Pip Sheard from Bristol FoE came to talk to us in March about transport. Bristol FoE has set up a “Transport For Greater Bristol Alliance” with other Bristol transport groups such as the Campaign for Better Transport (formerly Transport 2000), Living Streets, and Bristol Civic Society. The Alliance website is at http://uk.geocities.com/transportforbristol

The Alliance has written a Manifesto stating what the Alliance wants. They say the Manifesto contains all the policies necessary to start transforming transport in the city, providing genuine alternatives to the car as we move to a low carbon economy.

However, these will not be achieved without two fundamental changes which are the key demands of the Alliance:-

1. the creation of a Transport Authority for the area and
2. the creation of an all-party working group to produce plans to obtain increased funding for transport.

The Alliance intends to make transport a key issue in the Council elections in Bristol in May.

The Alliance is also concerned about the current proposals for a bus-based rapid transit system for Bristol. It says the rapid transit should be a light railway rather than bendy buses. It wants the proposed routes revised, as they should not use existing rail or cycle tracks. They say the rail tracks should be kept for new passenger rail services.

The cycle tracks were created by Sustrans using volunteer donations and labour, so these should not be sacrificed. The character of the cycle tracks would be changed from quiet back routes to roadside footpaths.

The four Councils in the old Avon area (now called the West of England) are seriously looking at setting up a Transport Authority (now called an Integrated Transport Authority or ITA). South Gloucestershire has already handed most of its transport planning roles to the West of England partnership, but retains ultimate control and detailed decision-making. An ITA would be able to make day-to-day decisions within defined aims set out by the Councils.

Alan Pinder