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

[whole diary]

[anthony215]

No, sadly. Tram-train is a brilliant idea imho, though, because it can open long continuous journey paths using short on-street connections to underused rail lines. Bristol's railway is far from under used, but with those two extra tracks to Filton Bank, so much could be possible.

If anyone official is reading this, I am available to help with planning such a system, and have my own pencil sharpener.

I am sure all of us on this forum could come up with a good list of transport proposals if we put our minds to work, well maybe not me since  I dont know a  lot of Bristol since I live in south wales.

[Red Squirrel]

Just spent an uplifting half-hour or so at Stapleton Road station attending FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways)'s 'Four Track Friday' event. All the local luminaries were there - Julie Boston, George Ferguson, Mark Bradshaw, Charlotte Leslie, Dave Wood, councillors and union reps, and the WEP - all the political parties speaking with one voice to demand two more tracks up Ashley Bank.

Good to see the brackets on the end of the new footbridge pointing north-east, ready to span the new tracks. However I don't see how the footbridge could ever be adapted for wheelchair access; lifts or ramps wouldn't help as there are steps in the main span. I wonder how the station could be made DDA^» (Disability Discrimination Act - about)-compliant? This must a prerequisite of restoring its status as an interchange. Is this short-sightedness, or do NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have an alternative in mind?

[TonyK]

Just spent an uplifting half-hour or so at Stapleton Road station attending FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways)'s 'Four Track Friday' event. All the local luminaries were there - Julie Boston, George Ferguson, Mark Bradshaw, Charlotte Leslie, Dave Wood, councillors and union reps, and the WEP - all the political parties speaking with one voice to demand two more tracks up Ashley Bank.

Good to see the brackets on the end of the new footbridge pointing north-east, ready to span the new tracks. However I don't see how the footbridge could ever be adapted for wheelchair access; lifts or ramps wouldn't help as there are steps in the main span. I wonder how the station could be made DDA^» (Disability Discrimination Act - about)-compliant? This must a prerequisite of restoring its status as an interchange. Is this short-sightedness, or do NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have an alternative in mind?

Sorry I missed it (in Oxfordshire as I type). I'm sure adaptations can be made to that bridge to incorporate a ramp in due course, as it seems to be of a modular construction, but I'm surprised it wasn't done now. That would have saved work in the future, but the ramp money probably comes out of a different jam jar than the electrfication money.

Even with a ramp, Stapleton Road would be far from easy for disabled passengers to use. I'm not talking about wheelchairs here, but people with other limitations. I once had to give an elderly lady a bunk-up into the train there, and was surprised how high from the ground the train door was. Same applies at Lawrence Hill, where I had to help her down again.

[Red Squirrel]

I'm sure adaptations can be made to that bridge to incorporate a ramp in due course, as it seems to be of a modular construction, but I'm surprised it wasn't done now.

Well no; that's my point - the actual span has steps in it, so you'd have to replace it with stepless one, which in turn would mean the stairs on the west side would have to be replaced with a taller set. Essentially all you'd have left of the bridge would be the eastern set of steps. That's quite an adaptation.

Even with a ramp, Stapleton Road would be far from easy for disabled passengers to use. I'm not talking about wheelchairs here, but people with other limitations. I once had to give an elderly lady a bunk-up into the train there, and was surprised how high from the ground the train door was. Same applies at Lawrence Hill, where I had to help her down again.

There you do have a point; as with Montpelier the gap is horrendous. Not just a problem for the elderly; getting my 7-year-olds on and off can be hair-raising.

You'd think there'd be standards for this kind of thing...

[Chris from Nailsea]

As an additional resource on this particular issue, there are some pictures of the new footbridge at Stapleton Road station, in a related topic on this forum, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=994.msg129639#msg129639 

[TonyK]

Before I go to wipe the egg off my reddened face, I shall offer the lame excuse that I hadn't fully absorbed red squirrel's post. That the photograph that clearly shows the steps within span was taken by, er, me, simply adds to my shame.

[JayMac]

He of the red trousers has finalised the Bristol City Council cabinet.

