Now Bristol plans eco-friendly low traffic neighbourhood stretching two miles

Much of Bristol will become car-free in the coming months as the Labour-led council implements a massive new low-traffic neighborhood plan (LTN).

Officials will install “pocket parks” and more than 12 “modal filters,” such as bollards or planters, that will block traffic from several major roads in the east of the city.

The LTN will cover an area stretching for two miles and could become permanent by 2025 amid a £6 million project dubbed the ‘East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood’.

The scheme is designed to encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport rather than by car to reduce air pollution – and will be trialled from this autumn.

But locals are concerned about traffic being forced onto surrounding roads, delays for emergency services and an inadequate public transport network.

There will also be gates that block private cars but will allow buses through, while several roads will become one-way, the government reported. Daily telegram.

It follows the controversial plans being launched in London, Birmingham and particularly Oxford – which have led to arson, robbery and vandalism.

RAC data shows that London has the schemes in Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Hounslow, Lambeth, Newham and Waltham Forest. These are all Labor led, except Croydon, which has no overall control.

The restrictions in the Barton Hill, Redfield and St George areas of Bristol were first proposed last year and have gone through initial consultation.

This revealed that the biggest problems in the area were too much traffic, bad driver behavior such as parking on the sidewalk and a lack of pedestrian-friendly streets.

The scheme will then be further consulted with local residents before possibly being finalized.

One of the most significant changes is banning cars from passing through the area using Beaufort Road, Avonvale Road, Marsh Lane and Victoria Avenue, which are often used by motorists trying to avoid the busy A420 Church Road.

This is done by placing posts and planters that only allow walking or cycling people through.

There will be alternative routes that local residents and businesses can use to keep the area accessible – but not to drive through it.

Cars are also stopped by so-called ‘pocket parks’, which are double rows of planters that create space for trees and benches.

Don Alexander, Bristol’s cabinet minister for transport, said: ‘We have seen from other programs that using a co-design approach to develop proposed interventions for the plan with communities is key to success.

“We are starting the East Bristol Liveable Neighborhood pilot project with interventions such as modal filters, bus gates and bike parking using temporary materials that allow us to understand the effects and then make further changes.

“This pilot phase will help us understand what a possible future permanent plan might look like and, through continued engagement, understand what people who live in the area like about it and what they would change before a final plan is put in place.”

In March, the Daily Mail reported how ministers were under increasing pressure from their own MPs and campaigners to scrap ‘ridiculous’ and ‘dangerous’ LTNs.

It came as figures showed that nearly 240 ambulances had been delayed in reaching potentially life-threatening calls because of the plans.

Experts said the recorded incidents would be “the tip of the iceberg” as they only related to London and there were hundreds more LTNs in other cities.

The revelation came amid growing backlash against the plans and a raft of other anti-car measures, such as clean air zones being imposed across the country.

Angry residents of Rochdale rioted by setting fire to LTNs there. The vigilantes set fire to a number of planters used to close off roads just hours after being installed in March.

A series of violent incidents over LTNs have also been reported in Oxford since its launch. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in and around the city in an attempt to get the plans off the table.

There is also opposition to established or planned plans in Hereford, Brighton, Bath, St Andrews, Jesmond in Newcastle upon Tyne, Warrington in Cheshire, Southsea in Portsmouth and Leith in Edinburgh.

Many municipalities have hailed LTNs as a success in tackling congestion and pollution, with 300 already set up or planned across the country.

The plans include pop-up bike lanes, wider sidewalks and closing streets to cars, while enforcing the new rules with warning signs, CCTV cameras and fines for drivers who break them.

But critics say they are often ill-conceived, built in the short term with little consultation, and accuse councilors of using them as a ‘cash cow’ to beat up motorists.

They also say traffic is simply being pushed elsewhere, causing more congestion and pollution on other major roads during their commute or school trip.

Dozens have been torn apart after councils went ahead with them – wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds – despite local resistance.

Millions have been handed over to councils for the creation of LTNs as part of a government pledge, made by then Chancellor Rishi Sunak, to spend £2bn on cycleways by 2025 and encourage other forms of active travel such as walking by 2025.

There is also growing anger about the expansion of clean air zones.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to expand the capital’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) to cover all of Greater London, despite warnings it will hit the poorest and self-employed hardest.

At least 200,000 older, more polluting vehicles will be raided by the expansion in August with a daily charge of £12.50.

It adds at least £250 to the monthly commute costs for employees who must drive, such as home care workers or self-employed van drivers. Many cannot afford to buy a new, cleaner vehicle to avoid the expense.

And there are also clean air zones in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside. Greater Manchester is also being considered.