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Rapid Transit Round-up

Greens assess latest developments

June 19 2008

 
At least three of the West of England Partnership's proposals for new rapid transit corridors in Bristol are proving highly controversial.

Here's an update on the Green Party's position.

Bristol East - the Railway Path

Campaigners in Bristol East are welcoming what they hope is the end of the threat to the Bristol Bath Railway Path. It didn't look good in April when Green Cllr. Charlie Bolton's council motion, supported by the LibDems, was defeated by a Lab-Con 'wrecking amendment' that left the path open to a rapid transit takeover. But now Executive Member Cllr Mark Bradshaw seems to have decided that the campaigners were right, and ruled out the railway path as a route for rapid transit buses.

South Bristol - Long Ashton and the Urban Extension

The Greens have looking closely at the next proposal, for bus rapid transit between the city, the Long Ashton Park & Ride, and beyond into the planned 10,500 home 'urban extension' in the Ashton Vale area. Members have walked the route to see what's involved, and put up a web page discussing the pros and cons.

The tentative conclusion is that as a route to the Park & Ride, it's not justified - but if it guarantees good transport for a largely car-free urban extension, that's a different matter.

Part of our fact-finding has been to put formal questions to the council. The answers have brought good news......

• the popular Chocolate Path alongside the New Cut won't be adversely affected.

and bad.....

• there will be no pro-active planning conditions to discourage car ownership in the new estates
• there's an unwillingness to delay a bid for government funding while alternatives to bus-based rapid rapid transit are tested.

The Greens are very keen to see proposals for Ultra Light Rail (ULR), as an alternative to bus rapid transit, properly examined before any decision is made. Not least because ULR could pave the way to restoration of services on the Portishead line, and it's far more energy efficient too.

So we welcome the news that formal request is being sent to Bristol's Executive Member for Transport, Mark Bradshaw, asking him to accept a bid for a ULR system on this corridor. Cllr Bradshaw has already said (here) that alternatives to buses will be considered, and this will test his promise.

South Bristol - The Malago, Hengrove, and Whitchurch

Greens are welcoming reports that West of England Partnership has reviewed its original plan to route this rapid transit system along the much prized Malago Greenway. If they're true!

The route, to serve the new complex at Hengrove, a projected Park'n'Ride at Whitchurch, and a 6,000 home 'urban extension' to the south-east of the city, could clearly provide a vital service as these developments go ahead.

But there are many questions about the detailed route choices released so far. Yet again, the priority seems to be to keep off the existing roads, even when (as with the railway path) it means losing precious public amenity or rich natural habitat.

So good luck to the many campaigners in Windmill Hill and Bedminster who are mobilising to Save the Malago Greenway.

We'll need to keep a close eye on the rest of the route too!

Charlie Bolton 0117 966 1639
Peter Goodwin (Bristol Green Party Press Officer) 01275 543280