Clampdown on central rat run
A busy city centre rat run will be closed to traffic one-way as part of an 18-month trial to reduce congestion and pollution.
Cars will be banned from going up the northern section of Gay Street, between George Street and The Circus in a bid to improve air quality and traffic flow.
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Roger Symonds
The scheme will also see coaches stopped from using Bennett Street, near the Assembly Rooms, while new loading restrictions are being introduced on George Street.
Councillor Roger Symonds, Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet member for transport, said he hoped the move would help protect the buildings and residents around The Circus area.
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He said: "These measures will improve people's quality of life. Residents and visitors should be able to walk and cycle around the city centre in a pleasant environment."
He said the proposals, which had been requested by the Circus Area Residents' Association, formed part of the council's commitment to make Bath into "a more walkable city".
The restrictions, aimed as an 18-month trial starting this year, will mean that no loading or unloading will be allowed along most of George Street from Monday to Saturday, between 7am and 11am and 3pm and 7pm, and it will be banned at all times on the north side of the road between Bartlett Street and Lansdown Road.
People are invited to have their say on the plans by going to www.bathnes.gov.uk/circus area before February 18.
5 Comments
by BV_BV
Saturday, February 16 2013, 11:25AM
“This is really bad news for anyone living in George Street. I'm assuming the Circus residents have something to do with this.
This is described as a trial. May we be told what will determine the success or otherwise of this trial? It certainly won't improve the pollution levels in George Street which should be part of the trial.
I cannot believe that this relatively quiet area is badly affected by pollution, nor that traffic flow will be greatly improved.”
by 1MVBR
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 8:56AM
“I don't understand why perfectly legitimate driving routes are suddenly labelled 'rat runs'. At the moment it's possible to drive up Gay Street, through the Circus and on through Bennett Street or Brock Street. This relieves some pressure on the short George Street stretch of the A4, without making the Circus at all unpleasant or dangerous - I walk and drive around it regularly and traffic just isn't a problem. Despite what anyone says, it just isn't. Still, so long as the Circus residents get their private car park outside their houses, and another much-needed boost to the value of their properties, what relevance could my views possibly have?”
by jonquil
Sunday, February 10 2013, 1:18AM
“Yes, can we see some VISIBLE 20mph signs soon in the town centre, many cars, taxis and buses do not seem aware of this rule and pedestrians are given a false sense of security. What is the point of bringing in a law and not enforcing it. Mr Symonds take note.”
by Dave_Weston
Thursday, February 07 2013, 4:19PM
“He's very good at announcing these schemes but not so good at actually getting the trials underway. The Dorchester Street trial was announced in June last year, and last time I looked had been put back to the cabinet meeting in March for a decision. By the time they've done the statutory consultations and published TRO notices it'll be a year. Still at least he'll be into next year's budget by then - he has a £1.4m hole in this years! At a similar rate of progress we might see this actually take shape in 2014!”
by CaptainD
Thursday, February 07 2013, 3:14PM
“That is such a relief. I was becoming concerned that we had not seen Phsyclepath Simmonds' bonnie visage (and an accompanying 20mph sign) staring out at us from the pages for weeks (or is it days).”