They are stealing our parking places!

Just off St Michael's Hill, May time. All is well, and a car FP05KKY is happily parked where its wing mirrors are safe. The bollards on the pavement protect the wall from anyone parking too close.

And now look at it today. No parking space! It's been stolen by bicycle parking!

This is a Sunday lunchtime. These aren't commuters. They are either residents -probably students- or have nipped in to the White Bear to have a beer or two.

Either way, the cycling city campaign is taking pavement space away from us car drivers and given it to students or drunk cyclists. This is unacceptable.

Thali Cafe news

This site is sponsored by the Farm Pub (they let us buy their beer) and the Thali Cafe chain of Bristol, here seen in Totterdown; they have other sites in Montpelier and Easton, and will let us eat in or take away their lovely food.

We are pleased, therefore, to be the first news outlet in the city to announce that the fourth village in the city, Clifton, will soon be getting a branch too. Presumably because it is so hard to drive across Gloucester Road into Montpelier, and it takes too long to walk from Clifton. Whatever the reason, we welcome a reason to go to Clifton!

The polis on fishponds road

Police van up on the zig-zags on Fishponds Road by Alcove Road

Could be a speed camera, van, perhaps?

On the lampost to the right of the picture is the forlorn looking incident-witnesses-wanted sign from May's Mercedes hit-and-run collision with a bike heading in the same direction as the police van is pointing. The authorities are apparently still looking for the blue Mercedes.

Readers Letters

The Bristol Traffic mail room has been flooded recently with an unprecendented amount of letters, postcards and telegrams from readers in response to a recent post, with most correspondance expressing how underwhelmed readers were with the synchronised van display. One reader writes in to say that not only did she find it unimpressive, but she also feels she can do better! "What's so special about parking up the pavement? I do it every day! So does everyone! I don't see why those vans should get to have their photos on your website. How do I get a photo of my skills on your website? I've enclosed a couple in case you can show them. I think they're rather special and as you can see from the windscreen so do the authorities in charge of the awards. Not only have I got all the way up the pavement but I've done it in an area that will gain maximum attention from pushchair users. Hope you can show off my talents too, Shirley Parker RK06 TZG"

Well Shirley, although your skills are obviously impressive enough for an award, we have to say that your display is still not on a par with the vans. One area you are lacking in is stamina. While you managed to hold your position until just before teatime, the vans held strong for almost a whole week without flinching once. We do feel that your attempts deserve recognition though for good effort.We noticed too that you have used the often favoured pavement outside Playspace on Barrow Road in St Philips. We know that if your display was being judged by our panel then points would definitely be deducted for lack of originality. Although it has to be said, displays of pavement parking are become a rarer occurence here after partons of Playspace expressed a dislike of the parking methods, details of which were passed on to the management, who have obviously launched quite an effective awareness campaign to stop people parking in such a manner, as can be seen in the photo below.

A radical difference I'm sure you'll agree. Although driver WN56FTO didn't agree pointing out that unloading her child into a pushchair to get from the car to the building she was greatly inconvenienced by the extremely inconsiderate parking of driver WM06JFX which stopped her being able to get her pushchair and child along the pavement and they had to go around on the road to get past.

We'd like to offer a solution and show an example of the parking configuration the following day.
Although it looks remarkably similar the configuration of cars in the above photo is actually subtly different from the previous day. Whereas the cars were previousley arranged with one at the front and two at the back, they are now the opposite way around. Having WR53 ZVN and WF53YWN arranged next to each other at the back means that R869 DTG at the front has clear access to the entrance without having to risk the road and everyone is happy. Subtle yes, but it's amazing what a difference a small change and a bit of common sense can make.

Of course there is also the option of parking over the road on the other side, and while it will involve crossing the road it's a danger and sacrifice that some people are willing to make, because they're selfless and kind like that. Driver YG58HXX has not only parked over the road but also a few yards down the road meaning they'll have to endure some serious walking to get to their destination too. But that's ok becuase if it means putting other peoples safety and convenience first then they're all for it.

Not only are they going out of their way for others, they are also letting unobservant cyclists know that the dedicated cycle path that passes under Barrow Road helping cyclists avoid having to cross over the Barrow Road / St Philips Causeway crossroads, has well and truly come to an end at this point.So it's not all just about winning, it's also about due consideration for those around you as exemplified by YG58HXX. After all life's not a race. It's not about reaching the finish line the quickest, but enjoying the scenery on the way.

