‘I want a city which prioritises cyclists, walkers and wheelers over cars’

On Tuesday, the West of England metro mayor confirmed that £15m will be spent on a study exploring the costs of an underground network for Bristol.

Dan Norris said spending the money was “sensible” despite admitting that the multi-billion pound project was “unlikely”.

Meanwhile in other news announced in late May, £3.6m will be spent across the West of England to boost cycling and walking, to encourage people to travel by bike “for those shorter everyday journeys”.

It’s a welcome step, but, after decades of car-centric planning and millions of pounds being poured elsewhere, just a drop in the ocean on the road, or segregated cycle lane, in transforming Bristol into a truly cycle-friendly city.

So, in an alternate reality where cycling infrastructure, rather than studies on multi-billion pound projects, is allocated an unlimited budget, what might Bristol look like?

Largely neglected elsewhere in the world, Dutch cities have truly turned bicycle parking into an art form.

There is perhaps no better example than the iconic “fietsappel” (“bicycle apple”), which has provided 1,000 secure spaces at Alphen aan den Rijn railway station since 2013. pic.twitter.com/oBZeTURXDH

— Melissa & Chris Bruntlett (@modacitylife) July 26, 2021

Firstly, the city is equipped with an extensive, 75-mile network of cycle-paths and lanes, so safe and comfortable that even toddlers and elderly people are able to use bikes as the easiest mode of transport. The cycle paths are completely continuous and segregated from motor vehicles and pedestrians.

At Temple Meads, the bike store, which was once more of a bike graveyard, is no more. In its place, a gigantic metal apple held aloft on a core of columns is the home for 10,000 bikes. Travellers and visitors park their bikes for free in this multi-storey building of steel, designed by architect Wytze Patijn whose first apple was built in the small town of Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands.

On all trains passing through Bristol stations, at least one carriage is dedicated to bike storage, and the station has been overhauled to make it smooth-sailing for those bringing their bike on board.

Spaces for bikes on trains are often limited to two per journey – photo: Betty Woolerton

Car parks dotted all around Bristol could now be car parking garages, where visitors coming from car-centric parts of the South West park their vehicle and rent a bike for free.

To move between neighbourhoods, cars must take a new ring road which encircles the city, leaving interior streets largely the preserve of pedestrians and cyclists. The road means that cyclists and walkers can travel directly, meaning a two-minute walk might equate to a ten-minute trip by car.

For cars within the city’s boundaries, a 15 mph speed limit has been implemented. This, as well as rules on pavement and cycle lane parking, are strictly enforced.

Bristol city centre is now completely car-free. Bicycle boulevards have been implemented along Stapleton Road, Fishponds Road, Ashley Road, Lower Ashley Road, Hotwell Road and the Portway. They are transformed from congested, car-dominated rat-runs to low-volume, low-speed streets, designed to give bicycle and pedestrian travel priority through signage, pavement markings, and traffic calming measures..

Once allocated £2.4m, Bristol’s pothole action fund has quadrupled to £10m and has completely eradicated the danger of potholes to road users.

The Portway, normally a thoroughfare for lorries, vans and cars, was opened for runners and spectators for the Great Bristol 10k & Half Marathon in May – photo: Great Run

Sadly, the truth is that Bristol’s cycling infrastructure is a world away from this vision.

Our city’s cycle lanes are disjointed, unconnected and confusing, often shared with oblivious pedestrians or even interrupted by trees. Bicycle storage is sporadic and subpar, and cars overflow in our suburbs and park in our cycle lanes.

Only last year a female cyclist was killed in a collision with a lorry in Hengrove, revealing the damage Bristol’s car-dominated culture can inflict.

It is for this reason a vision of a cycle-friendly Bristol which prioritises cyclists, wheelers and pedestrians over cars shouldn’t be shelved as a pipe dream, but pushed to make reality.

Bristol24/7 reporter Betty Woolerton dreams of a city filled with segregated cycle lanes and bicycle boulevards – photo: Betty Woolerton

Betty Woolerton is a reporter at Bristol24/7

Main photo: We Are Possible

Read next:

• WECA to spend £15m on underground study
• More segregated cycle lanes coming soon 
• Thousands cycle through Bristol as drum & bass on the bike returns

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