Bristol Nazis trying to fcuk up the M32
Discussion
TALKS HELD FOR CONTROL OF THE M32
BY STEVE GRANT
11:00 - 27 August 2003
Bristol City Council is pushing ahead with moves which could lead to bus lanes being introduced on the M32. The proposal was exclusively revealed by the Evening Post more than a year ago.
The city council yesterday revealed it is to open talks with the Highways Agency to bring a 12-kilometre stretch of the road - from the city centre to the city boundary just south of junction 1 at the Avon Ring Road - under its control. The process is known as 'detrunking'.
Councillors are expected to agree to the move at their next Cabinet meeting on September 2.
Should the detrunking be successfully completed, the stretch of road - recently blamed for the failure of Bristol's European Capital of Culture bid - would remain a motorway.
As predicted by the Post in June last year, the move would enable the council to consider 're-classifying' the road.
It could then go ahead with plans to introduce a new junction to supply a park and ride scheme, probably at the Stapleton Smallholdings site, opposite the Dower House.
Another controversial possibility, first mooted in June last year, is the introduction of bus priority lanes - such as on the M4 at Heathrow - and even high occupancy vehicle lanes such as those in place on the Avon Ring Road, in South Gloucestershire.
It could even reduce the speed limit to 40mph - a suggestion first made by a city transport officer last year.
Council leaders yesterday stressed that none of the changes were a foregone conclusion and any of them could be several years away.
Anne White, Executive Councillor for Environment, Transport and Leisure, said: "This is just the first step towards detrunking the road.
"We believe it would be good for Bristol - giving the city direct control of its biggest and busiest road and opening up the possibility of improving the journey into the city for motorists and bus passengers alike. What we do with the road once we have control of it has yet to be decided and we will be consulting residents and talking to bus companies, motoring organisations and the business community before we take any further steps." If councillors agree to the move, the council would need to be fully satisfied with all financial arrangements for future repairs and maintenance before completing the detrunking process, it said.
It is thought that negotiations with the Highways Agency are just a formality.
The Post revealed in June last year that the council and the Highways Agency were nearing agreement on handing over the road.
We also revealed that the Highways Agency had already employed consultants to look at the possibility of introducing bus lanes on the M32.
BY STEVE GRANT
11:00 - 27 August 2003
Bristol City Council is pushing ahead with moves which could lead to bus lanes being introduced on the M32. The proposal was exclusively revealed by the Evening Post more than a year ago.
The city council yesterday revealed it is to open talks with the Highways Agency to bring a 12-kilometre stretch of the road - from the city centre to the city boundary just south of junction 1 at the Avon Ring Road - under its control. The process is known as 'detrunking'.
Councillors are expected to agree to the move at their next Cabinet meeting on September 2.
Should the detrunking be successfully completed, the stretch of road - recently blamed for the failure of Bristol's European Capital of Culture bid - would remain a motorway.
As predicted by the Post in June last year, the move would enable the council to consider 're-classifying' the road.
It could then go ahead with plans to introduce a new junction to supply a park and ride scheme, probably at the Stapleton Smallholdings site, opposite the Dower House.
Another controversial possibility, first mooted in June last year, is the introduction of bus priority lanes - such as on the M4 at Heathrow - and even high occupancy vehicle lanes such as those in place on the Avon Ring Road, in South Gloucestershire.
It could even reduce the speed limit to 40mph - a suggestion first made by a city transport officer last year.
Council leaders yesterday stressed that none of the changes were a foregone conclusion and any of them could be several years away.
Anne White, Executive Councillor for Environment, Transport and Leisure, said: "This is just the first step towards detrunking the road.
"We believe it would be good for Bristol - giving the city direct control of its biggest and busiest road and opening up the possibility of improving the journey into the city for motorists and bus passengers alike. What we do with the road once we have control of it has yet to be decided and we will be consulting residents and talking to bus companies, motoring organisations and the business community before we take any further steps." If councillors agree to the move, the council would need to be fully satisfied with all financial arrangements for future repairs and maintenance before completing the detrunking process, it said.
It is thought that negotiations with the Highways Agency are just a formality.
The Post revealed in June last year that the council and the Highways Agency were nearing agreement on handing over the road.
We also revealed that the Highways Agency had already employed consultants to look at the possibility of introducing bus lanes on the M32.
