Bath and Bristol - clean air and congestion

[whole diary]

[stuving]

No, the M32 bus lane, although the indications suggest Local Buses Only, the reality of the situation is that its only buses on the m1 and m3 routes that can use that part of the infrastructure.
...

That's not the M32 bus lane - it's the M32 bus-only junction. The M32 southbound bus lane (to give it its long name) is regulated by the The M32 Motorway (Bus Lane and Speed Limit) Regulations 2018, and is managed by Highways England. The consultation about it was run by HE, and the summary of that for parliament included:

10. Impact
10.1 The impact on business, charities, voluntary bodies and the public sector is that the
extended start to the bus lane and 40 mph speed limit will help to reduce congestion
providing more reliable journey times and connect the underdeveloped and
predominantly residential south side of Bristol to the significant employment areas of
the Bristol North Fringe and South Gloucestershire.

10.2 An impact assessment has not been prepared for these Regulations as no impact on the
costs of business, charities, voluntary bodies or the public sector is foreseen.

The regulations define "bus" to "have the same meaning as in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016(b);" - so allow any old bus. At least that's so until just past J3, when the road becomes the A4032 and the bus lane becomes BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about)'s business.

The other M32 interchange and link road at UWE appears to be called the M32 bus-only junction, but I can't find any motorway order about it nor (apart from a dead link to it) "THE M32 MOTORWAY (BUS ONLY JUNCTION) (STOPPING UP) ORDER 2017". There's a DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) order for its road signs, for some reason, but that doesn't even clearly indicate where the boundary of the motorway (and so of HE's remit) lies. There must be a BCC traffic regulation order hiding somewhere.

[Red Squirrel]

And are these people in Bath who don't like diesel fumes related to those who don't want electric OHLE through part of the city?

This comes up from time to time, and I found myself wondering whether it was a fact or a presumption. Now that further electrification is lurking in the long grass where it was kicked this may seem an academic question, but if the climate emergency is being taken seriously then it can only be a matter of time before things start moving again.

So I did a bit of Googling to see who objected, and how strongly, and couldn't find much. Here's what Bath Heritage Watchdog' had to say:

We were informed that the process of electrification would also embrace restoration works to the structures through Bath, and that a far more aesthetic solution to Sydney Gardens than the current temporary fence (installed on the insistence of the Office of the Rail Regulator) would be part of that.  Nevertheless, routine maintenance would not lapse in the interim.

The "in keeping" modifications were where the local consultations would be important, because locally there would be an understanding of style, form, materials and character which Network Rail would not have.  Local architects had been engaged to advise, particularly on the design and positioning of the supporting structures for the overhead wires, and local consultations would be part of that process.  Obviously there are engineering considerations that the architects must address, but local consultations can inform the aesthetic considerations.

The meeting was very useful in that it set out the inevitabilities:  Bath will have electrified services, and these services will be using the same overhead power line system that the rest of the Western Region will use.  With that inevitability comes the promise of what could be some major restoration works to the existing structures, and a dedicated Network Rail project team that understands the sensitivity of Bath and wants to find a solution to the inevitable that Bath can live with, if not actually love.

Watchdog was offered further consultation meetings at appropriate points in the planning, which we gratefully accepted.

Meanwhile, we will put our thinking caps on.  If Brunel was told in 1840 that he had to accommodate electric power and modern safety standards in his designs, what might he have designed for Bath?  . . .

Source: Bath Heritage Watchdog (http://www.bathheritagewatchdog.org/brunel.htm#sgard)

...all of which seems pretty reasonable really, doesn't it?

[martyjon]

Absolutely right stuving, brain engaged again too early.

[Bmblbzzz]

Knowing the rate that BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) operates Marvins Clean Air Options will still be on the drawing board when he's voted out of office.

The Bristol 24/7 article did say these plans were supposed to be in place at the end of 2018. But that was a requirement imposed by central government and they've hardly been swift in tackling air pollution.

[Bmblbzzz]

... if the climate emergency is being taken seriously then it can only be a matter of time before things start moving again.

Ha ha thunk splash! I just fell off my chair into the Sea of Avon.

[TonyK]

... if the climate emergency is being taken seriously then it can only be a matter of time before things start moving again.

Ha ha thunk splash! I just fell off my chair into the Sea of Avon.

#MeToo.

The critical phrase is "if the climate emergency is being taken seriously" Were that the case, we would be electrifying all railways, building new nuclear power stations each week (preferably using Thorium rather than Uranium). We would then wire all homes in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) to 3-phase AC to allow the use of electric water and space heating, plus the charging of an electric car via a charger of at least 5KW. The fast ones on motorways use over 11KW, which is beyond the supply to most streets, never mind homes, as things stand.

Today, a very windy one, wind power produces nearly 20% of our electricity. That represents less than 40% of our energy use, so wind - loved by city dwellers, hated by those who can hear it - produces less than 8% of our needs on a good day. The surplus that is to be stored in batteries (23 fires in South Korea in the last year) doesn't exist.

I believe that we should stop burning oil, coal, and gas in the production of electricity. I have a 1.2KW solar panel on my roof, which was the cheapest way that the builder could achieve an A+ rating for energy.Every light bulb in the house is LED, it gets so hot in winter when the sun shines that I have to open windows and doors, so I have done what I can. I am taking the "climate emergency" seriously, but only because it saves me money.

I am recently returned from Tokyo, and will be off to Tenerife in January next year.