London Road changes make road worse for cyclists

Posted on 17 September 2013 by Roger

Present cycle/delivery lane that will go under new proposals. What happens to people on bikes then?

A £750K project on London Road has not improved the lot of cyclists living in or cycling through the area. This is the main entry to the city from the east and has long had problems with air quality and congestion, yet when the chance to reduce congestion and pollution by making it easy for people to switch to bikes has come, it has not been taken. In fact the proposals put forward will make the road a “no go” area for cyclists.

This project has had input from the local community, but people who cycle were not represented. Details of the scheme, which in other respects is an improvement, can be found here: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/planning-and-building-control/major-projects/london-road-regeneration-project

Below are two comments on the affect the scheme will have on people riding bikes:

Dear Fellow Pedallers

I am co-chair of a local green organisation called Transtion Larkhall. We are trying to promote a safer cycling route along London Road to the city centre.

By chance we discovered an imminent plan to make London Road in vicinity of Snow Hill and Morrisons more pedestrian and car parking friendly and less cyclist friendly.

This ‘Gateway’ plan would involve removal of the present cycle path on the inbound pavement between Walcot Buildings and Clevelan Place junction. It would be replaced by car parking on the pavement.

Although this present cycle path arrangement is of limited value it does offer some alternative to the two narrow and usually
vehicle-packed traffic lanes approaching the risky Cleveland Place junction.

Its removal would make cycling on London Road even more unpleasant and risky than it is at present.

Moreover, it would remove space for a significant section of a more extensive safe cycling route on London Road. Transition Larkhall’s Safe Cycling group has proposed this to B&NES but has, as yet, received no response.

If you cycle on London Road or you care about the welfare of your fellow cyclists, and about encouraging more cycling in Bath, please *object* to these proposals. By emailing: Jessica
Turner Jessica_Turner@bathnes.gov.uk

Nigel Sherwen, Cycling Rights Officer for Bath Cycling Club makes the following comments:

On behalf of the Bath Cycling Club I strongly object to the proposals because they have the potential to make cycling on this road more hazardous and less attractive to cyclists than at present. The scheme does not meet the Council’s stated aim of encouraging cycling, for all it’s health and environmental benefits it can bring. In fact if implemented in it’s current form it is likely to discourage cycling as a means of transport. My detailed reasons are as follows:

1. Short lengths of advisory cycle lane have been proposed alongside regular traffic flows, which is far from ideal. However even worse, the cycle lane comes to an abrupt halt at the pavement build out, to narrow the road ( north side between Snow Hill House and the Esso Garage). This means that a cyclist using this lane has to come to a stop and have to wait for a safe gap between vehicles to pull into the flow of traffic, which could be a long time. Alternatively they take their chances and pull out into the traffic flow where drivers will not be expecting such action. This increases the risk of collisions between vehicles and cyclists.

2. The scheme does not mention the removal of the cycle lane near Clevland Bridge for 7 car spaces. In Bath City Council’s days this was an actual off road cycle lane. In the early years of B&NES council, despite protests, it was converted at some £60,000 to a loading bay /cycle lane. Cyclists are meant to get off and walk on the pavement past parked vehicles. This is as impractical as it is demeaning in it’s treatment of cycling as mode of transport.. The current scheme even removes that very limited cycling facility in favour of car parking, forcing cyclists into the busy road traffic.

3. London Road is an ideal route for cyclists to travel between Larkhall, Lambridge , Batheaston and Bathford and the centre of Bath as it is a basically a level route. The only practical alternative involves steep hills and quite busy roads with considerable car parking so not likely to be attractive to most cyclists or would be cyclists.

4. It is not clear what cycle “refuge” at junction means. Clearly this area (Cleveland Bridge junction) is very difficult for cyclists to negotiate safely.

The scheme could and should be changed to provide a separated cycle route or routes which should be part of the design. There would appear to be plenty of space, particularly on the south side. Why not move the parking into the road in place of the useless intermittent advisory cycle lane, for example, and create a safe cycle route (3m wide, two-way?) out of the pavement width? The evidence is that it’d benefit the traders as well as encourage more cycling. There exists a Cycle Forum with bi monthly meetings between the Council (members and officers and cycling representatives). Why was this body not consulted over the proposals?

