Creating disruption can help solve traffic problems, suggests Bath councillor
Sarah Warren made the comment during a discussion about low traffic neighbourhoods
Creating disruption on the roads could actually help solve Bath's traffic problems by encouraging people out of their cars.
That's what the deputy leader of Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council Sarah Warren has suggested during a discussion about new low traffic neighbourhoods.
She has been asked how confident she is the scheme will work and said the council will take swift action to deal with any problems, but they must be given a chance.
“It’s all about bringing the public with us," she said.
“We know from our climate emergency declaration that we have to reduce per person car mileage by 25 per cent by 2030 to hit net zero.
“Bath is rammed with traffic. It’s full of congestion.
"Businesses lose money sat in queues.
"This is all about providing alternative ways of getting around.
“That will mean those people who don’t need to travel by car will feel safe trying out alternative ways of getting around the city.
"That will mean that those who have no option but to travel by car should have an easier time getting around."
The Liberal Democrat party has allocated £2 million on its liveable neighbourhood rollout and if “particularly thorny” issues arise up to half of the budget for individual schemes could be spent on public engagement.
Cabinet bosses last month approved the first 15 “simple” applications to take forward.
Their Conservative rivals have claimed the project will make some areas “unliveable” by displacing traffic onto congested roads and restricting access for businesses and people with disabilities.
“It’s absolutely vital that some of them work," she said.
“Why would you not want that for your area?
"It’s about making spaces around people’s homes that are less dominated by cars that are nice spaces to spend time and chat with your neighbours.
“By creating a bit of disruption on the highway network you get people to think newly about the way they move around, and then new routines will evolve, and fewer people will be dependent on cars."
Cllr Warren says we have to give them the time to become embedded,
“When liveable neighbourhoods have been put in in other places in consultation with communities they have eventually resulted in new patterns of behaviour," she added.
"We need to give them time when they bed in."
She could not say how the council will determine if something is not working in the short term, or would not work at all, but added: “We don’t anticipate that there will be big concerns because we’re going to design them carefully with communities.”
It is set to publish a consultation and engagement plan this month, start consulting and co-designing the first schemes in September and then prepare preliminary costings the following month.
Another round of consultation will take place in November before they are rolled out – the council is now aiming for June 2022.