Bus gate will serve no useful purpose

I see on the B&NES website a consultation about a proposal to install a “bus gate” on North Road.

In my opinion, this is a most illconceived and stupid piece of traffic planning that, although it is claimed to be in the interests of cyclists and walkers, will serve no useful purpose and will actually have the opposite effect.

There are three main hills between Combe Down, the university and Bath on the eastern side of town - four if you include Prior Park Road - and all have adequate pavements for walkers.

Shutting North Road to vehicular traffic will not encourage cyclists to use this route as it is the least convenient way into the centre of Bath and they will continue to to use the most convenient routes which are Bathwick Hill and Widcombe Hill.

The bus gate will divert all vehicular traffic onto the other hills particularly Bathwick Hill which is already very busy - thereby causing substantial additional congestion and pollution.

In addition, cars needing access to North Road above the bus gate will now have to make a much longer journey - again increasing congestion and pollution.

If there is any proposal to block off Cleveland Walk from North Road, cars will have to use the junction of Cleveland Walk and Bathwick Hill and this is almost certain to cause accidents as the visibility of traffic coming down Bathwick Hill is very poor.

How can anyone seriously claim that this proposal is a “green” solution when its result will be more congestion and pollution on Bathwick and Widcombe Hills and no decrease whatsoever in cycle traffic on these hills? This seems to me to be a piece of misplaced ideology and a desire to spend money.

If this is the sort of thing that the supposedly green Lib Dem council does, it would be a good idea to vote them out - and I write as a party member!

Richard Turner

Bath