As the famous saying goes, If you don't stop to smell the flowers once in a while, you'll probably spend less time standing on the pavement next to them and statistically be less likley to be in the way of someone who needs to park on it.

Banksy vs Bristol Traffic

Has anybody seen the Banksy vs Bristol Museum exhibition?

Graffiti is wrong. We all know that.

But the exhibition is, in fact, not a series of witty or political statements of a 'Bristol lad made good'. Nor a comment on society as it stands in our green and pleasant land. Or even a celebration of Bristol City Council's ability to not know that a major crowd-puller was being installed under their noses. On their premises.

No. In true Banksy fashion, it was just a ploy by the 'artist' himself to inconvenience Bristol's drivers.

Portsmouth Seafront -keeping it British

Now that the leader of Portsmouth council has managed to stop bicycles from endangering themselves and pedestrians, how can they get along the seafront? Ideally, they wouldn't be allowed to. But if they must, there is all we need already there.

There is a road along the seafront, right behind all these echelon-parked vehicles. Yes, the risk of a car reversing into you is high -but stop whinging, at least nobody will open a door into you, so you can cycle in the far left of the car lane, letting tax-paying cars past without inconveniencing us.

There is even a bike lane leading whole families up to this stretch of vehicles

Further along, at Eastney, there is more bike lane. Here we can see it under the car V40NFR, while some pre-teen subversives-in-waiting cycle down the pavement defiantly. Apparently the beach police do stop and fine cyclists for violating the bye laws, but sadly there are none about on this Sunday morning.

No doubt the cycling activists will come back with some proposal, like move from echelon to parallel parking. This is wrong and must be opposed.

It is not just that this will drastically reduce the amount of available parking , leading to an equivalent collapse in council revenues (year round parking fees, something like £8/day), being able to park facing the water is an inalienable right of the British.

Other countries have warm beaches, attractive people with fit bodies in skimpy swimwear sunbathing on them. We in Britain have a cold wind blowing rain over pebbles, with the car being the only place to sit and enjoy the view.

Even on the day these photos were taken, one of the hottest May days in Portsmouth for years, the cars are full of people sitting in their cars. The only concession to the blistering heat is to let down the windows.

Driving to the beach and sitting in your car is a lifestyle choice. But it is more than that -it is the British lifestyle.

If you can't face the water it doesn't work. If your view of the sea is interrupted by happy cyclists it doesn't work. All attempts to put bike lanes in on the road, or to allow bikes along the seafront pavement are attempts by the EU to undermine what Britain stands for. They are trying to make us pedal round our cities like Dutch or Danish people, buying healthy fruit by the kilogram and paying for it in Euros. It is all part of the same continental conspiracy.

Here on the Southsea seafront, we can see in the background the D-Day monument, a memorial to all the people who left from this harbour and died on the continent purely to preserve our way of life. We cannot let these bicycle-pedalling EU-officials take it away from us.

Portsmouth: shopping bicycle parking

This is Gunwarf Quay, Portsmouth, their shiny new shopping centre -an equivalent to Cabot Circus, albeit one with more outlets.

What is this seen by the harbour? An area which could have been used for premium bar tables dedicated to bicycle parking?

And its used too. Something about a highly-visible place to park your tax-dodging toy vehicle encourages people to cycle there and park their bicycles.

There is even a sign telling the owners to lock their bikes up.

Given this area generates no parking revenue, and removes revenue earning space from outside bars, cafes and restaurants, you have to look carefully at it to see if it makes economic sense

• It clearly encourages people to come to the area by bicycle. If these people were going to come by car -and there was space in the car park, then it has lost income from the car park, and for the UK government in fuel.
• If these tax-dodging criminals were going to shop, they are now limited in what they can buy. This may reduce income to the shops.
• They will get in the way of premium spending car driving customers on the roads.

