Residents Parking: Bristol's Poll Tax?

According to the evening post, opposition in Montpelier and St Pauls is rising to the point where civil disobedience is contemplated. Already we have an unnamed pensioner pushing for active resistance: "We need to paint out the lines and pull down the signs."

Well, being able to park outside your house is a fundamental right -and when you consider that the troubles in Northern Ireland grew out of a failure of the civil rights movement there, it is better to accede to such demands before they get out of hand.

Even so, hopefully the area will go for rasta colours on the kerbstones, not royalty.

We'd like to highlight a particularly insightful solution to the problem from "Pogo_T_Clown :

Given the tendency of communities to descend into NIMBYism when they're tasked with self-policing, I think this is a flawed idea. However, I do believe that it would create quite a burden for the council to determine the needs of each street in the city. As such, I would suggest a "Street-twinning" system where, for example, a street in Clifton would be twinned with one from Bedminster. The residents of the Clifton street could drive over to Bedminster and provide an objective view on the level of parking required. The people from Bedminster could catch a series of buses to Clifton and return the favour. This would save the council money and improve ties between the communities in Bristol, which could only be a good thing.

This is an innovative approach which we hope the leaders of The Parking Rebellion embrace.

Bristol's Secret Rat-runs

We are debating providing some coverage of Bristol's secret rat-runs, to go alongside our secret parking coverage. Today, the best way to get from Ashley Hill to the M32 -Magdalene Place

It's good to see Red Driving School WVIIUEK showing a learner driver about this road, and how to correctly position themselves to take it properly.

Importance

It's important to remember that our white vans are the lifeblood of the city. This is why we think the government should treat us like farmers, airlines and buses and give us tax free or tax discounted fuel.

You can tell we are important in a number of ways

1. We are in a rush
2. We are on the phone a lot

Here you can see FP54DYU doing both at the same time while finally escaping from the tangle of streets in Montpelier, here on Brook Road, where you can make the most of the 20 mph limit in a road with no wingmirrors to bump against.

It's surprisingly hard to text one handed, so we hope the audience is impressed.

St Pauls School Run problems.

By way of the Legacy Printed Press, we see this video of a car being forced to push a Ford Ka out onto the road by the school entrance to Cabot Primary School.



The comments on the E.P. Article are pretty polarised.

On the one hand, this is someone exerting their right to get their car out of the garage despite the selfish actions by lazy parents who themselves park on the keep clear zones just to drop the kids off faster. On the other, this is someone potentially endangering children who if not walking to school, are being dropped off by their parents outside it and expected to walk across a road. It's hard to say who is most wronged here.

More Salsa issues

In yesterday's article, in which we clearly demonstrated that Salsa bands were a greater problem than Zombies, we got heckled.

Art of the Possible said...

"Be it St Pauls ... or St Werburgh's."

Maybe I've been taking the same stuff as your Monotonix videoist, but these two film clips look like the same place to me.

That's OK. We celebrate dissent, though we do add your names and comments to a spreadsheet, just to make sure it stays within clearly defined limits -and that when you cross them we know how to find you. Just remember there's a monument at the top of St Michael's Hill to where protestant dissenters were burned alive in the time of Queen Mary I, and you'll know what we're thinking of when people start criticising us too much.

Reviewing the videos, yes, our IT minions had mistakenly put up two videos of St Werburgh's and none of St Pauls. To compensate, as well as beating them soundly, we made them put up some St Pauls photos and videos.

First, you can see how City Road -and hence our access to Rita's and Slix takeaways- is blocked by pedestrians who are completely ignoring any cross/don't cross signs. They should all be fined for this.

Next, you can see how drum bands cause as much a congestion problem as salsa dancers.

Again, a lack of respect for us, the motorist, shows.

Finally, shocking footage of police horses riding the wrong way up a a one way street.

Do they pay tax? Do they have insurance? Yet the pedestrians walk and the horseriders ride around our city as if it were made for them.

The AA say zombies are a problem -we say it's salsa dancers

One way we calibrate our postings against the rest of the motoring press-release agencies is to compare what they say with what we've been saying.

Recently, the AA that's been complaining most about zombies, in their high publicity "ipod zombies are the enemy" press event, where they pointed out that zombies "can be lethal for pedestrians, cyclists and car drivers."

Well, yes, there is a special zombie event in the city scheduled for this weekend -2.8 hours later.

But: how often do you see zombies in the way? Where is the defensible data?

All the AA have is the insurance claims from the subset of people who insure their car -and then the subset who insure with the AA- and those people are financially motivated to blame the pedestrians rather than saying they were distracted by the phone call they were making.

