Bristol connections: Metro, Bus Rapid Transit, PTE, ITA and local councils - discussion

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

If further evidence were needed, here's a 1918 photo with the struts in situ:

95 years on, I was passing, and had a camera in my pocket...

So is FTN now RqI

FTN = Four Track Now
RqI = Requadrify Imminently

What's wrong with "Immediately"? 

[JayMac]

95 years on it appears you can no longer get Klondyke or Wills's Gold Flake cigarettes on Stapleton Road.

What appears to be two tobacconists just a few doors apart. Times have certainly changed.

Incidentally, I initially misspelled tobacconist and the only suggestion my browser spell-check came up with was, 'coreligionist'. 

[chuffed]

Holy smoke ?!

[TonyK]

Not only that, but it seems to me that the pub has had a entire floor removed. But that's another storey.

I smoked my last cigarette on Sunday 12 May 1991. Tobacconists began to close in Bristol on the following Wednesday. Of the many decisions I have made in my life, possibly as many as 50, this was the best. Not only did I benefit health wise, I now have much more money to spend. On drink.

[Chris from Nailsea]

... the pub has had an entire floor removed. But that's another storey.

Indeed, Four Track, Now! 

That particular structural alteration, and the disappearance of all of those buildings between the stone bridge and the pub, may be due to the work of an unknown German demolition specialist between 1939 and 1945 ... 

[JayMac]

I smoked my last cigarette on Sunday 12 May 1991.

3 months clean for me. Well... tobacco. I now get my nicotine fix from those new-fangled leccy tabs. Was spending a fiver week on baccy. Now spending a tenner a week on electronic smokes. Have to say though that the cigar flavoured one (Corona Grande) I found the other day is very agreeable.

Peering through the (water and propylene glycol vapour) fug, I think we're drifting off topic. My fault. Maybe nicotine poisoning.

[Red Squirrel]

Well I have a different stor(e)y:



Just a parapet, not a whole storey. Must say I prefer the old name...

I wonder if the other buildings were destroyed in the same incident that damaged the bridge?

Are we straying off topic?

[JayMac]

I've had some old beer before. It certainly wasn't 'celebrated'. Gave me gut rot. 

[TonyK]

That particular structural alteration, and the disappearance of all of those buildings between the stone bridge and the pub, may be due to the work of an unknown German demolition specialist between 1939 and 1945 ... 

Which brings us neatly back to the hypothesis that bomb damage may well have been the start of the troubles for that bridge. I have tried, without success, to find the article that mentioned the long dry summer of 1976 (part of which I spent in Cornwall, sleeping on the beach in Newquay, St Ives, and on a rock in Penzance, as well as in a railway carriage) and the deleterious effect it had on the ground around that bridge. As has been said earlier, the former course of the River Frome is plain to see, as my own photograph shows:



You mess with nature at your peril. Incidentally, the first major diversion of the Frome was in 1245, ordered by King John, which moved the junction with the Avon from Bristol Bridge to what is now the Centre.

BNM, there is no such thing as bad beer, or wine for that matter, and certainly not gin, but some are undeniably better than others.

[ellendune]

Which brings us neatly back to the hypothesis that bomb damage may well have been the start of the troubles for that bridge. I have tried, without success, to find the article that mentioned the long dry summer of 1976 and the deleterious effect it had on the ground around that bridge.

The long hot summer of 1976 is much more likely to have had an effect on the older stone viaduct than the iron bridge, which would have been able to cope with some movement. Though the movement of the river would have made any subsidence due to the hot summer much worse.

You mess with nature at your peril.

When it comes to moving rivers this has been proved correct on countless occasions. Probably including Cowley Bridge Junction!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Are we straying off topic?

That particular structural alteration, and the disappearance of all of those buildings between the stone bridge and the pub, may be due to the work of an unknown German demolition specialist between 1939 and 1945 ... 

Which brings us neatly back ...

Subtle moderation, eh? 

[TonyK]

The Bristol Post seems to be keeping the pressure on.

Readers make their points about rail plan

By Michael Ribbeck

SCORES of Bristol Post readers have written to the paper to back the campaign to double the number of rail tracks at Filton Bank on the approach to Temple Meads.