Against that

• It frees up space in the (small) car park, which only has 1500 spaces. If you can fill that up with shoppers and still get people to come by bike, you earn more.
• If the people come by bicycle they may be thirsty and hungry, so spend more in the bars and restaurants.
• Provided you are selling high-margin products that fit in carrier bags on handles, you can still sell goods.
• Fuel VAT and Tax loses don't show up in the balance sheet of the shopping centre, and that money may instead be spent on products within your facility.
  

There is probably a spreadsheet you can write to work out the numbers here: how much space to dedicate to bikes, which comes down to revenue earned against revenue lost. A key aspect of this spreadsheet would be one conclusion

If you have space in your car park, and people choose to cycle instead of drive, you are losing money -unless they spend the money saved in fuel and parking in your shops.

That is, it only makes sense to dedicate space to bicycles if it brings in extra customers, rather than diverts customers who would otherwise pay the hour to park. As Cabot Circus has 2500 spaces, it fills up less often, so there is less benefit in providing cycle parking.

Of course, the other factor in the equation is the revenue-per-bicycle. If bicycle parking encourages poor people to visit, then unless you get lots of them, each spending a small amount, you don't gain much. Same for pedestrians.

In Portsmouth, they've clearly concluded that the cyclists bring in enough money, that they should be welcomed. Though not if they cycle along the seafront...

A taxi for a cycling city

At the Farm Pub Path opening event, we saw a sneak preview of what could be a new solution to our city's late night traffic problems -the captain bikebeard bike float

This multi-pedaller bike system gets its forward movement from the work of the two at the front -the one at the back is only driving the sound system. While he eats off a plate. Which is where it gets interesting.

Imagine a fleet of these, picking up people from the city centre on a Friday or Saturday night. There's enough power in those front two legs to get over the hills, while the passenger in the back not only gets the option of music -if they choose to pedeal- they are in the idea position to eat a kebab and chips on the way home. Even better, being in the open air -no smoking restrictions!

Know your rights (and lefts)

It's a well known fact that one of the main concerns facing people who are considering taking up cycling is a lack of clear understanding of what cycling actually involves. We all know that it's some sort of old fashioned hobby involving two wheels, one often bigger than the other and protective clothing such as the "top hat", but beyond that it's difficult to know where to look to find more informaton. Simple quandries such as "where am I meant to cycle" are often raised by potential newbies and seasoned pros alike. So in an effort to address some of these issues we'd like to provide the first in a short series of guides to cycling in Bristol. First up, that very quandry, where should you cycle?

As we all know cyclists don't really have a right to use most roads as they don't pay road tax, so often ample provision is made to keep them off the streets. These provisions are often subsidised through proper road users road tax in an initiative known as Carbon Upsetting. The facilities that these funds provide are often easily recognised by the bike shaped markings on the ground such as the one pictured below for the underpass linking Jacob Street to Broad Plain. It should be noted if you're new to cycling that this is an especially useful route to know as it links the centre of Bristol with the world famous Railway path. Useful not only for fun (if you've ever been Spelunking you'll know that the excitement of navigating an underpass comes a close second to some of the best, darkest caves in the world) but also for that essential commute to and from your city job.
The bike symbol markings on the ground on the left, along with the line down the middle of the route, provide important information indicating that if cycling you should keep to the left, much as a car would on the road. So it's a safe bet if you're in any doubt on any shared path, keeping to the left should be the correct thing to do. Just as the rules of the road have a language and continuity to them, so does the rules of the cycle lane / shared use pavement. Important to remember however that if you're travelling the other way then you should keep to the right. Sounds confusing? It's really not. I like to remember it using the catchy phrase "keep to the left and you'll be in the right, but sometimes keep right and make sure there's space left on the left". Armed with this knowledge you should always know where you can cycle on shared use pavements and cycle paths.

