Residents in Ashley Down may have noticed signs around the area highlighting proposed waiting restrictions (i.e. double yellow lines and the like) on nearby roads. The background of this (from the Council) is:

“As part of a planning condition following the redevelopment of the Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground, a parking review of the surrounding area has been carried out. A number of issues have been identified including obstruction of private drives and dangerous parking around corners and junctions that make it difficult to travel around the area. The proposed order will address those issues by introducing new parking restrictions and modifying existing measures.“

Residents have until the 12th September to pass comment on the proposals, and you can find out more here: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/streets-travel/traffic-regulation-orders-tros

Below are my own comments on the proposals:

“It is clear that dangerous and otherwise bad parking practices are rampant in the area in question, and that they need controlling in order to improve public safety, both of road users and pedestrians. These issues are a much larger problem on match days, but I frequently notice parking on corners/over driveways/etc. on non-match days, therefore I am content that a permanent (rather than match day only) solution would have the most net benefit.

“To me there are three separate but similar issues at hand. Firstly of bad parking obstructing the views of other road users, namely on street corners. Secondly, of bad parking obstructing the use of the pavement, forcing pedestrians to enter the road, especially more vulnerable pavement users such as those with pushchairs or wheelchairs. Thirdly, of bad parking obstructing driveways, which isn’t necessarily a safety issue but is of inconvenience to the owner of the driveway. Safety of all street users should be paramount above all other matters and, in my view, the proposals as they stand would successfully improve safety and ameliorate the three problems which I mentioned.

“However, I am concerned by the large length of the proposed double yellow lines. The length seems inordinately large given the small size of the streets in question, and relatively low traffic speeds. The long extent of the lines will result in notably reduced parking for residents, who already find it difficult to park in the area. I understand of course that this is a balancing act between safety and convenience, but the proposed lines are in many cases a house width’s long or more, which seems excessive. I therefore encourage you to review the lines to ensure their length strikes the right balance between safety and convenience.

“I am pleased to note the addition of a disabled bay outside the Bishopston Medical Practice on Nevil Road. Whilst the surgery may not be at that location for many years into the future, I am sure the bay will continue to be useful to visitors to the Cricket Club and nearby residences.

“I am also pleased to note the retention of the Car Club space on Seymour Avenue. Given the success of the Car Club scheme across the city, and the eagerness of local residents to both save money and the environment by using the Car Club, I would encourage that provision of a further space is investigated as part of these proposals. Perhaps one close to Gloucester Road so that it is attractive to the widest number of people?

“Whilst these proposals are based around parking and the management thereof, it should be noted that by decreasing the number of parked vehicles on these streets, especially on corners, is likely to increase the speeds of moving vehicles. This is because it will be easier to get around the area and thus drivers will feel more comfortable in traveling faster. I therefore encourage Council officers, and the Neighbourhood Partnership, to expedite the introduction of traffic calming and/or other traffic management measures (e.g. one way streets) to mitigate this result.

“Whilst bad parking practices in the area are noticeable on most days, they are massively increased on match days, when visiting fans will try and flaunt all restrictions that the Cricket Club or Council puts in place (e.g. the existing practice of closing roads). I foresee a situation in which these new parking restrictions will be similarly ignored by fans, and therefore would strongly encourage a significant Parking Services and Police presence on match days to ensure compliance with the new restrictions.

“In conclusion, whilst these proposals may be seen by some as overly draconian, I believe that they will result in a net positive safety benefit to the area. I would, however, suggest that the double yellow lines be made shorter in length in order to maximise the space for residents’ parking.

“My comments on these proposals has been at a high level, and I therefore refer you to residents’ comments regarding specific issues which may occur on their own streets as a result of the proposals.”

Please do let me know your thoughts, my contact details are here: http://www.bishopstonlabour.org.uk/contact

Photo copyright Dominic Alves under this Creative Commons license.