The campaign is seen as a vital part of the bid to improve public transport and the train service in the city. Local MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) are backing the move which would double the number of services and open up what is seen as a bottleneck in the system.

Readers have filled in the special coupon ^ which is part of a city-wide petition ^ in the newspaper.

Richard Heath, from St George, said: "Without the four tracks the Greater Bristol Network will simply not work. A freight train can block the rail line for ten to 15 minutes. Having only two tracks will not provide the capacity to run the kind of passenger service that we all need."

Mr S Sutton, from Keynsham, said: "With the forthcoming electrification, an additional two trains will be needed each way per hour and any unplanned delays will result in a busy stretch of line being stacked to capacity."

Rail campaigners have been urging MPs with constituencies in and around Bristol to give their support for the doubling of the number of tracks between Filton Abbey Wood and Temple Meads stations.

The extra track will increase the amount of services on the crucial Severn Beach line.

People should write to the Department for Transport before June, when it will be announced whether a bid for funding for the work has been approved.

Campaign group Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways says MPs made pledges on public transport in 2010 and should take action to ensure the city does not miss out on funding for a vital piece of infrastructure.

Under the plans for a Bristol metro, the railway line from the city to Portishead would be reopened, local services would be more frequent and disused stations would be brought back into use.

Julie Boston, spokesman for FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways), said: "Cross-party support for Government funding to reinstate the missing two tracks between Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood stations is essential. We need to send a strong message to the Government on this before the decision.

"We need as much support as possible to ensure funding is secured to double the number of tracks between Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood."

[Red Squirrel]

Just dusted off my copy of "Bristol City Centre Policy Report", published in 1966:

If all the proposals outlined in the report 'The Reshaping of British Railways' are implemented, there will be within the City only Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Temple Meads, Parson Street, Bedminster and St. Anne's Park stations available to passengers. Many of the closures which are proposed or have already taken place, particularly those which affect the expanding urban areas, are unfortunate. The Avonmouth, Severnside and Yate areas are all likely to expand greatly, yet in these three cases the passenger rail services have already been withdrawn or are liable to clusure.

The closure proposals seem to have been made without consideration being given to the possibility of a balanced transportation plan being achieved in Bristol, and it is considered that prior to any further steps being taken to withdraw passenger services, a study should be undertaken of the possible future role of the railways based on the policies outlined in previous chapters. In particular, the possible development of the transport interchange centres at Lawrence Hill, Montpelier, Stapleton Road and Parson Street as rail/bus interchanges should be investigated.

Something to think about when you're standing on Stapleton Road footbridge at 11.00 on Friday morning...

Edit: For some reason I wrote 'Thursday' -it's not, it's Four Track Friday

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Land-buying starts for North Fringe-to-Hengrove scheme

Privately-owned land along the planned North Fringe-to-Hengrove rapid transit route is set to be bought by South Gloucestershire Council.

The route is part of a major scheme to improve links to Bristol city centre by building bus lanes to cut congestion.

Councillor Brian Allinson said: "The more land we can buy up now from willing landowners along the route, the sooner we can start construction work."

The amount the council spends on buying land will remain confidential.

Work is expected to start on the rapid transit scheme in 2015.

The council has said it has not yet ascertained how much land will be bought as this will depend on negotiations with landowners.

Councillors on the cross-party committee also agreed to spend ^4m on the A38 Gipsy Patch and Filton junction.

The Bristol North Fringe route will cost ^102m in total with half of the money coming from the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) and a further ^51m coming from local councils and third-party businesses.

The route will see an extra bus-only junction added to the M32 between Frenchay and Easton.

Why does the amount the council are spending have to remain confidential? This is taxpayers money being spent so there should be transparency of costs.

[trainer]

I agree that keeping these costs 'confidential' is undemocratic and means we can't call our councils to account if necessary.  I seem to recall that it was South Glos attitude that finally did for the proposed and aborted Avon Metro.  If they are now spending large amounts to try to make a half-baked bus scheme work voters should know. Buying land for even a partially segregated rail based scheme will IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) have a much better return on the investment. My evidence?  Every city that has introduced one.