The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is currently engaging local residents on plans to provide better and more sustainable transport between Bath and Bristol – to help people move around more easily, reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions and improve the environment. This is being done in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council and Bristol City Council Bristol. The deadline for responses is Friday 10 September.
At its September meeting, SPC resolved its response to the WECA Bristol to Bath Transport Survey, a copy can be found here and as follows:
Transport Corridor:
Saltford Parish Council considers that any strategy Planning related to a Bristol to Bath Bristol Transport Corridor must take fully into account the capacity of the roadways that are part of this strategically important route. Any Highway capacity limitations need to be clearly identified and resolved by Local and National Government working together to find transport solutions to these existing and future traffic load constraints. Saltford Parish Council is concerned and therefore highlights the limited traffic capacity of the A4 from the Globe roundabout to Saltford and then through Saltford to the Broadmead roundabout. This single carriageway section of the A4 reaches capacity during rush hour. We consider that the congestion along this section of the A4 will also worsen as a result of the large number of Commercial and Housing developments completed and planned that will feed transport on to this section of the A4.
This single carriageway section of the A4 is narrow and has not been effectively widened for decades. Congestion on this section of road represents a serious nuisance to residents of air and noise pollution, and also highway safety issues in respect of congestion.
This section of the A4 appears to have become noticeably more congested over recent months. Of particular concern in respect of pollution, and congestion is the apparent increasing number of Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through Saltford. Investigation needs to be undertaken by Bath and North East Somerset Council to confirm if these Heavy Goods Vehicles are now rerouting through Saltford to avoid the charges introduced for the Clean Air Zone in Bath.
Given the existing restriction of capacity and road size of the A4 through Saltford no plan to improve Mass Transit along this strategic important transport corridor should be considered without effective strategic plans to remove some of the traffic volume from the A4 by using alternative existing transport corridors between the two cities.
Most significant is the Great Western Railway which travels through Saltford to both Bath and Bristol. Here the original station site is on the A4 and could be developed. Additionally, there is the Bath Bristol Railway Path. Originally this railway line had two tracks and has the width for possible additional development.
Metro Bus Service
Saltford Parish Council considers that the Metro Bus Service must provide an affordable, reliable, regular , quick and green service and these service standards should be set and agreed by the services stakeholders.
The Council also considers of the highest importance that the service must provide sufficient passenger capacity and space so that journeys are not overcrowded. Besides being uncomfortable for passengers these conditions create significant health and safety risk particularly in respect to transmissible deceases like influenza and covid.
The service should also resolve any zone or fare levels anomalies. In the case of Saltford where the village has been placed in the outer zones of both cities meaning that residents are charged on a higher fare banding which ever direction they travel.
Any strategic Bus service must take fully into account the capacity of the roadways that are part of its route. Highway capacity limitations need to be clearly identified and resolved by Local and National Government working together to find transport solutions to these problems. It is clear that no Strategic Bus Service can be considered in isolation from the vehicle capacity of the bus route highways.
The Council is concerned and would highlight the limited traffic capacity of the A4 from the Globe roundabout to Saltford and then through Saltford to the Broadmead roundabout. This section of the A4 reaches capacity daily during rush hour. We consider that the congestion along this section of the A4 will also worsen as a result of the large number of commercial and housing developments completed and planned that will feed on to this section of the A4.
This section of the A4 is narrow along this section and has not been effectively widened for decades. Congestion on this section of road represents a serious nuisance to residents of air and noise pollution, and also highway safety issues in respect of congestion.
No consultation in respect of the Bath Bristol transport corridor and Bus service can be undertaken without a full strategic review on the existing and future traffic load of this section of the A4.
This section of the A4 has become noticeably more congested over recent months. Of particular concern in respect of pollution, congestion and road safety is the increasing number of Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through Saltford. Part of this increase may be being caused by the recent introduction of the Clean Air Zone in Bath that many be causing these vehicles to reroute through Saltford to avoid the zones charges.
Given the existing restriction of capacity and road size of the A4 through Saltford no improvement to a bus service or mass transit along this strategic transport corridor should be considered without effective strategic plans to remove some of the traffic volume from the A4 by using alternative existing transport corridors between the two cities.
Most significant is the Great Western Railway which travels through Saltford to both Bath and Bristol. Here the original station site is close to the A4 and could be easily developed. Additionally, there is the Bath Bristol Railway Pathway. Originally this railway had two tracks and has the width for possible additional development.
Have your say!
WECA want to hear from people who live near, or travel along, the A4 for work or leisure, including anyone whose main route into Bristol or Bath is via the A4. WECA want to find out what issues they currently experience and what improvements they would like to see. This early engagement on the Bristol to Bath Corridor Project will help WECA to develop more detailed proposals to improve travel between Bath and Bristol, through better bus services and encouraging more cycling and walking.
There is an online survey https://consultation.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/infrastructure/bristoltobathsurvey or WECA can receive comments via an interactive map of the route. WECA are also making paper copies of the survey available on request. To find out more about the Bristol to Bath Corridor project please visit: www.travelwest.info/bristoltobath