There are two seats for Labour; transport & planning (Mark Bradshaw-Bedminster ward) and education (Brenda Massey-Southmead).

Two for the LibDems: health (Barbara Janke-Clifton) and leisure services (Simon Cooke-Clifton East).

One each for the Conservatives and Greens. Respectively; finance (Geoff Gollop-Westbury-on-Trym) and neighbourhoods/environment (Gus Hoyt-Ashley).

Of note obviously for this topic is the appointment of Mark Bradshaw to transport. I know little of his thinking on public transport in Bristol, but I do know one thing. He isn't Tim Kent. And that has to be a good thing.

I asked the same question of Tim Kent through various means (voicemail, email, letter) and at various times during 2012. Not once did I get a reply. Or even an acknowledgement. I eventually had to go through one of my worse than useless LibDem ward councillors (one down, one to go!), who got back to me after three months with an answer that I'd since found through an alternate source. What was I asking? The really difficult (or so it seemed to the LibDems) question - "By how much is Bristol City Council subsidising the Severn Beach Line for the financial year 2012-2013?"

[TonyK]

He of the red trousers has finalised the Bristol City Council cabinet.

There are two seats for Labour; transport & planning (Mark Bradshaw-Bedminster ward) and education (Brenda Massey-Southmead).

Two for the LibDems: health (Barbara Janke-Clifton) and leisure services (Simon Cooke-Clifton East).

One each for the Conservatives and Greens. Respectively; finance (Geoff Gollop-Westbury-on-Trym) and neighbourhoods/environment (Gus Hoyt-Ashley).

Of note obviously for this topic is the appointment of Mark Bradshaw to transport. I know little of his thinking on public transport in Bristol, but I do know one thing. He isn't Tim Kent. And that has to be a good thing.

Mark can be regarded as the closest thing to an expert on transport that you are ever likely to find in a council. His description of Bust Rabid Transit, in his letter to the red-trousered one reluctantly declining a cabinet post last November, endeared him to me. His support for better use of rail within the Greater Bristol area raised his stock further in my eyes:

"It is on transport that I had hoped to contribute most effort working towards retaining the funding originally for BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit) won by Bristol and the city region. My view is that BRT (especially BRT2) is now a lame duck project with virtually zero public credibility. For BRT to be successful, self-evidently it would need to attract people to using it. This is essential to making a real difference to tackling congestion and widening travel choices.

As a city we need to be bold and innovative about investing in local rail and instigating better quality, more reliable and affordable express and local bus services. We also need to make our roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists. I wish you well in your discussions with Ministers."

Thus spake the man who will sit at the right hand of George Ferguson, and drive policy on transport, including Bust Rabid Transit. This could be a lot of fun to watch.

[Red Squirrel]

...does that mean Mark Bradshaw thinks we can spnd the BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit) money on something more sensible?

[anthony215]

...does that mean Mark Bradshaw thinks we can spnd the BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit) money on something more sensible?

Lets hope so, it will be interesting to see what the more sensible option Mr Bradshaw comes up with

[Chris from Nailsea]

Posting personally, I regard that particular appointment as a very positive step in the right direction for the future of public transport in Bristol.

[TonyK]

Posting personally, I regard that particular appointment as a very positive step in the right direction for the future of public transport in Bristol.

And so do I. Though he is a staunch Labour man, in the issue of public transport I believe that Mark's politics are unimportant, and that he has the best interests of the commuter in Bristol at heart. He has said, as I have, that a lot of the problems with buses in the city stem from long routes passing through the congested centre, and most people having to pay a fare to the driver on boarding. We don't need Bust Rabid Transit to sort those problems out, but how much he can do to use the funds more usefully remains to be seen. Proponents of BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit), mainly S Glos and N Som in WEP, suggest that it is a done deal, and will be foisted on unwilling Bristol, even if it is a total waste of scarce money, to show that WEP is "competent" in transport projects. Pah!

[Red Squirrel]

Proponents of BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit), mainly S Glos and N Som in WEP, suggest that it is a done deal, and will be foisted on unwilling Bristol, even if it is a total waste of scarce money, to show that WEP is "competent" in transport projects. Pah!

