North Road’s only option on the table

North Road provides a strategically important cycle link servicing the east and north of the city, and to Batheaston and beyond.

It is the least steep road with the fewest side roads, no designated on -street parking and, importantly, it also runs past a school.

The North Road route is the beginning of Scholar’s Way, linking up the city centre with the University and the Southern Plateau (via Rainbow Woods).

There’s currently a debate taking place around whether Widcombe Hill or North Road is better, which suggests we are all in agreement that we need a good cycle route from the city centre to the plateau.

Widcombe Hill is a third steeper than North Road with the largest number of side roads and significant on-street parking arranged in chicanes to slow down vehicular traffic. On North Road the bus gate does not remove any parking but wherever you place a bus gate on Widcombe Hill you will need to remove a substantial number of resident parking spaces.

The money for this trial scheme is provided through the Government’s Active Travel Fund (ATF) via West of England Combined Authority (WECA). Each scheme had to be approved by the Department for Transport. If the North Road trial does not happen the majority of the money is returned to WECA to cover overspend on ATF schemes in the rest of the WECA region.

That does not mean the North Road trial does not have its problems. There’s the poor connection from Beckford Road to North Road (which can be fixed in future ATF rounds) and a potential rat run along Cleveland Walk.

Given that the trial 18-month scheme is implemented using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, this enables the council to make numerous design changes over the life of the trial scheme and can easily fix the Cleveland Walk rat-run.

It is not a waste of public money to give this a go. That’s what the money’s for. No costly modelling. Try it out, see if it works, fix any problems that arise. Rinse and repeat. If it still isn’t working after 18 months then remove it.

Scholar’s Way: North Road enables parents to let their age 12+ child cycle to school independently.

With support from employers through cycle to work schemes and ebike/escooter loan schemes, the route enables staff to switch to healthier free forms of travel.

The CAZ Number Plate data showed over 20,000 return journeys made every week up the hill towards the University, of which 2/3rds are from Bath residents. Traffic increases in Bath year on year. If this is not part of the solution then what is?

If we are all agreed we need an ages 12+ cycle route connecting the city centre to the University and the Southern Plateau then Scholar’s Way: North Road trial is it. Widcombe Hill is a sideshow pushed by residents and some councillors to prevent this route from ever happening.

Don’t think otherwise. North Road is the cycle route for people that don’t currently cycle and is the only option on the table.

You voted in a council to deliver these types of changes. Now you need to support them or they won’t happen. Please show your supper here https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/active-travel-schemes.

Adam Reynolds

Chair Walk Ride Bath