Furthermore, what does the AA know about zombies? What kind of zombies? Are we talking 1973 US-shopping-mall class zombie, or a modern 28-days later or Evil Dead 2 class of Zombie? Different, the latter are much harder to kill and far more dangerous to us car drivers. They are harder to run over and they can jump in through your window and try and bite your neck out, at least according to the film's we've seen.

We do like to consider ourselves Britain's premier data-driven traffic news site. We back up our claims with defensible data -photos and videos-, and we like to tie it in to current scientific thinking. Which is where we have to criticise the AA. We have yet to see any Zombies in our streets.

All we have is a truck parked in the showcase bus route on Gloucester Road one morning with an advert for Virgin Trains on it "Don't Go Zombie" -yet it implies that the zombie are in the cars, on the M5, not stuck somewhere near Sheffield on the one daily Virgin XC train to Scotland, or roaming our streets endangering car drivers.

We also have the scientific research behind zombies, behind their decision making. The AA: not a thing, just some comments about insurance claims. This misses out on this seminal presentation on Zombie walking/climbing algorithms, how zombies can choose to attack on trajectories which are hard for us, the humans, to predict, yet which are fairly easy for subhuman intelligences to come up with.

This is the best ever paper on Zombie routing algorithms ever written, yet the AA doesn't even bother to cite it or discuss its implication for vehicle-assisted-driving technologies. This makes us suspect that the AA and its "independent" traffic science group are just making things up to suit their prejudices.

Being a scientifically focused, data-driven group, we are therefore pleased to announce that we do have hard proof that Samba Bands are a bigger problem on our streets, be it St Paul's


or St Werburgh's


That's two videos of Samba bands blocking our streets. None of Zombies. And a citation of the best ever paper on Zombie routing to date.

When will the AA notice this growing problem and issue a press release denouncing Samba bands? Months after us, we expect. And even then, it will not be from in-the-field monitoring of near-miss incidents, but purely by people claiming for damaged caused to their cars by uninsured samba bands.

20mph zone: an affront to car drivers

It was bad enough when some of our road tax was diverted to bicycles, but at least bike lanes are meant to keep bicycles out of our way. Then some troublemaker came up with the idea of 20mph roads, so every road would be a bike lane. Excuse us? "road", "street". Not bike lane.

Portsmouth was a challenge but after a bit of behind-the-scenes work with the council we got all the main roads, all the through roads, all the important ones kept at 30. That offered a number of benefits:

• We could still sound our horn at bikes in the way, so discouraging bicycles. People in a hurry can sprint through the town on the main roads
• We get more reward for spending so much money on big-engined 4x4s. Well, you need to if you want something that big to accelerate well.
• Its easier to get out of speeding tickets if the town is all broken up into 20 and 30 mph zones, as you can claim confusion.
  
• The extra cost of signage reduces the size of the area that gets rolled out,
  

We were pretty chuffed when the Portsmouth review came out, pointing out that adding 20mph signs to back roads had had no tangible benefit. That was the whole point! That was why we put them there!

Unfortunately, some people in the council -and that Jon Rogers has to get a lot of the blame here- read it completely differently, concluding that for 20 mph zones to work, it has to cover the entire area. Yes, he is correct, but that assumes that you want 20 mph zones to work.

We, the important people, don't live in inner Bristol because its dirty, noisy and full of traffic and poor people walking and cycling around. We live in nice parts of S. Gloucestershire or North Somerset and drive in precisely because we can do that instead. Of course the people who live in the inner city want these 20 mph zones, but that's their fault for living there. Our little 21st century suburban enclave has a 20 mph limit too, so that people can drive into their garages carefully. If the people in Southville, Easton and St Andrews want to live in streets like that, they can come out and join us!

Instead in Bristol, this main thoroughfare, Ashley Road will be given a 20 mph limit. That will increase the transit time from Stokes Croft to the M32; it will add an extra two minutes on the commute time to and from the North Fringe from residents of Clifton, Cotham and Redland.

This is not a residential road, it is a direct link between the M32 and other parts of the city. It is so that we important people who don't live in the city can drive to our important jobs, so that delivery vans essential to the UK economy can do their routes.

Here's Ashley Hill. No houses alongside here, a nice road to put your foot down when you get past those ridiculous traffic lights at the bottom. But not now, oh no. Now we will have to pootle.

The worse part is that it knifes the Portsmouth scheme in the back. The amount of under-the-table funding we in the motor industry had to pass on to the relevant people of power was justified given it set a precedent for the rest of Britain - a scheme that let us talk about road safety but without doing anything to force us to slow down.

