Many react angrily to permanent closure of Bristol Bridge
Bristol City Council say it improves air quality and promotes sustainable travel
There's been a largely angry reaction online to news Bristol Bridge is closing permanently to private cars.
It closed to all but buses, taxis, motorcyclists and cyclists last August in a bid to improve air quality and the City Council says it will stay that way after a successful trial.
Commenting on social media though many are aghast at the news, with one complaining that Bristol has "the worst council in England."
In a statement released to announce the news Mayor Marvin Rees said: "The closure of Bristol Bridge is part of our bold vision to deliver clean air and transform travel in the city and I am delighted to make the change permanent after a successful trial.
"It has removed lots of polluting traffic from the central zone and improved bus punctuality and journey times, without causing significant problems elsewhere on the network.
"By creating more space for public transport, we are paving the way for a mass transit system that will connect us all to jobs, leisure and each other.
"This decision takes us one step closer to a better, more inclusive future with cleaner air, safer and better public transport, and improved walking and cycling routes for everyone.”
Bus company First West of England is also positive about the news.
“When the pandemic struck it fundamentally changed people’s travel habits and presented a once in a lifetime opportunity to try and encourage the vital shift from normal car commuter patterns to more environmentally friendly and sustainable options," Doug Claringbold, Managing Director of First West of England, said.
“The trial closure of Bristol Bridge to regular traffic was a move we warmly welcomed and I’m pleased to see Bristol City Council make this permanent with its announcement today."
Claringbold adds that since the bridge closed last August bus journey times on routes crossing it are "up to five minutes quicker".
"As a result, the frequency for the number 2 service has doubled after we were able to create a 2A service in response to the improvements," he said.
"As a company we are in complete alignment with Bristol City Council’s commitment to make our city centre a cleaner, greener and all round more pleasant and environmentally friendly place for everyone, and an efficient, more frequent public transport network is key to achieving that ambition.”
It seems many Bristol residents though, are not convinced the closure does anything to improve air quality or the city's traffic problems.
"One comment on Facebook reads, "Not surprising but it only pushes problems elsewhere should of left it alone as it was just makes life more difficult to get into town."
Another calls it "absolute madness".
"The centre has become a joke with one lane now instead of the two as you drive past hippodrome to the bus station," he says.
"Baldwin st was the perfect cut through to get from one side of the city to the other."
A third says the city may as well be closed as "they (the council) obviously don’t want people there!"
It is by no means everyone who thinks it's a bad idea though, with some reacting happily.
"Good news," one woman says.
"Now sort out bike lanes and public transport so people have an actual viable alternative to driving."
Another had a tongue in cheek dig at those complaining.
"Bristol is going through what Amsterdam went through in the 1970s," they say.
"Now Amsterdam is really unattractive, all the shops have closed, the air is unbreathable, and hardly anyone from outside ever visits.
"Oh, wait a minute..."
Bristol City Council's statement ends by saying Bristol Bridge will eventually serve as a central hub of a new mass transport system "where different sustainable transport options meet".
Mayor Marvin Rees is pursuing plans for a partial underground system, plus faster bus routes and an expanded rail network.
Melanie Watson, co-chair of the One City Transport Board said: “Bus passengers consistently tell us that reliable services are one of key improvements they would like to see.
"By providing priority for buses at this key location and removing the congestion on a permanent basis, buses will now be able to travel freely and consistently offer reliable journey times for passengers.
"Schemes such as these are vital to encourage passengers back to bus and helps to create a better environment for all.”
The decision to make the Bristol Bridge bus lane permanent also applies to the camera enforced bus gates at either end of Baldwin Street, on St Augustine’s Parade, and at the bottom of Union Street.