Excellent, yet another unused piece of tarmac dedicated to a mode of transport that people wont use! Glad to see that the councillors have their finger on the button and know what works..... morons.
Oh, and since when did we measure distances in this country in KM? I always thought we were miles here - or has that one crept in the back door also?
Oh, and since when did we measure distances in this country in KM? I always thought we were miles here - or has that one crept in the back door also?
HOV lanes/car pooling I can live with, as long as they are time specific (ie rush hour), but motorway bus lanes are the height of stupidity. There will be cameras up to enforce it of course, even at 3am when no buses are running.
We've got some idiotic bus lanes in Watford - they have junction priority lights that operate 24 hours a day, it's insane. The REALLY daft part is that by taking the lane from normal traffic, the resultant jams are now twice as long, so the buses wait LONGER to get to their lovely lanes than before, and journey times have gone UP. Add to that the fact that the buses ignore the priority lights if they're red and just go with normal traffic, and you have all sorts of chaos.
Bristol as City of Culture is rather amusing too....
We've got some idiotic bus lanes in Watford - they have junction priority lights that operate 24 hours a day, it's insane. The REALLY daft part is that by taking the lane from normal traffic, the resultant jams are now twice as long, so the buses wait LONGER to get to their lovely lanes than before, and journey times have gone UP. Add to that the fact that the buses ignore the priority lights if they're red and just go with normal traffic, and you have all sorts of chaos.
Bristol as City of Culture is rather amusing too....
Yes the bid did fail. Serves Bristol City Council right for being so anti-motorists. How a government agency/dept can even consider handing over the M32 to this bunch of rabid bus loving sandalistas used to be beyond me, now of course this type of utter stupity is the norm as the whole country is now run by muppets and not just Bristol City Council.
DAZ
DAZ
God this is depressing...
CITY MOVES FOR CONTROL OF MOTORWAY
11:00 - 03 September 2003
The first step has been taken towards "de-trunking" the M32, paving the way for schemes to ease traffic congestion. These could include a new junction to provide an entrance to a park-and-ride site, bus priority lanes and a ban on some lanes being used by cars occupied by only the driver.
Cabinet councillors yesterday agreed to start talks with the Highways Agency to take over control of the motorway, which stretches from the M4 to the city centre.
The move would also open up the possibility of keeping the gateway to the city much cleaner and erecting "Welcome to Bristol" signs, which are not currently allowed.
Transport campaigner David Redgewell said de-trunking would allow measures to be introduced to ease traffic congestion.
Mr Redgewell, spokesman for the Transport 2000 pressure group, said: "The M32 is nothing more than a moving car park at peak times. We need to extend bus priority measures and introduce a park-and-ride site to provide viable alternatives to the car.
"The opposition to de-trunking by the AA and RAC is not consistent with their policies to find alternatives to using cars."
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has also opposed the move, claiming that de-trunking could make congestion worse. It claims that many local authorities were failing to honour promises on spending plans for roads which have already been taken over. Malcolm Bingham, for the FTA, said this could lead to more congestion.
Tory group leader Peter Abraham said it would be premature to go ahead with de-trunking at this time.
CITY MOVES FOR CONTROL OF MOTORWAY
11:00 - 03 September 2003
The first step has been taken towards "de-trunking" the M32, paving the way for schemes to ease traffic congestion. These could include a new junction to provide an entrance to a park-and-ride site, bus priority lanes and a ban on some lanes being used by cars occupied by only the driver.
Cabinet councillors yesterday agreed to start talks with the Highways Agency to take over control of the motorway, which stretches from the M4 to the city centre.
The move would also open up the possibility of keeping the gateway to the city much cleaner and erecting "Welcome to Bristol" signs, which are not currently allowed.
Transport campaigner David Redgewell said de-trunking would allow measures to be introduced to ease traffic congestion.
Mr Redgewell, spokesman for the Transport 2000 pressure group, said: "The M32 is nothing more than a moving car park at peak times. We need to extend bus priority measures and introduce a park-and-ride site to provide viable alternatives to the car.
"The opposition to de-trunking by the AA and RAC is not consistent with their policies to find alternatives to using cars."
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has also opposed the move, claiming that de-trunking could make congestion worse. It claims that many local authorities were failing to honour promises on spending plans for roads which have already been taken over. Malcolm Bingham, for the FTA, said this could lead to more congestion.
Tory group leader Peter Abraham said it would be premature to go ahead with de-trunking at this time.
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