Add the failure on London Road, where a cycle lane is to be removed, to the inadequate consideration given to people cycling in Widcombe (see earlier post) there is a gap in the Council’s provision for cycling. Until we have a Transport Strategy it is unlikely that cycling will be given the priority that it should have, but it may be possible to get some change with a motion to Council.

The Government is leading on cycling provision, it is high time that this Council responded to the call for action by the Prime Minister:

Following our success in the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Tour de France, British cycling is riding high – now we want to see cycling soar. Our athletes have shown they are among the best in the world and we want to build on that, taking our cycling success beyond the arena and onto the roads, starting a cycling revolution which will remove the barriers for a new generation of cyclists.

Nigel Sherwen writing above has suggested a way to cater for people on bikes, but an improvement to London road’s problems of pollution and congestion can only be provided by reducing traffic.

If the present bus lane was extended all the way from the Batheaston roundabout to Cleveland Bridge junction it would provide a safer ride on a bikes and also decrease the time of bus journeys. It might mean that more buses come into Bath along Henrietta Street and across Pulteney Bridge, but the shorter journey would be very attractive to commuters.

Despite recent developments such as the Two Tunnels, the Odd Down cycle track, the Local Sustainable Transport Fund initiatives and the council’s investment of £500K in cycling infrastructure this year, there is still nothing to prevent cycling being ignored in highway changes or new developments.

Guest Post from Jon Usher

Posted on 8 September 2013 by Roger

Jon is Sustrans Regional Manager and has kindly responded to the post on cycle lane paint and to a comment about signage on the National Cycle Routes.

Below Jon clarifies a number of issues about responsibility for signage. There is no DfT guidance for local authorities on cycle signage. That may be a good thing given some of their “maddening regulation” on road signs and infrastructure, but I think it also shows that they don’t take cycling seriously as a mode of transport. Jon’s comments:

Signing is a bit of a black art – it’s quite tricky to get right, and there’s a huge amount of detail to collect in preparation for signing. In most circumstances, Local Authorities simply won’t take responsibility for signing the National Cycle Network and the route ends up being signed with the temporary volunteer signs, which become permanent features on routes up and down the country. In the case of the Two Tunnels, and as prescribed by our standard MoU, it is the responsibility of the delivery agent (in this case Sustrans) to sign the route. However, we don’t have the authority to place signs on the highway without the Highway Authority’s permission. This gets even more complicated when new posts are needed at junctions.

In the case of the two projects currently at the design stage in Bath this year, Bellotts Road Bridge and the crossing of the Lower Bristol Road, the Local Authority is the delivery agent and therefore has the responsibility to sign the route.

Just a quick note about the coloured surfacing discussed in the post. There are essentially three types: coloured tarmac; coloured high friction surfacing and coloured slurry seal.

Coloured tarmac provides the most durable, smooth surface. However, it needs special stone (red or green – and the green doesn’t come in a type suitable for use on the highway as far as I know), and a colourless binder. This means specially cleaned machinery needs to be brought in for the job to stop the job being spoiled with the tar normally used to bind the stone together.

Coloured high friction surfacing is currently the most popular solution in our area, its applied with a resin, then the coloured surface spread across the top. It costs about £13-15/m2, so it’s not cheap, and it tends to wear out, and then there’s never any money to replace it. Someone once told me that there’s approx £2million worth of coloured high friction surfacing on bus and cycle lanes across Bristol, and no strategy as to how to deal with its replacement.

Slurry seal is simply a coloured resin (with some grit to provide skid resistance). This is the type used for the Cycle Super Highways in London and it can be more slippery than the other two above, but gives a more vibrant colour. I’ve never used it, so don’t know how long it lasts compared to the other two.

Interestingly, there’s no regulation on colours used on the public highway despite our maddening regulatory framework for lines and signs. So Bath could go pink if it wanted!

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Liberal Democrat motion on Cycling Reform

Posted on 5 September 2013 by Roger

Masses of people at the opening of Two Tunnels Greenway

At the Liberal Democrat Conference from 14th to 18th September in Glasgow a motion on cycling will be discussed. This is a first class motion and puts Lib Dems in the forefront of cycling policy.

Conference believes that:
I. Cycling is an extremely efficient and safe form of transport.
II. The Government should encourage people to cycle for the benefits it brings to health and wellbeing, the environment, the economy and the alleviation of congestion.
III. As progress is made to make Britain fit for cycling, the rights and safety of pedestrians must continue to be considered and respected. The recommendations are based on the All Party Parliamentary Group and signals to other Parties that they too should develop policies on promoting cycling in the UK.