Shared use pavements are, as their name suggests, for the use of both cyclists and pedestrians. Pedestrians are always more than happy to share the pavement with bike riders as they are always aware of the shared use status due to frequent use of bold blue signs indicating this, such as this one pictured at the end of Leander Way in St Philips.
Note the symbols of both bikes and people. This is because the upcoming pavement is for use by both bikes and people, an amazingly innovative system praised by pedestrians and cyclists alike.Shared use pavements also have a lot in common with contraflows in that they will both be clearly marked with bike shaped symbols on the ground. Contraflows are a last resort measure used when no other off road facilities are possible and are one of the rare exceptions to the rule where cyclists have some rights to use a bit of the road. The other exception is use of "parking lanes", sometimes to referred to as "cycle lanes" which bikes are allowed to use when there is insufficient room on the pavement and no vehicles need the space for parking. Sometimes contraflows can also be parking lanes but there is generally no hard a fast rules about this with status changing from day to day. It's usually left to the discretion of the driver to decide, another of the rights they have earned through payment of road tax. Contraflows differ from off road facilities however in that they will also always have a white line marking their boundary against the oncoming traffic (NB. There are some circumstances where they don't have the white line. These can often be easily identified by the lack of a white line). The line is there to provide protection from the oncoming traffic as no motorised vehicles are allowed to enter this lane by law and as a result none will dare. Contraflows are lanes for cyclists allowing access the wrong way up one way streets in situations where the street is wide enough to be safe for bikes to travel the opposite direction from the cars, free from the danger of needing to be directly in the path of oncoming traffic, such as this one here pictured on St Marks Road in Easton. In areas where there isn't enough space for a contraflow they simply aren't installed. There are strict rules and regulations in place to ensure that no cycle facilities are installed that may encourage cyclists into danger or confrontation. Good to know for your peace of mind.Note the presence of the bike shaped symbol once again.Another example can be found here on Cobden Street in Redfield.As is clear once again the lane is marked with a solid continuous white lane indicating a lane that oncoming vehicles will not enter. These lines are not only important for safety but also to let the vehicle drivers coming towards you know that you are allowed to be cycling the wrong way up a one way street. As a result the driver of a grey van will not hurl abuse at you for " going the wrong way you cyclist c*%& " as he hurtles round the corner from Morley Street as he'll be able to clearly see the markings as he turns the corner illustrated in the picture below taken from his perspective.Ignore the way it looks like the road is worn in a long curve towards the contraflow. This is not likely to be caused by drivers cornering at speeds in excess of the 20mph zone and most likely to be a result of the road camber and increasingly hot rains caused by global warming from excessive production of cycle helmets and the dyes used in hi-viz clothing.

As with all practical exercises its also important to have a grasp of road theory too, so we'll leave you with one last mathematical exercise. If you're cycling south on a contraflow at 10mph and a grey van is travelling north at 40mph, what time is lunch in A&E?

So there you have it. Know where you're meant to cycle, or more importantly where you're not, and you're all set to start enjoying the refreshing and delightful experience of cycling around Bristol.

Join us next time for handy hints how to lock your bike outside Spike Island without accidentaly locking up someone elses bike too that happens to be sharing the same stand, so they don't have to spend an hour walking around the building asking if anyone owns a silver Dawes Hybrid.

Uprating the route, downgrading the experience

Here are a couple of civil engineers surveying the riverside path from Eastville park and the (now closed to cars) Wickham Glen to Broomhill Road. You can ride it, its lovely, but you do then have to carry your bike up a flight of steps.

It's going to be uprated, with the steps removed, making it part of an extended route up to UWE and The North.

Problem is -those steps. The surveyors said that from where the photo was taken, it was going to need a 1 in 20 gradient to bring the path up to the road. Which means this lovely green path (admittedly, it becomes unusable for commuting in the rainy season), is going to change to something tarmaced that slowly rises up to the road.

In its favour, it will still be green and quiet. But at the same time, its urbanification. Just as with any upgrading of Purdown Camp routes, what you gain in bike friendliness, you lose in wilderness.

Secret Cabot Circus Parking in Castle Park

Who remembers when Castle Park was little more than a parking area for the shops, back when the nearest shop was an Argos outlet, not the fancy Cabot Circus stuff? In those days, parking was easy and cheap, now you have to queue behind everyone else to get into the new parking area. Still, for your money you get parking spaces big enough for your landrover discovery with the roofbox, not like the Galleries parking area.

We get lots of visitors looking for secret and free Cabot Circus parking -today Captain Bikebeard is sharing some of the places they've noticed you can still park a car for nothing, right next to the shops.

Where is the place? Where it's always been: Castle Park.

Here a car with the number plate "AE1" is parked. This is apparently for the Lord Mayor, who has been driven down to celebrate the biggest bike ride.

But it is not just for the mayor, here another car BN03VVU has snuck in.

