People will be able to enjoy new protected bike lanes in the city centre from next week as part of work to make it easier to walk, cycle and social distance in Bristol.
New bike lanes are being installed along Park Row, Upper Maudlin Street and Marlborough Street as part of a package of improvements to reduce air pollution, which are being accelerated to help people get around safely during the pandemic.
The changes that are due to be implemented by Monday 3 August will see temporary bollards installed to protect the lanes from traffic, which will be reduced from two lanes to one along much of the route.
Traffic will also reduce to one lane on Lewins Mead to allow for the installation of a northbound protected bike lane from the Christmas St junction to St James Barton roundabout. This temporary arrangement is also due for completion by 3 August.
The long-term ambition is to make the new road layouts permanent, as part of the transformation of Bristol’s transport network, creating cleaner air and better bus, walking and cycling journeys, alongside ongoing plans for a mass transit public transport system.
These bold measures to divert traffic away from the city centre will make a huge difference to the quality of our air on a key Bristol route that passes our hospitals.
The new protected bike lanes are part of city-wide transformative measures that will create a more connected future for everyone with cleaner air, safer and better public transport, and improved walking and cycling routes.
There may be a period of disruption while we all adapt to these crucial changes that are important to protect public health in both the long and short term by changing how we travel in and around Bristol.
We are working with the community to minimise disruption and we are keen to engage with people as we monitor the impacts before making any changes permanent.
The changes from 3 August will include:
- Traffic lanes on Upper Maudlin Street will reduce from two lanes to one lane in both directions and Marlborough Street will reduce from two eastbound lanes to one
- Suspension of parking bays along Perry Road and Park Row
- Pop up bike lanes along Park Row, Upper Maudlin Street and Marlborough Street, protected from traffic by temporary bollards
- Pop up bike lane installed and traffic reduced from two lanes to one on Lewins Mead from the Christmas St junction to St James Barton roundabout
In September there will be further changes to improve walking and cycling on the route that heads westbound along Park Row to Perry Road and Upper Maudlin Street. This will alter the junction at St Michael’s Hill, including:
- No left turn onto St Michael’s Hill from Perry Road
- No right turn out of St Michael’s Hill onto Perry Road
- People will still be able to turn right onto St Michael’s Hill from Upper Maudlin Street.
The closures of Bristol Bridge, Baldwin Street and Union Street to through traffic will also go live on August 2.
The bike lanes are being installed on a temporary basis initially and Bristol City Council will assess how they are working before permanent changes are made. An interactive mapping tool for people to make comments is available at: www.bristol.gov.uk/covidtransport.