Now this. A precedent for the rest of the city. How can main roads like Gloucester and Whiteladies stay at 30 mph now? How can useful school/commute rat-runs like Pembroke and Cotham Roads not get their 20 mph limits. Which, if enforced to 30mph, is still 10 mph lower than today.

Worse than the city though: the country. Instead of traffic engineers going to Portsmouth to see what to do, they will come here, and take the same approach home with them. This is a chilling precedent.

We are shocked.

We are equally shocked that not one so-called mainstream media outlet has asked us for our opinion on the matter. Why do campaigns like Speed Safe, run as a hobby by one person and a web site that has barely mastered the <blink> tag get all the quotes in the national papers? Why does Bob Bull from the local Association of British Drivers get his letters in the Evening Post despite the fact their web site looks like something badly designed in 1996 and they only have eight members in the city? The press should be coming to us as the mouthpiece of the motorist, instead of these amateur organisations that cannot be taken seriously. The fact that they have not offends us almost as much as the 20 mph zones themselves.

Skateboarders: they dont pay road tax either

"Adam" sends us a link to a shock video showing skateboarders in the city -not just in their little skate parks, but out in the streets, the underpasses, the steps of offices.



They are not only holding up cars, they are endangering pedestrians, especially tax payers who work in the offices seen the photos. They should stop it at once.
source

Sussex Place Junction

The previous post today makes a valid point. I have some video footage that I'll share one day.

It has, though, reminded me about the consultation for Sussex Place (or St Agnes Gateway - as the Highways Department call it).

Here you can take a look at the recent 'improvements' to this junction.

I made representations to the Council regarding certain urban design aspects of the scheme (there were none), but I missed the obvious...

The plan clearly sets out the key changes to the roads. It shows where pavements are to be narrowed, and bus stops moved etc. What it doesn't show is the removal of existing cycle lanes. Lower Ashley Road used to have one. So, I think, did Ashley Road on the approach to Sussex Place. Because they weren't shown as being removed on the plan I didn't object to their removal. Which I regret every time I cycle this route and have to sit behind the cars and lorries (I don't do pavements, no matter what the Evening Post may say).

Cunning stunt by the Highways Department of the Cycling City.

Very Advanced Stop Lanes

Some truly advanced stopping by this white van shows how to beat pesky cyclists at the Sussex Place/Lower Ashley road junction.

T735KDA claims its rightful space at the head of the queue, whilst barely infringing on the dedicated cycle stopping zone. Providing a dedicated safe area for bicycles to wait behind other traffic reduces the risk of accidents and keeps our city safe.

(photo and text by "TG". Thank you!)

Wilder Street update

It's all go on the corner of Brunswick & Wilder Streets: Shortly after the Ford Focus was driven away on the flatbed of a recovery truck, a yellow Mini (registration HOT387X) nipped into the vacant space. Alas, within an hour or so, it too was ticketed.

BristleKRS - first with St. Paul's parking violation news

Pavement Blockweed

I have an allotment. Keeping the weeds under control requires prompt and regular attention: failure to deal with weeds can make them extremely hard to eradicate, and many spread rapidly, popping up suddenly in other places due to fast growing underground suckers.
Vehicle parking seems to have parallels: This is Upper Cheltenham Place, Montpelier prior to 'pavement blockweed action day'

As detailed on this blog the aggressive attack on this 'pavement blockweed' led to weed free pavements (below)



....though neither bike nor pedestrian have adjusted to the new weedfree space and prefer to use the road. The pedestrian in particular seems to be wandering in a state of shock)

The purge lasted for around 10 days, then as always the green shoots reappeared...


and in three weeks it was fully regrown.

The local police unit are no doubt doing their best but the growing season is upon us:
it takes a lot of resources to keep weeds under control. On neighbouring Ashley Road, patrolled by a different police unit, a lack of weeding over the winter has allowed the pavement blockweed to take hold in several places:


This weed W659VGC has been allowed to take root here for five days without any attempt to uproot it. Possibly this is the front garden of the flats next to the pelican crossing but fortunately hasn't yet spread onto the zigzags, which are there for the safety of those crossing the road.
Similar weeds (Y403WDO) have taken root outside the Criterion pub -the manager clearly isn't a gardener.





We do not resource the police to do pavement weeding more than occasionally, which is why we also pay the council to do it. Bizarrely, some people have been complaining that Bristol City Council Parking Services are completely useless at dealing with this problem. Really? Seriously? Obviously, its the Allotment office we should be calling.
So what are the options?
The traditional approach is to spray with chemicals: Not for me, I prefer organic approaches, but in weeding terms that means dig it out. No thanks.
I like the permaculture approach: call it a 'Pavement Blockweed Control Workshop'.
All you have to do is provide free cider, decide to work with nature instead of against it and watch your friends cover it with fruit bushes, comfrey and nasturtiums.
Sorted!