There must be lots of little places in the park you can fit a car, and it's very handy for the shops. Just take care not to run over anyone sunbathing if you have to drive over the grass to get there.

Hedge Funs Update

Following on from a previous post examining the important role nature can play in a childs upbringing and the opportunities for first hand experience provided by the cars parked on Bright Street we are pleased to bring you an update with the current state of progress regarding the car vs hedge vs pushchair situation. It appears someone has come up with a perfect solution... and removed the hedge.Meaning that silver van M991LHB and blue Golf P601LKP have plenty of room to park on the pavement and still allow enough room for pedestrians and for wheelchair access as requested in the leaflets that the Police have been leaving on car windscreens in the area.
The covers of the leaflets placed on windscreens in the Redfield / Barton Hill are a bit cryptic not giving much of a clue to the advice they contain, unlike the ones placed on vehicles in St Werburghs which have the advice clear to see.

" There have been considerable parking problems in this area recently including:
* Parking on the pavement.
* Parking on both sides of the road which restricts access to emergency vehicles.
* Parking on a cycle lane.

Police will be carrying out regular patrols in this area and will be issuing tickets and considering removal of vehicles if they are causing an obstruction. Please park with consideration and leave a wheelchair width space on the pavement and enough room for an emergency vehicle to get through. If this is not possible please park elsewhere. "

So in conclusion, pavement parking is Police approved as long as you leave enough space for a wheelchair. And if there's not enough width on the pavement it's a good idea to remove whatever is causing the obstruction on the other side of the pavement before considering removing the car.

In the case of Y499NLC seen here on Picton Street...
a simple removal of the wall along with the fire exit that is currently cramping the space on the pavement would be a perfect solution. Not only would it open up the width of remaining pavement to allow a wheelchair through, it would also allow anyone who became trapped in a fire inside the adjacent building to escape without having to risk the horrendous possibility of scratching the car when attempting to use the fire exit.

I blames the tennis

July 3rd, 18:18. Tennis still on. Tennis lovers in a rush to get home. Which means "bending the rules". The little ones. Like one way streets, and which direction you are allowed down them

First the van YR51XJX sprints down Nugent Hill and, showing the agility that modern ford transit vans have, swings right onto Arley Hill.

Then while taking that photo, this other car R214RVN popped down the nugent hill contraflow, swerved round the bit of pavement put in to stop cars turning right, and carried on down Arley Hill. But they at least waved at the camera.

Given that this junction has been fairly peaceful since the "feature" was added, what could bring two cars to do this within 30s, given there isn't even a traffic jam up Arley Hill? The only possible explanation: tennis lovers in a rush home.

mobile phone criminals

Crap Cycling and walking in Waltham Forest -which we only keep an eye on to make sure that Boris is doing a good job at keeping those tax-dodgers in their place- is picking up on the threat that cyclists on mobile phones present.

Our thoughts exactly. There should be laws against this kind of thing, and if the cyclists are not going to obey them, car drivers should be allowed to enforce them, vigilante style, probably by overtaking them then braking suddenly and turning.

Here we see someone on the phone on a quiet empty road in Clifton on a Saturday afteroon. The greenery are something that has been causing a problem recently, as apparently the street lighting is poor. The greenery makes the streets darker and more edgy here than in say, tree-free inner-city areas like St Pauls or Upper Easton. With the reduced lighting and the illusion of green and pleasantness, the risk that a pedestrian will blindly step out in front of a cyclist is increased -it is far more likely than on a busy main road. Yet this man is making phone calls while going along, instead of wearing the high-viz clothes what would attract the attention of pedestrians, or a helmet to reduce the damage he causes them when they step out in front of him.

If these subversives had vehicle numbers, we would be able to report them to the police, instead of being forced to stick our head out the window and swear at them as we drive our landrover discovery past at 40 mph while taking these photographs one-handed.

Hourbike hits BRS

In The Centre, there is now a stand for bicycles. At first glance, some more secure bike parking, but on a closer look, its less secure bike parking, but a way to rent a bike by the hour

There are instructions, apparently there are places in UWE and Bristol Parkway that join up too. That could make the short but not very exciting walk from Parkway to UWE easier.

