Good to see politician tackle anti-car claim

I read with interest the interview with Councillor Joanna Wright in the Chronicle last week.

It is refreshing to have a councillor face up to the charge of being “anti car” just because she dares to suggest a city where cars have to share the roads with pedestrians and cyclists, where people may have to change their routes slightly to stop rat running on residential streets.

The council’s introduction of a liveable neighbourhood approach which she is spearheading is good news for Bath, but the beauty will be in the detail.

The principles of slowing traffic for pedestrian safety, of dealing with the short cuts that sat navs adopt to drive rat runners through residential streets (all to shave 5 minutes off a journey), of encouraging those of us who can, to walk a bit more, to use the bus a bit more, whilst still enabling residents to drive when they need to, sounds pretty sensible. Better and safer shared roads, a nicer, safer city for all.

Local people who live close to the city centre are all too aware of the increased traffic using residential roads and many have embraced the principles of low traffic neighbourhoods as a way to curb rat running through their area and make Bath healthier for everyone, but the concern that many express is of potential displacement effects into other residential areas.

We are all aware that a trial scheme in one area (if considered in isolation) could simply leak traffic into other residential roads and create new rat runs.

Areas don’t exist in council ward “silos”. Without a proper commitment to ensure that displacement is mitigated some fear that any trial LTN could face objectors.

I would urge the highways team to consider this and talk to people locally before decisions are made.

Rachael Hushon

Lansdown resident