Smarter Parking with Smart Cars

Lot's of SmartCar coverage this week, showing the value these vehicles have in the city

First, in Kingsdown Parade, the SmartCar shows how, when parking on double yellow lines at a corner, it manages to leave room were a second SC willing to park behind it, and if not, the junction retains some visibility and the dropped kerb is open.

Second, down in St Paul's, where Smart Car YJ04TLX has been smartly parked outside the CEED building on Wilder Street in St. Paul's.


Contributor Bristle KRS says "It was there for the best part of today and yesterday, till not that long ago when it pulled away from its perpendicular position to smartly cruise elsewhere. I didn't think to snap its profile, but it blocks half the southbound side of Wilder Street, hence forceing traffic to slow down and give way, creating a de facto HomeZone along the road. Smart."

Making the walk to school entertaining

Contributor "TG" sends in some photos and commentary

Albany Road is the main entrance to St Barnabas primary school, and
the considerate residents have found a way to liven up the route for
active youngters. They've arranged wheelie bins and recycle boxes into
an urban obstacle course. Perfect for kids. Adults can join in the fun
too: try and slalom around the bins with a buggy, or wheeling a
bicycle!

If little legs get tired, why not relax on the comfy mattress?

Whooooo! Was that a ghost? No, just a couple of parked motor bikes.

Some people may thing that these bins are out because it is rubbish collection day: those people do not live in Bristol. For a lot of the city, there simply isn't room to leave the wheelie-bins in gardens, and with nobody understanding the rubbish collection rules, once the bins are out, they stay out until the week that their contents are actually emptied.


The alternative option: put the bikes and bins in the street, would take up parking spaces and create conflict between neighbours. Yet for those children that are trying to cycle and scooter to school, a busy pavement is a fun pavement, and they make the journey more entertaining without introducing risk. Which means for a parent, it becomes that much easier to persuade them to walk, at least from the far end of this cul-de-sac

Ashley Road improvements

The new contributor "AW" has promised to send us more details on the secret driving and parking tips of Ashley Road and nearby areas. That's handy, as a lot of the searches that come to this site are looking for "secret parking bristol" or areas inside Bristol, and we don't want to disappoint them. Their first contribution is some secret out-the-door restaurant parking, as modelled by  the BMW W612TRX

At first glance, the large potted trees and similar street furniture may appear to be creating a pedestrian area. But they are really there to force pedestrians and bicycles in to the narrow bit right in front of the shops, leaving the widened pavement as a safe place to park a vehicle, safe from both pedestrians and passing cars. It is also well-lit at night, to help ensure your car remains secure.

Improved Ashley Road Parking

It's a good thing the council narrowed the pavement here on Lower Ashley Road, because it's now the perfect width for Renault WP05BZC to pause while father and son pick up a takeaway. It's so heartwarming to see parking skills being passed on to the next generation. When this boy grows up, he will most likely be similarly resourceful in his parking pursuits. Furthermore, by blocking the pavement entirely, they will ensure that no bicycles will cycle along it, endangering pedestrians.



The excitement of St. Pauls is now enhanced by being able to walk out directly into the traffic lane which replaced the previously wide pavement and cycle lane. Who cares about safety or access when we have to get all those single occupant vehicles to Cabot Circus so that they can buy really necessary things to put in their cars? Certainly not Colin Knight, head of Bristol Transport Operations who can be thanked personally for this forward thinking planning at colin.knight at bristol.gov.uk.

Perhaps we should rename "Cycling City"- "Driving Your Car with the Bike on the Back to the Cycle Path City"

[Photos and commentary from "J":]

Range Rover parking in St Pauls

One of our new correspondents, Stephen, sends in this lovely snap of a Range Rover in St Pauls. Not far from Carboot Circus -maybe they've found a new secret parking space they can use to save on the premium rate the new parking complex charges.

Stephen says: "PN08AKK. A Range Rover. On a pavement. On a double yellow line. On a cycle path. On a junction. Not quite the holy-grail as no school or pedestrian crossing involved.At the junction of Newfoundland Road and Dove Lane in St Pauls, BS2."

Stephen -If you look closely, the RR is on top of where it says "End"; the bike lane does finish there. Any rider who carried straight on would go straight into the back of the Mercedes 4X4. By parking on the pavement and gradually sloping in the road, the Range-Rover provides a more gradual finish to a bike lane that would otherwise end in a dangerous manner.