappropriate solution' to Bristol's chronic transport problems. But there were fears that other parties might get together ^[2] to make sure the debate doesn't happen. As yet, only the Green party has stated a clear policy not to route the buses this way.

At Bristol's Cabinet meeting today, the 'Save the Railway Path' campaign secured a promise from council Leader Helen Holland that the debate will go ahead on April 1st.

The secretly prepared proposal ^[3] by the West of England Partnership has already met with unprecedented anger from thousands of people across the city and beyond.

Cllr Bolton said:

"The Save the Railway Path campaign represents a huge section of local residents - as can be seen from the support their petition ^[4] has on the council's web site. I welcome their statement today, and Helen Holland's positive response."

"It's good to see that some other councillors are now openly opposing the West of England Partnership's plan to route high speed buses down the railway path, and I hope they can persuade their party groups to take this issue seriously, not just use it as a political football"

"This council's vote will set the standard for further transport route choices way beyond the railway path. As more rapid transport corridors are developed, many other well-used paths are under threat from this first BRT route - not least through the south of the city to Ashton Gate and to Hengrove. "

Martin Cottingham, the Green Party's parliamentary candidate for Bristol East added:

"The local community in Bristol East who know and love the cycle path is indebted to Charlie Bolton for making sure this crazy bus lane proposal can't creep in without proper debate and challenge."

"By the time of the April 1st council meeting the Green Party and the thousands of people supporting the campaign will make sure that councillors, and the present MP ^[5] , know the strength of feeling about this"

"Rapid transit is to be welcomed - but it must be at the expense of road space, not by crowding out cyclists and walkers."

ENDS

Notes

1. Charlie's motion reads:

   "'Council notes the strength of feeling expressed by citizens of Bristol against the proposed bus rapid transit route along the much loved Bristol-Bath cycle path. Council further recognises that cycling is a more sustainable transport solution than the use of public transport. As such, while recognising the vital importance of improving public transport in Bristol, council regards the use of the cycle path for bus rapid transit as an inappropriate solution. Council calls on the Executive Member for Access and Transport to pass these views on to the West of England Partnership'

   [for legal reasons, the motion cannot be any more strongly worded than "a call on the Executive Member for Access and Transport" to pass the view of Bristol City Council onto the West of England Partnership. In practice, however, a rejection of the cycle path option would almost certainly force the Partnership to choose a different route for its BRT scheme instead, and thereby save the railway path.]



2. The party groups (Labour, Lib Dem, and Tory) have disproportionate powers to set the agenda and present motions, amendments etc., that are not available to lone councillors like Charlie Bolton.
3. See our press release of January 28th for background and links


4. The on-line petition of 7,800 signatures and rising


5. Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East, has so far remained silent

Contact:

Cllr Charlie Bolton, 0117 966 1639
Martin Cottingham 0117 965 7058 or (mob) 0797 410 9914
Peter Goodwin (Green Party Press Officer) 01275 543280