Perhaps we should appoint North Dibley's Head of Social Services to project manage it.

[TonyK]

Perhaps we should appoint North Dibley's Head of Social Services to project manage it.

Don't be silly. All they would do is publish leaflets and hold internal meetings until the whole thing goes bosoms skywards. The whole project would become a laughing stock and would nev...

Hang on, you may be onto something!

Meanwhile, back to quality transport. The Bristol Post has published a further report on last weeks' gathering at Stapleton Road, to drum up support for four track, now.

VIPs show support for 'no-brainer' rail upgrade

Monday, May 20, 2013

By Rachel Gardner

RAIL campaigners, MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament), councillors, trade unionists and Bristol's mayor met to show their support for doubling the number of tracks at Filton Bank.

The campaign is seen as a vital part of the bid to improve public transport in the city.
 ​

 Showing their support for the doubling the number of tracks at Filton Bank are MPs, rail campaigners, councillors and trade unionists


Local MPs are backing the move which would double the number of services and open up what is seen as a bottleneck in the system.

They met for a rally at Stapleton Road station's new footbridge on Friday to hear speeches in support of the campaign, which is supported by the Bristol Post.

People have been filling in coupons printed in the newspaper ^ part of a citywide petition ^ to support the campaign, and scores of people have written to show their support.

Campaign group Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways said it expected in June a decision on whether funding for the project had been allocated by the Department for Transport.

Group secretary Tina Biggs said: "The greater Bristol metro will take motorists off Bristol's crowded streets. Four-tracking on Filton Bank is the key to making it happen.

"For example, more trains will be able to stop at Bedminster and Parson Street stations if the local trains are not interfered with by the express trains. Funding rail travel is in the public interest and should come from Government." Chairman Bernard Lane said: "Putting these tracks back is vital for the metro system in Bristol.

"To get a decent public-transport system that is not road-based, this needs to happen.

"It is the backbone of the whole project to improve rail services in the city."

Bristol mayor George Ferguson, who attended the rally, told the Bristol Post: "This is a no-brainer.

"It is integral that a better public transport network is provided as it is vital to the transport policies I am trying to introduce.

"We need to increase the use of the railways, and the doubling of the track is imperative."

Charlotte Leslie, MP for Bristol North West, also attended the rally.

She said she had been in touch with job-centre staff who told her that if former railway stations were reopened in Ashley Hill and Horfield, people living in those areas and nearby Lockleaze would have better access to transport and employment in the city centre and in Avonmouth.

Ms Leslie said: "Doubling the tracks from two to four now is vital to public transport in Bristol.

"We can then see the line electrified and reorganised, making public transport a better option for many people in the city."

Other speakers included Brian Allinson, chairman of the West of England joint transport executive committee which gave its support to the campaign by writing to the Department for Transport.

Labour councillor Mark Bradshaw, who has accepted a place in Mr Ferguson's cabinet and is responsible for transport, also attended, as did Liberal Democrat councillors Sean Emmett (Lockleaze) and David Willingham (Bishopston), Conservatives Chris Windows and Mark Weston, who both represent Henbury, and Green councillor Daniella Radice (Bishopston).

Bernard Kennedy, Bristol branch secretary of train-drivers' union ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about), said he could remember when there were four tracks 33 years ago.

He said: "Adding two lines is vital as the current lines are completely overloaded.

"It is so important that we keep putting pressure on the Government."

As an aside, I was a few years ago at a meeting, where the then manager of the Jobcentre in Stapleton Road bemoaned the fact that a certain training facility was miles away, near Parkway station, so would be out of reach of her clients. When I suggested that they could use the station across the road, I was asked the inevitable question: "What station?" The new manager knows better.

[Red Squirrel]

Meanwhile, back to quality transport. The Bristol Post has published a further report on last weeks' gathering at Stapleton Road, to drum up support for four track, now.

So they did! Now then, who's that handsome brute with the receeding hairline lurking at the back by the blue cabinet... No sign of a bushy tail though, must have tucked it away somewhere.