News / Transport
‘Rapid transit on the Railway Path is the wrong option’
The head of Sustrans in the south of England has written an open letter to the leaders of the West of England Combined Authority, Bristol City Council, Bath & North East Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council about plans for a rapid transit link along the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.
James Cleeton, the director of England South for the charity that makes it easier for people to walk and cycle, said that he is “disappointed” by the recent report in the Bristol Post about the potential use of the path for a light rail or tram connecting Bristol and Bath.
The path, which next year celebrates its 40th anniversary, was the first created as part of the National Cycle Network and today is the busiest dedicated traffic-free route for people walking and cycling in the UK.
is needed now More than ever
Cleeton said: “We fully support the principle of a light rail or rapid transit connection between Bristol and Bath. However, the route under consideration is the wrong one.”
The Bristol & Bath Railway Path is the busiest dedicated traffic-free route for people walking and cycling in the country
Here is his open letter:
Dear Cllr Tim Warren, Cllr Matthew Riddle, Mayor Marvin Rees and Mayor Tim Bowles,
The Railway Path celebrates its 40th anniversary next year and in that time it has become the busiest dedicated traffic free route in the country for people walking and cycling. Whilst it serves as a transport link between two cities, over time it has become so much more than that. It is a tourist destination, a place of business, a community asset, a green corridor and wildlife habitat of significant value.
It will therefore be of no surprise that we, along with the thousands of people who use the path everyday have been disappointed by recent reports in the Bristol Post, and comments in public forum about the potential use of the Bath and Bristol Railway Path for light rail connecting the two cities. The trackbed of the former Midland Railway line would not provide the simple solution to a rapid transit link that some consider it might. Not only would there be substantial local opposition but it would also require significant engineering and reconstruction. Additionally, the trackbed is not wide enough to safely accommodate the large number of people choosing to use it as a corridor for active travel every day.
Light rail use of the land would not be compatible with the majority of the path’s current usage value. Indeed, when bus rapid transit was last mooted along the path exactly a decade ago by the West of England Partnership, there was such a community response that over 7,000 signatures opposing the plans were collected in a month. Since that time, usage of the path has continued to grow by 10% year on year. Our latest data collection suggests that over 3,800 people on foot and bike use the path on a weekday between 7am and 7pm in December a figure that in 2008 we would have expected from a summer count.
We consider the Railway Path as the ‘path of least resistance’ for transport planners. It is easier to displace people on foot and bike, than it is the car traffic on alternative corridors such as the A4, A420 or A432. If the West of England is to meet the behaviour change targets set out in the Joint Transport Study, then it must tackle the problem of too many people driving in our region. Enabling business as usual to persist on our road network whilst displacing foot and bike traffic from a green corridor is not a solution.
As in 2008, we fully support the principle of a light rail or rapid transit connection between Bristol and Bath. However, the route under consideration is the wrong one.
Yours sincerely,
James Cleeton
Director, England South
Photos courtesy of Sustrans
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