Conference therefore welcomes:
i) The Coalition commitment to support sustainable travel initiatives, including the promotion of cycling and walking.
ii) The recent Get Britain Cycling report from the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group.
iii) The £600 million Local Sustainable Transport Fund for the development of transport measures focused on economic growth and reducing carbon emissions.
iv) The inclusion of cycling measures in 94 of 96 Local Authority bids for the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, and the additional UK Government investment of £107 million in cycling in the last year alone, including funding to address dangerous junctions.
v) The Times’ Cities Fit for Cycling campaign, highlighting methods for promoting cycling and road safety nationwide, and the creation of an interactive website which to date has identified 10,000 junctions requiring attention.
vi) Funding for the integration of rail and bikes, Bikeability and the continuation of the Cycle to Work scheme.
vii) The Government’s policy to promote 20 mph speed limits as the default value on residential roads.
viii) The positive legacy of the Olympics which has resulted in more people taking up cycling for pleasure and exercise.

But conferences notes that:
A. Unsustainable transport policies pursued over many decades are costing the economies of our towns and cities tens of billions of pounds through congestion, road casualties, poor air quality and the impact of inactivity on mental and physical health.
B. Three-quarters of all journeys made in the UK are five miles or less.
C. Cycling accounts for 2% of journeys made in the UK compared with 30% for the Netherlands, in part due to their dedicated fund for cycling.
D. 74% of adults in Britain are frightened by the idea of cycling on busy roads.
E. Lorries make up 5% of traffic, yet are currently responsible for half of cyclist fatalities; 75% of cyclists’ injuries occur at or near junctions.
F. More needs to be done to encourage cycling amongst women, ethnic minorities and young people, whom research indicates currently tend to cycle less.
G. Improving the environment for cyclists must not be to the detriment of pedestrians.

Conference therefore calls for:
1. The Government to further improve cycling in the UK by aiming to raise the number of journeys made by bike to 10% in 2025, rising to 25% by 2050.

2.Better cycling infrastructure through:
a) Creating a cycling budget of at least £10 per person per year, increasing to £20.
b) A requirement for Local Authorities to provide for cyclists in the planning system as well as in the design of all highways and traffic schemes, and training in how to do this.
c) Expansion of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
d) Integration of the cycle network with rail and bus travel.
e) Creation of high-quality, segregated cycle routes where appropriate.

3. The promotion of cycling through:
a) A Government strategy to increase Bikeability cycle training courses for people of all ages and backgrounds.
b) The provision of training and facilities in schools and places of work.
c) A cross-departmental ‘Cycling Action Plan’ drawn up in conjunction with relevant stakeholders and partners.

4. A commitment to improving the safety of cyclists on the roads through:
a) an increase of priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors that allow drivers to see cyclists on their near-side.
b) the adoption of vehicle safety measures such as sensors, alarms, safety bars and extra mirrors on lorries.
c) the inclusion of a cyclist safety section in the national driving test and cyclist awareness training for drivers of large vehicles.
5. Justice for victims of accidents on the roads through:
a) consultation on the introduction of proportionate liability rules so that the default assumption after collisions is that the larger vehicle is at fault.
b) review of existing road traffic laws and their enforcement to ensure that dangerous and careless driving is dealt with the seriousness it merits.
c) by ensuring cyclists, like all other road users, obey the rules of the road about rights of way, traffic lights and lights at night.
d) implementation of Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 to permit local authorities to enforce moving traffic offences, including the illegal use of cycle lanes.

Posted in Cycling policy and politics | Leave a comment

Opportunity to improve cycling in Widcombe?

Posted on 3 September 2013 by Roger

Widcombe Parade – traffic will be reduced and flow reversed

Wide bridge leading to and from Dorchester Street

When the Rossiter Road/Widcombe Parade scheme costing £1.8m is implemented, hopefully in 2014, consideration should be given on how cycling in the area can be improved.

Towpath to thimble Mill. Could be part of off road cycle route through south of Bath

The basics of the scheme are that Widcombe Parade traffic will be reversed and reduced by about 80% and Rossiter Road made into two-way traffic to become the bypass that Widcombe people have fought for over a period of 30 years. The present cycle lane should become a properly constituted cycle contraflow, with different coloured tarmac, preferably green to clearly identify it.

