DfT To Spend Millions On Bath Bus Improvements

[whole diary]

[Lee]

The Bath Chronicle has set up a page on its website listing articles related to the BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit) plans (link below.)
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/brt

[Lee]

The Response2Route group has teamed up with residents of London Road who are also against the proposed Bus Rapid Transit scheme (link below.)
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Groups-link-fight-transport-plans/article-419954-detail/article.html

At the latest meeting of Response2Route, two homeowners said they had received letters regarding compulsory purchase orders for their land.

The letters threatened legal action if they were not responded to within two weeks.

The group has organised a series of protests and demonstrations over the coming weeks, starting this Saturday at Green Park Station.

Members will be collecting signatures for a petition which will be presented at a full council meeting at the Guildhall.

A council spokeswoman said the CPO letters were part of a laid-down process to win Government funding.

[Lee]

More details have been promised at a public exhibition to be held on November 6,7 and 8.

Article link on the exhibition.
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Transport-plans/article-425715-detail/article.html

Also, residents have gathered in a show of opposition against plans for a new park and ride site on the edge of Bath (link below.)
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Protest-park-ride/article-424497-detail/article.html

Opponents yesterday turned up to protest against Bath and North East Somerset Council's plans for the new site off the A4 Batheaston bypass to the east of the city.

The ^6.3-million facility, which would provide 1,300 spaces to drivers coming from Wiltshire and the M4 into Bath, was billed as a major breakthrough to a 20-year deadlock over where to put an east-of-Bath park and ride scheme.

The council has to secure a park and ride site to the east of the city to unlock more than ^50m of Government funding for its Bath Transportation Package.

But residents who live in the villages of Batheaston and Bathampton, which overlook the site at Bathampton Meadows, say there is little evidence it will improve Bath's traffic problems and the council should be pushing greener methods of travel instead.

They have also accused council chiefs of ignoring a report by Government officials which ruled out a park and ride on the meadows because it would harm the appearance of the green belt.

[Lee]

Further related link.
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Battle-lines-park-ride-plans/article-447230-detail/article.html

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and the latest update on what is apparently growing opposition to the scheme:

Opposition politicians will next week attempt to put the brakes on a major programme of transport improvements for Bath.  Liberal Democrats say the ruling Tory administration at the Guildhall is "railroading" the Bath Transportation Package through in the teeth of objections.

Bath and North East Somerset Council chiefs say the package - which will cost between ^54 million and ^58 million - is the answer to the city's worsening congestion problems.  And it says the Government cash which will fund most of the work could be lost if there are any changes to the schemes involved which affect the overall cost of the package.  These include a new park and ride site at Bathampton, the expansion of existing sites at Odd Down, Newbridge and Lansdown, and the ^16 million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit)) project running east-west across the city.

The location of the new park and ride site to serve the east of the city has been changed from Lambridge in a move the council says will actually save money.

Arguably the most contentious element in the package is the BRT - which would see a new dedicated route created along an old railway line at Newbridge.  Residents want that section scrapped and the council to look at using existing roads for the buses which will serve the route.

For the full story, from the Bath Chronicle, see http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Opposition-bids-brake-transport-plans/article-471324-detail/article.html

[dog box]

Actually how Rapid is this Bus Rapid Transport scheme going to be??

[eightf48544]

Actually how Rapid is this Bus Rapid Transport scheme going to be??

We'll know when Cambridge to St Ives (Cambs) opens.

Funny that scheme seems to have gone very quite!

Also why don't we hear about the great success of Leeds.?

Endinburgh has gone for trams and not expanded their scheme. I wonder why?

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Bath Chronicle:

A petition objecting to the controversial Bus Rapid Transit system planned for Bath will be handed over at a council meeting tonight.

Readers of the Chronicle's website have delivered an overwhelming thumbs-down to plans for the Bus Rapid Transit route across Bath.

Some 81 per cent of the 2,310 people taking part in an online poll were opposed to the plan which would involve buses taking people in and out of the city centre from park and ride sites on the east and west of Bath.

The ^16 million Bus Rapid Transit scheme would involve the loss of more than 50 on-street parking spaces, and parts of six gardens and five business premises in Newbridge.

Part of the route will be along a mile-long stretch of disused railway line between Brassmill Lane and Windsor Bridge Road.

For the full article, see http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Thumbs-BRT-online-poll/article-485983-detail/article.html