Someone posted us this video complaining that it shows a car driver unable to think ahead, because the driver overtook a bicycle aggressively on the way into Montpelier, whereas everyone knows that you only put your foot down on the way out. The tax-dodger not only ended up being held up by the Audi YY03YGM, they had to drop down Brook Hill, sprintg along Upper Cheltenham Place and then squeeze past the car on Picton Street blocking the road with the hazard lights on, while the Audi was still stuck on York Road negotiating rights of way with whatever was coming from the other direction.
We feel that the whole incident documents a more fundamental problem. The 20 mph zone isn't delivering what was promised.
The opening sequence shows how a bicycle doing 18 mph held up the car, but as soon as they go a little above 20 mph to get past them, there's another oncoming bicycle before the blind zig-zags. Even the bicycle video documents the other problems: the pedestrian and their dog on Brook Hill, the two bicycles on Upper Cheltenham Place, the two kids playing with a Pogo Stick in the road -our road- at 1:14, and then another bicycle. At least the car with the hazard lights on has paid for the right to be there.
Where are the 20 mph zones? The signs show them, but the car would have been lucky to have an average speed of 10 mph across the entire journey. We were promised 20 mph limits, yet it only takes one or two people walking, cycling or even pogo-sticking around and you brought screeching to a halt. We have been betrayed.
Showing posts with label brook-hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brook-hill. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Bristol Uphill Cycle Chic
This is a classic scene of the city: someone pushing their bike up a hill.
Some people may sneer at this, "be fitter or use lower gears", but those people haven't had their GP or knee expert sit down and give them the famous "Golf Conversation", in which they are instructed to take up less strenuous sports.
Pushing bikes up hill means that you don't need to be as fit, yet still get round the city, or so willing to suffer going up one of the many climbs. It also leaves you less sweaty, so you don't need a shower at your destination. It even stresses different muscles.
The hard part is finding the nice roads to push up. Nine-tree Hill is a classic, and far more pleasant than Cotham Brow. This one, Brook Hill, is in the middle of Montpelier. It's quiet and pretty.
Get out there and push your bike up a hill!
Friday, 20 February 2009
The Troubles come to Montpelier #1
The whole Northern Ireland low-intensity civil war theme is such a source of content we have to keep milking it for all it is worth.
Today, The Troubles. If you talk to the unionists, they pine for the days before the Troubles began, when they could march their Orangemen marches and the Catholics would come out and join in and everyone was happy. If you talk to the nationalists, they tell you how they'd stay in their cottages on the Garvaghy Road, in fear of the marches. From their perspective it was their attempt to mimic the US Civil Rights movement -and the unwillingness of the opposing party to adapt- that led to them adopting that other popular US idea: firearms, and so The Troubles proper began. What is key is this: attempted assertion of legal rights led to 30 years of armed conflict.
Here in Montpelier, 20 Feb 2009, something happened that may well be as significant. The PCSOs are going round ticketing cars. Here is Brook Hill -three cars on the pavement have notes on their windscreens telling W763VBO and VA53LVC amongst others to stop parking there.
They are not alone. On the corner with York Road, more cars have leaflets
This is persecution. The cars WR56YZM and DY02UXL have historically acquired the right to park on the pavements and on corners. Yet, here, on Fairfield road, all around this quarter of the city, the leaflets are out. And more than just the leaflets, the tickets.
What has happened? According to conversation with the PCSOs someone -and we think we know who they are- has been complaining to the police about the issue, and the police -not Bristol Parking Services- has come out to act.
This is exactly the kind of assertion of rights that leads to trouble, or even worse, The Troubles.
Today, The Troubles. If you talk to the unionists, they pine for the days before the Troubles began, when they could march their Orangemen marches and the Catholics would come out and join in and everyone was happy. If you talk to the nationalists, they tell you how they'd stay in their cottages on the Garvaghy Road, in fear of the marches. From their perspective it was their attempt to mimic the US Civil Rights movement -and the unwillingness of the opposing party to adapt- that led to them adopting that other popular US idea: firearms, and so The Troubles proper began. What is key is this: attempted assertion of legal rights led to 30 years of armed conflict.
Here in Montpelier, 20 Feb 2009, something happened that may well be as significant. The PCSOs are going round ticketing cars. Here is Brook Hill -three cars on the pavement have notes on their windscreens telling W763VBO and VA53LVC amongst others to stop parking there.
They are not alone. On the corner with York Road, more cars have leaflets
This is persecution. The cars WR56YZM and DY02UXL have historically acquired the right to park on the pavements and on corners. Yet, here, on Fairfield road, all around this quarter of the city, the leaflets are out. And more than just the leaflets, the tickets.
What has happened? According to conversation with the PCSOs someone -and we think we know who they are- has been complaining to the police about the issue, and the police -not Bristol Parking Services- has come out to act.
This is exactly the kind of assertion of rights that leads to trouble, or even worse, The Troubles.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Brook Hill pavement parking
Last week a sign popped up, telling people not to park on the pavement on Brook Hill. Does it work?
Yes, for about four metres southbound, there are no cars on the pavement
This means that there is more than enough room for vehicles to get past.
Opposite the sign, there is a car on the pavement
But even if the sign actually applied to this side of the road, given that the pavement actually runs out just past the rear wheel of the car, well, it's not actually any use as a pavement, is it?
Yes, for about four metres southbound, there are no cars on the pavement
This means that there is more than enough room for vehicles to get past.
Opposite the sign, there is a car on the pavement
But even if the sign actually applied to this side of the road, given that the pavement actually runs out just past the rear wheel of the car, well, it's not actually any use as a pavement, is it?
Monday, 19 January 2009
Crackdown on Montpelier parking
Montpelier is a special place in Bristol. Lovely buildings, fun people, shared streets where parents can happily push their children to nursery along the roads. Here the polis are trying to break this status-quo up by putting signs up to discourage pavement parking. They have started on one road, Brook Hill, with this new sign
Does it work? Well, there are no cars on one side of this narrow road.
Compared to those roads off it, like Upper Cheltenham Place
And Cobourg Road
This could be viewed as a success. Unfortunately, we have no photographs in our datacentre showing any vehicles parking on this side of Brook Hill -it has not come to our attention, presumably because anyone doing so would make the street impassible and create trouble in the streets.
Yet there must have been enough of a pavement parking problem on Brook Hill for it to merit a sign, or the police have been pressured to do something about the Montpelier Problem, and chose the least controversial location. We encourage contributors to keep an eye on it for a few weeks to see if the street remains clear, then try taking it down to see if cars return. Better yet, try moving to a different street to see if it has any effect on those streets.
"Police Warning
It is illegal to park causing obstruction to the footpath or highway.
Any vehicles committing these offences will be issued a fixed penalty notice and removed.
Owners will be liable for cost of recovery"
Compared to those roads off it, like Upper Cheltenham Place
And Cobourg Road
This could be viewed as a success. Unfortunately, we have no photographs in our datacentre showing any vehicles parking on this side of Brook Hill -it has not come to our attention, presumably because anyone doing so would make the street impassible and create trouble in the streets.
Yet there must have been enough of a pavement parking problem on Brook Hill for it to merit a sign, or the police have been pressured to do something about the Montpelier Problem, and chose the least controversial location. We encourage contributors to keep an eye on it for a few weeks to see if the street remains clear, then try taking it down to see if cars return. Better yet, try moving to a different street to see if it has any effect on those streets.
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