There is an opportunity to extend this cycle lane down to the Churchill Bridge as Claverton Street will still have four lanes of traffic. An east bound cycle lane could also be installed on the opposite carriageway of Claverton Street as far as the h’apenny bridge. The crucial part of any wider scheme here is to make the wide footbridge to the west near Churchill Bridge into a shared path. This would allow cycle access to Widcombe avoiding the difficult Churchill Bridge gyratory.

There is also the possibility of using the subway under the A36 as a shared path with suitable safeguards, clearly giving priority to people walking, enabling cyclists to access Holloway towards the Two Tunnels Greenway and to cross into the city.

This depends on the Council considering cycle links, not just how bikes can get safely through Widcombe.

Four lanes in Claverton Street. Must be some room for cycles

In addition, but not as an alternative there could be an off road cycle path from the Churchill Bridge along the river towpath going east, which would avoid both Rossiter Road and Widcombe to connect with the towpath from Thimble Mill to Pulteney Bridge, St Johns Road and Cleveland Bridge. This route could provide a southerly off road route for people riding bikes through the south of the city avoiding the A36 altogether.

What is needed here is for a design for cycling roughly on the route that I have outlined, taking cyclists through Widcombe Parade as well as providing an off road southerly through route. To the west a connection with the Bristol/Bath Railway path is easy to make over the present crossing at Churchill Bridge.

I have many misgivings about a scheme that is mainly designed to ensure continued traffic flow through the area, rather than prioritising the regeneration of Widcombe Parade and its local shops. However, this is an opportunity to design for much improved safety for people on bikes. The bulk of the money is to be spent not on regenerating Widcombe Parade and improving cycling, but on improving traffic flow. Surely the time has come to shift priorities from motor traffic to people on foot and on bikes.

Northern Entrance to subway

If the Council is serious about giving a high priority to people on bikes officers could carry out a brief study of cycle links around Widcombe. This would enable investment in both on and off road cycle links, which would be of great benefit to local people and visitors to the area and signal that the Council is prepared to take cycling seriously.

Posted in Cycling around Bath | 8 Comments

Vuelta a Espana started today

Posted on 24 August 2013 by Roger

What is probably the third ranking “Grand Tour” after Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta began with Team Time Trials today. This is a three week race with more climbs and mountain top finishes than either of the other two.

Two years ago Chris Froome was second and Bradley Wiggins third and last year Chris Froome just missed the podium in fourth place. It looks as though the main contenders will be Sicilian, Vicenzo Nibali, winner of this year’s Giro and Spanish pair Joaquin Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde, with Sergio Henea the Columbian from Team Sky as an outside bet.

Last year the race was between Rodriguez, Valverdi, Froome, and the eventual winner Alberto Contador. Rodriguez uncharacteristically missed a break by Contador in the middle of a stage and this gave Contador enough time on him to hold him off until the end. Rodriguez, whose explosive climbing was a revelation, and Valverdi joined Contador on the podium.

Last year’s race was riveting, but Chris Froome had had a very exacting Tour de France a few weeks before the Vuelta and this, plus phenominal Spanish support for the three Spaniards eventually told on his performance.

Highlights can be seen on ITV4 at 10pm tonight and then at 7pm from tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

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Coloured paint on cycle lanes – yes or no?

Posted on 20 August 2013 by Roger

The Firs/Avenue junction showing red paint

One of the comments so far in response to my post about the cycle contraflow in Cheap Street/Westgate Street (I still don’t know if/when it will be completed, but I am inquiring), is about making the contraflows clearer by painting the lanes on the road. There are all sorts of difficulties connected to doing this in the city centre, but elsewhere it can work. After all the London “superhighways” for cyclists are painted blue. The photo of The Avenue and The Firs contraflows in Combe Down (where else?) shows how a little paint can work really well.

Simple sign that makes the contraflow clear

There is paint only at the beginning and end of the roads. Traffic is not heavy on either road, so a light touch here is fine. These contraflows are cheap to install, people on bikes no longer ride on pavements in these roads and the contraflows slow motor vehicles down as a bike approaches.

