Council bosses insisted the crossing would improve the current situation
Where the crossing on New Road will be built(Image: Google)
‘Dangerous’ plans for a new bike crossing on the Concorde Way in north Bristol have sparked renewed safety concerns. South Gloucestershire Council is planning to upgrade a crossing over New Road in Stoke Gifford, just north of the ring road.
The plans include installing a zebra crossing next to a bicycle crossing. But the problem is the view of the crossing is obscured from the road with trees, so any drivers might struggle to see cyclists approaching and not be able to stop safely in time.
Council bosses were urged to revisit their plans and make sure they’re safe, during a cabinet meeting. They said a new safety report was conducted that shows the changes have improved the designs, and this will get shared with local residents soon.
Nick Wade, a local resident, said: “There’s a potential for people on bicycles to be hit by vehicles, because they won’t be able to see them coming. The parish council, three local South Gloucestershire councillors, and the residents have all stated it’s dangerous. This proposal is dangerous. People will get injured. It could even lead to a death.”
The former plans for the New Road crossing(Image: South Gloucestershire Council )
The work was due to start in November last year. But after feedback from residents, engineers visited the site and agreed the plans were dangerous, according to Mr Wade. So the project was postponed and the plans were changed, however a new safety report hasn’t been published yet. He believes little has changed in the new plans for the crossing, with similar safety concerns.
He added: “One thing I was told during a phone call with one of the council officers was that ‘if we don’t spend this money, somebody else will, so we want to go ahead on that basis’ — which I think is morally irresponsible. It’s terrible just to spend money so that somebody else doesn’t get it, but putting people’s lives at risk.”
The crossing is outside Bristol College’s Advanced Engineering Centre. At the moment, it’s uncontrolled, meaning drivers don’t have to stop for cyclists or pedestrians. Concorde Way is a major cycling route, connecting the North Fringe with the city centre of Bristol, passing the Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Parkway stations, and several schools, colleges and workplaces.
Labour Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member for communities and local place, said: “I took the feedback from residents and local councillors into very full account, and I went into continued meetings with officers to make adjustments to the design to bring it into what we consider a safer position than was originally presented.
“The design that’s coming forward is safer than what is currently there. I understand that some residents may not agree with that. I’ve been very clear with officers that I need to know that they’ve put everything in to make sure that crossing is as safe as it can be, and I’ve had that assurance.”