None the wiser after council’s webinar

Further to my letter to the Bath Chronicle last week, I was able to attend a webinar organised by B&NES Council last week on the subject of potential traffic changes in the city.

I am afraid that I found the whole experience both depressing and uninformative – at least as far as the proposed bus gate in North Road was concerned.

The whole case for the bus gate was very unimpressive and, rather than any serious planning and analysis, seemed to be based primarily on some form of ideology together with the possibility of spending some central government money.

We were actually told that the council’s previous policy was to consult on such issues but that now an “experiment” would be designed by some genius in the council hierarchy who would “decide” what might be best for us.

So much for democracy! Is this the sort of behaviour that the Libdems now espouse – and again, I write as a party member?

There was no evidence whatsoever presented that this bus gate would encourage either walking – already no problem with very adequate pavements – or cycling. In fact, all sensible analysis would surely show that cyclists will continue to use the much more convenient Bathwick and Widcombe Hills.

In addition, banning traffic that currently uses North Road to turn into the Warminster Road would then cause it to use Bathwick and Widcombe Hills.

This would then increase congestion on Pulteney Road, Sydney Place and Beckford Road as they transit to the Warminster Road. Is this what the architects of this scheme are really trying to achieve?

In fact, quite incredibly, not only were no traffic figures presented but it was stated by the council official responsible for traffic management and network that no current statistics are available and that no traffic modelling has been done. In other words, there has been no proper assessment whatsoever of the effect of this change on pollution and congestion – which any serious analysis would probably show an increase in the middle of Bath.

In these circumstances, surely the council should immediately cease wasting time and resources on such a ridiculous and unproven scheme.

Central government money should be spent on something better that hopefully solves traffic congestion and pollution problems rather than creating it and might realistically encourage some new walking and cycling elsewhere.

How about traffic calming measures on all three hills? That would actually bring some real – as opposed to imaginary – benefits.

Richard Turner

Bath