In the town centre, there's not much you can do with it, not unless Templemeads and the bus station come into the story. Here in the centre, 3/4 of the roads have you endangered by car, bus, van and taxi, one bit is bus-only, but in that stretch the buses really don't think bikes should be there, and will pull out without looking.

The bikes are practical, some gearing, some luggage handling. QR saddles to adapt for customer height, though without the anti-theft cable to ensure the saddle will stay there overnight. Perhaps the width and styling of the saddle will discourage such thefts, for which the nearby watershed bike park area is infamous for.

Mr H is being somewhat critical of the process, but where it could be useful is if once you are registered, you are also entrusted with access to rental bikes in other places -London, Cardiff, Oxford, etc. That would mean when you visit one of these places, you can use a bike for the day.

No helmets, no high viz clothing, no discount aldi or lidl waterproof trousers. Users will be expected to bring those themselves. Or worse -go without!

Cornering Problems

There's an HGV on the zig-zags, overhanging the zebra crossing, and making negotiating Cotham Hill tricky in the pre-9am peak period

Parked? Not really. People are out trying to solve a problem. What problem? This car.

It's up on the pavement by Domino's Pizza, but whoever parked there last night doesnt know that during working hours, you get truck deliveries to the building supplies site, and cornering in from Whiteladies Road is fairly sharp. If they had parked further up on the pavement -the way most Domino's Pizza staff and customers appear to do- there wouldn't have been any problems, but as it is, it's sticking out.

This is something people always get wrong: they assume that if you leave space for a car, there's nothing to worry about. But you have to leave space for a truck. Because they don't care that much if they damage your vehicle on the way through, and they will get through. This lot did. Eventually.

The Pavement is So Hot Right Now!

It's official. What once was a rare and daring manoeuvre, parking up the pavement, has now become an everyday activity and the officially accepted way of parking. To celebrate the dawning of this new era in parking, teams across Bristol are forming to show off the many styles and approaches to this groundbreaking new pastime.

Pictured here on Victoria Avenue we have a stunning display of Synchronised Pavement Parking from the beautifully co-ordinated team of elegant white vans, EU03ONX and 1946BSK. Support for this new craze is widespread, with this particular team being sponsored by Garden Doctor, The choice for the Green Gardener.

There's no prizes been awarded yet, but rumour has it that these two stand a good chance of being eligible for the coveted Yellow Sticker, a highly regarded award that that has been known to cause quite an overwhelming outburst of appreciation from previous recipients. I'm informed that this team have earned themselves extra points by leaving enough width between them for two cars. On a normal two way road this is something that wouldn't really be noticed by the judges, but performing such a daring feat on a one way road places them at the top of their game. I'm told that extra consideration is also given for the narrowness of pavement left for pedestrians and pavement users, because as everyone knows a slower pavement user is a pavement user more likely to have the time to fully appreciate this outstanding display of talent and technique.

Now we know there's those of you out there that say this pavement parking is nothing new, change the record, it's boring, but you're obviously not noticing the subtlety that takes it to a whole new level. You have to keep an open mind about these new trends. You have to keep your finger on the pulse. Don't close yourself off to these new horizons and possibilities. United we could really see events and celebrations like this blossom. This could be the thing that puts Bristol firmly on the map, a bit like Cabot's Circus did back in 2006. Who knows, before long we might even be enjoying events like the Double Yellow Dawdle (top points for the smallest purchases made while parked up) or the Speed Limit Shuffle (witness the magic as teams of illusionists transform areas that you previously thought had 20mph limits into 30mph and even 40mph zones).

Together we can do it. Together we can make Bristol a Parking City!

(photos and text by "AG". Thank you!)

Warning: main road

This is the sustrans route from Pill to Portishead, links up with the avon gorge towpath, and provides a track to the city that allows cyclists to avoid getting stuck where the A369 meets the M5. You can ride all the way to the new harbour development now.



All the way but here, the Warning: Cyclists Dismount sign. Because there's a zebra crossing here



And it would endanger everyone if cyclists rode over, rather than walked over.

Some thoughts arise on a road that seems to lead to a surplus car parking area for the avonmouth complex

1. are bicycles required to walk over zebra crossings? Its not a pavement, after all?
2.  if it doesn't have the belisha beacons, is it actually a zebra crossing? And if not, what is it?