Whatever the type of implementation; and I think it should be horses for courses, with physical barriers between cycles and motor vehicles as the first option on busy roads. In my view all one way streets should be contraflows for bikes as this shortens journey times and keeps cyclists away from time consuming, dangerous one way systems. This is a way of encouraging people to ride bikes. Contraflows can make the journey shorter, safer and more direct.

I welcome any views on this issue and perhaps information as to where there is a need for contraflows. Please comment if you wish.

Posted in Cycling around Bath | 20 Comments

Real Investment improves cycling in B&NES over four years

Posted on 15 August 2013 by Roger

Chris Hoy signing autographs at the Odd Down Circuit Opening

The £1m announced to improve Seven Dials for people on foot and on bikes on Monday, as part of the successful West of England Partnership’s (Bath, Bristol, South Glos and North Somerset councils) bid for Government Cycle City funding is not the only capital funding to be have been allocated to cycling in Bath and North East Somerset during the last two years.

Starting in 2011 £500k was allocated to implement 20 mph speed limits as the default in residential areas, which turned out to be one of the commitments asked for in the Times in its “Cities fit for cycling” campaign, so although not directly targeted at cyclists it does help safety of all road users, including people on bikes.

This was followed by £500k for cycling infrastructure in this financial year and it is very likely that this will be followed by a further £500k for 2014/15

A successful bid by the West of England Partnership to the Coalition Government”s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) in 2011, led to a £3.1m investment in B&NES. This funding has been used to create the off road cycle path on the globe straight to Bath Spa University, a toucan crossing at the Globe pub and a ramp from the A4 to the Bath/Bristol railway path. This money will also go towards partially funding a bridge over the river at Batheaston to enable people on bikes and on foot to link across the river with the National Cycle Network Route 4 (NCN4).

In addition the funding is being used to extend the “Boris” Bike hire scheme in the city, a new pedestrian link to the Two Tunnels Scheme at Claude Avenue, grants to employers, such as the RUH, to provide cycling facilities for staff and a new TravelWest web site to promote “Better By Bike” activities.

In addition, through getting Sky Ride to the city a connection was made with British Cycling that resulted in funding of £600k from British Cycling for the off road cycle circuit at Odd Down.

Opening of Two Tunnels 6th April 2013

Add to this the £400k that the Council has contributed to the Two Tunnels Project and the extra £200k successful bid to complete the northern link of the Two Tunnels to the Bath/Bristol Railway path and we have reached the target of £10 per head of population capital expenditure on cycling, for each of the 4 years of this Council administration. This is the target recommended in the All Party Parliamentary Report on cycling and the recommendation in the cycling motion to this September’s Lib Dem Conference. Now all we have to do is deliver the projects for which funding has been obtained.

The improvements will bring the us closer to making Bath a cycling city. What is needed now to really embed improvements for local people choosing to ride bikes and those visiting the city on bikes, is a Cycling strategy for the next 10/20 years as part of the overall Transport Strategy that the Council is about to embark on.

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Tour of Britain

Posted on 14 August 2013 by Roger

Tour of Britain announces biggest ever field for 10th anniversary

Tour of Britain organisers say this year’s event will feature its biggest ever field, with 114 riders from 19 teams competing.

Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Tour de France winners Team Sky are among the five Pro teams who will take part.

The eight-day race starts in Peebles, Scotland, on 15 September and ends in London.

Britain’s Sir Bradley Wiggins and Manxman Mark Cavendish are scheduled to compete.

The provisional rider line-up for all 19 teams will be announced later this month.

Movistar, Garmin Sharp and Cannondale are the other three Pro teams involved in the race, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Britain’s six UCI-registered domestic teams will also take part, along with a Great Britain national team made up of young riders.

Race director Mick Bennett said: “This year’s Tour of Britain will have a world-class line-up bringing a number of international stars to race on British roads, while at the same time allowing our top domestic teams and a Great Britain squad to race on the biggest stage possible for them.

“The make-up of teams will provide another exciting and unpredictable Tour from a racing perspective, whether you are watching at the roadside or at home on the live television coverage.”

The 2013 edition of the race will start in the Scottish Borders and visit the Lake District, Snowdonia and Devon before the finish in London, with 10 circuits around the capital before finishing on Whitehall.

In 2012, which was the race’s previous biggest event with 17 teams, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke became Britain’s first winner of the modern Tour.

