Bristol cycle routes to close 'missing link' in centre

Bristol was named the UK's first Cycling City in 2008

Building work is due to begin this summer on a major upgrade of a city's walking and cycling routes.

Bristol City Council wants to fill in the "missing link" between the cycle and pedestrian path from Bath and Castle Park.

The pedestrianisation of Cotham Hill and a temporary bike lane on Park Row will also be made permanent.

The Cotham Hill project saw the busy road shut to motor traffic two years ago.

Adam Crowther, head of city transport, updated the council's Growth and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee about progress on the schemes on Wednesday.

He said "two or three routes" were being looked at around the Old Market roundabout.

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Currently cyclists can ride on segregated routes through Baldwin Street and Castle Park to the Old Market roundabout, but then there is no clear route joining up with the path to Bath.

"It's not ideal to do things in bits, but if we didn't do things in bits we wouldn't have the Baldwin Street cycle route, and we wouldn't have what we'll end up with when the [Old Market] scheme is complete," said Mr Crowther.

Cotham Hill in Clifton was temporarily pedestrianised during the Covid-19 pandemic

While no firm timescale was given, construction on the Old Market and Cotham Hill projects are expected to begin this summer.

The temporary bike lane was installed on Park Row during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has been widely criticised, as plastic bollards meant to mark the bike lane are frequently driven over, and drivers often park in the bike lane.

Mr Crowther said: "It's a little bit tired now, it has been parked all over, and those little plastic bollards can work - but they need to work in the right environment.

"This scheme will put hard starts and finishes to a lot of those cycle lanes, so it feels more like a cycle lane rather than someone's just put a cone in the middle of the road that you can drive over if you want to."

Cabinet member for transport, Don Alexander, added: "It's not going to be quick but hopefully it'll be massively better."

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