News / Transport
Baldwin Street cycle path – good or bad?
Despite the new segregated cycle path on Baldwin Street being welcomed by many on two wheels, there have already been criticisms.
The principal complaint is that despite a promising start at the Bristol Bridge end of the road, the path comes to an abrupt halt near Telephone Avenue.
The aim of the new road layout was to address the large number of crashes involving cycles on Baldwin Street at the junction with Queen Charlotte Street.
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On Twitter, Daniel John wrote: “Total waste of money! Dangerous and I refuse to use it! Better to stay with the rest of the traffic.”
On Facebook, Martin Ward wrote: “A shameful half job, but it’s better than nothing and at least proves that Bristol is beginning to head in the right direction!”
Bristol Cycling Campaign secretary Martin McDonnell has welcomed the new layout.
He said: “Baldwin Street is indeed a good example of what can be done. The raised table extra wide zebra crossing is an ambitious feature. Bristol has long been in support of cyclists using zebras. An extra wide one is already at River Street and we’re waiting for the DfT to catch up and cancel ideas for separately marked ‘Tiger’ crossings.
“Other innovative features include the pedestrian crossings of the cycleway which are demarked by different coloured stonework. Similar schemes have been successfully introduced in other countries. Whilst they are informal crossing points we believe that people will get used to them and start to treat them more formally.”
It is thought that the cycle path continues further than previously planned along Baldwin Street and is built to a higher quality than original expected due to additional funding becoming available from other schemes that ran into difficulties such as the partner Gloucester Road safety scheme.
The reason that it does not continue all the way to the centre is due to the MetroBus plans, contingency funding of which is due to be discussed at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting at City Hall.
McDonnell added: “Once they are resolved we hope that the cycleway can be incorporated into a much improved situation for cyclists using the centre and having safe and easy access to all routes leading off from there – without inconvenience to pedestrians.”
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