Entry list for 2013 Tour of Britain:

UCI Pro Teams: Cannondale, Garmin-Sharp, Movistar, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Team Sky. UCI Pro Continental Teams: Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox, IAM Cycling, MTN Qhubeka, Sojasun, Team NetApp Endura, UnitedHealthcare. UCI Continental Teams: AN Post Chain Reaction, Madison Genesis, Node4 Giordana, Rapha Condor JLT, IG Sigma Sport, Raleigh, UK Youth. National teams: Great Britain.

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Cycle stands all taken in city centre

Posted on 14 August 2013 by Roger

Crowded bike stand in Orange Grove on Monday

When walking in the city centre in the past few days I have been struck by the high levels of occupation of bike stands. This seems to indicate a growth in numbers of people in Bath cycling.

This is likely to be because of some touring cyclists visiting Bath, but also locals lured out on their bikes by the summer weather. There is a need for many more stands.

Around the Guildhall on Monday there were no bike stands vacant. The photo shows about 14 bikes locked to the “car” stand in Orange Grove. In Kingsmead Square last Saturday morning all the stands were occupied, as were the stands outside Waitrose. This is all good news and supports the anecdotal evidence that cycling has been boosted by the opening of the Two Tunnels Greenway.

Last week I met a Spanish family of four, who were staying in Bath and directed them from Widcombe to the Two Tunnels by the least busy route, as they were not keen to mix it with the traffic on Wells Road. More signage to the Two Tunnels path from the city would help people unfamiliar with the area.

An increase in touring cyclists will give a boost to the economy. Particularly as people on bikes spend more than other visitors, because the very nature of the bike means that they carry less than visitors who arrive by other means of transport.

After a couple of months the average use of the Two Tunnels route averaged 527 cyclists per day. Of course most of these will be local leisure cyclists and commuters, but there will be some touring cyclists amongst them.

It would be useful if we could get some firm evidence for how many more people are visiting the city by bike because of the improvement and publicity about the Two Tunnels Path and the Odd Down off road circuit.

Update:

On 29th August there were 18 bikes locked to the “car stand” in Orange Grove – this must be a record. Yesterday on Twitter a bike commuter said that he might have to stop riding his bike into the city because he could not find anywhere to park.

If you have this problem contact your local councillor to complain that there are more cycle stands needed. There are four councillors for the city – Manda Rigby and Brian Webber for Abbey ward and Andy Furse and Dougles Nichol for Kingsmead – its in the city centre where the main shortage is. It might be wise to contact any of these as well as your local councillor.

Further Update:

I have been told that there are new cycle stands to go in to the south of the Guildhall and the bicycle corral (car) is then due to be moved, but it could go into Cheap Street. This is from the team who managed the High Street works, but they will also talk to highways to see if there is a budget for more cycle corrals for the city. I will find out how long it will take to get the extra stands in to the south of the Guildhall.

Posted in Cycling around Bath | 4 Comments

Key area of Bath City Centre to be revamped to favour cyclists

Posted on 12 August 2013 by Roger

Bath city cyclists to get new contra-flow routes

This is the vital centre of cross city cycle routes and has long been a desired route. Now with a contra flow already in place in Westgate Street and Cheap Street (well almost – see post about Cheap Street) I welcome this latest development. The changes of shared space and further contra flows obtained through the West of England Cycle City Ambition Grant, the application for which I signed off on 22nd April 2013, crossing the city will become safer and more direct for cyclists. The shared space at the junction of Monmouth Street, Westgate Street and Kingsmead Square is an exciting prospect.

The scheme will be developed by the Council working in partnership with local businesses, Federation of Small Business, Chamber of Commerce and Bath Cycle Campaign.

Traffic at this junction is mainly buses and taxis, with a really strong walking desire line to the Cinema, Green Park and the City of Bath College that should dominate the shared space. This is real progress.

I look forward to Contra flows being in place on all one way streets, just as they are in Belgium.

Five contra-flow cycling routes will be created around Kingsmead Square, on roads including Monmouth Street, Saw Close and Lower Borough Walls.

The revamp will better connect the area with Bath Spa Station and Green Park Station, according to Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Paul Crossley, council leader, said it was another step towards breaking the “stranglehold of traffic congestion”.

“We want to make Bath city centre as easy, convenient, and safe as possible for people who use bicycles as well as those on foot,” he said.

The authority has set a target completion date of April 2015.