Invisible Bikers?

I think I should call Mulder & Scully in on this little entry to the X-Files: invisible motorbikes on the Railway Path. As you can see from the picture, these 4-inch wide tracks appeared from nowhere, their makers invisible to the eye, like that creature from the Id scene in Forbidden Planet (fab movie, get the DVD). My own theory is that it couldn't possibly be numpties racing mini-motorbikes along the path, but actually a 15 foot tall mountain biker with stupidly wide tires.

A ticket? On a sunday?

This pic of a range rover Y1GRT being persecuted by parking services for parking slightly on a pavement and double yellow line hits our inbox. It was taken on a sunday.

This shocked us -if Bristol Parking Services are going to work on Sundays, next they will be out after 5pm on a weekday. But a closer check of the photo revealed there was nothing to fear. This picture is from Bath!

Stokes Croft: Hi Viz is power

Evening on the 'croft. now the line of deck chairs is full of a different shift of traffic engineers, all sporting their Bristol Traffic approved Hi-Viz tops, enjoying the evening sun with a faint hint of FirstBus diesel.

When asked "how did they get their cars onto the pavement without driving the wrong way down a one way road", they said "We have dispensation". Clearly doing a traffic survey not only allows you to park on pavements -seen that before- but drive a car down a one way street, all for the sake of the experiment. This must be a very powerful dispensation.

What could be so powerful as to give the cars HD02OVG and X636FWP the ability to drive and park where they like? For that is a power that everyone in Bristol would love to have.

Only one thing has that power: Hi-Viz tops. Admit it -if they weren't in the shiny yellow, they wouldn't be people in positions of authority, they wouldn't have respect from the population. This is why everyone should embrace the yellow tops -they are the first step to achieving power and influence in this city.

Banksy Parking Logistics

Lots of new visitors coming to our site are not using the usual keywords "high viz fetish", but now "banksy parking". Lots of other people are either concerned that this criminal is stealing our parking spaces (now no parking allowed there, 24-hours a day), or looking for somewhere to park. We welcome the new visitors, even the one who denounced our concerns about the loss of parking spaces as petty selfishness. Selfish, maybe, but petty, no!

zulu1001 says:

"Oh please!"

"It's something that is really popular that does no-one any harm. Let celebrate this rather than complaining about a perceived traffic inconvenience."

Well, zulu1001, it is not just the loss of a few parking spaces that matters, it is the fact that all these visitors to the city are taking up our commuter parking spaces in/near Woodland Road and Tyndall's Park avenue, the last free parking area nearby, just when the students had all left for the summer. Because you need to be in that queue before 08:30 to be sure that you will get in the first 450, and not have to wait at least an hour for the first group to finish, so called "art lovers" who have driven over will be there grabbing the spaces before we regular commuters can get them.

For all those people coming to this site looking for the best place to park for the exhibition, can we therefore point you all at Montpelier? Come off the M32 before you reach the end of the road, go into Montpelier and park on an empty bit of pavement. It will get easier throughout the day.

Then walk all the way to the show via Stoke's Croft, Jamaica Street, Dighton Street and Park Row, past all the other free graffiti the city has to offer.

Having been inside the show, can we note that it is not very authentic. This "landscape near Hartcliffe" painting, for example, does not recognise the off-road skills of the locals, who can get a stolen car way further up a muddy track before having to torch it. That painting is more a Clifton-down class of off-road parking, which may give a new clue as to the graffiti-criminal's origin.

Finally, can we close by reminding the locals not to mention the fact that Boston Tea Party at the top of Park Street does the best coffee, cakes and meals of all the cafes in this area, because if word does get out its lovely garden at the back will fill up. Point the turists at Cafe Nero and Starbucks, it is all they expect and deserve.

Avoiding the Heisenberg Problem on stokes croft

A week after someone ends up under a lorry here, a day after coverage on the local BBC news, and we have the council survey team out in force on Stokes Croft. There they are on the deck chairs behind the (shiny new) bike racks, just past the car up on the pavement by the double yellow lines.

One of the big problems in any scientific measuring experiments are the effect of the observers on the behaviour of the system. In particle physics, the Heisenberg Problem surfaces -measuring something's mass slows it down; measuring something's velocity stops you weighing it. With humans, it is often the Hawthorn Effect: the act of being monitored changes people's behaviour. Either way: the observers get in the way. For this survey, the risk is that the survey cars will impinge on the flow of traffic, so altering the number, placement and velocity of the vehicles.

The survey team have anticipated this, and yet still managed to park their survey cars as close as they can to their deck chairs, by driving both their vehicles V127LEU and GK57YZS the wrong way down the Nine Tree Hill one-way section. They have not approached Stokes Croft at all, not even before the experiment began.

This leaves road unmodified; the bike lanes in Stokes Croft in their "raw" state, unobstructed by any more vehicles than normal.

Tax-dodging cyclists reading this blog may wish to save and print out a copy of the survey team and vehicles contraflowing the road and nipping up on the pavement. That way, when they are stopped by the police for illegally mimicing the same operation, they can declare that they are part of the Bristol Traffic survey team, and merely following the same scientific rigour when approaching the Stoke's Croft junction: to observe without interfering.

The war on cars continues!

We'd seen signs of this last week, and now more proof comes in -this time from contributor "IW" that the council is continuing the same anti-car madness of its predecessors. Yes, In the centre of the city, the traffic island that provided the best free parking in the centre, with its car park area all safely marked out, is now blocked off.

Hopefully it is just temporary, a left over from some harbour event or something, or put in while BT need access to their manhole. If it does not, then we will have to write a stern letter to the Evening Post, complaining about this anti-car madness.

The Marlborough Street bus interchange

On our way back from Primark, we note mild chaos at Marlborough St. Bus station.

A taxi wants to pull up to the taxi-only dropoff zone but can't; a car waiting for arriving passengers is there. Other vehicles are going up to the "short stay" pavement and not blocking through traffic.

The taxi has no option but stop in the road to unload, causing some tension in the vehicles behind. But all of them are just trying to do the same thing: park here to pick up or drop off passengers.

There is an option for parking round the corner, by the new magistrates court, but for some reason (security?) a perfectly wide pavement is bollarded off.


There's still some space opposite; only one vehicle is using this. It is worth remembering about though, if every you need to pick people up from the bus station in a car.

Build-outs are for Builders

Readers might be surprised to discover that this site is in favour of build outs. Don't they reduce the amount of parking? they may ask. No, they don't. They just stop the little people from using it.

Build-outs tend to be for the exclusive use of residents, delivery vehicles and people working in the houses. This means that they provide a small amount of resident parking spaces without any of the overhead of creating resident parking areas. No need to sticker up cars, paint over roads, enforce pavement or road parking rules. Just leave the build-outs for vans such as Refresh Painting and Decorating and their van KM53RVY. Problem solved!

(This is on the junction of Hanbury and Pembroke Road, outside the (proposed) Cliftonwood CPZ. With build-outs like these, there is no need to expand the proposed zones.)

Contra Flows 2

OK, I take it all back.

Contra flows are deadly.

Not because you'll be nailed in a head-on collision with a car doing 30mph, whilst cycling towards it, giving a maximum impact speed approaching 50mph, which is deadly, and probably why our traffic planners don't like the idea.

No, it's because you're likely to be broadsided by a car doing slightly less hitting you from the side, and knocking you into the on-coming traffic.

Whilst most contra-flows suggested by Bristol's cycling fraternity are ignored by Bristol City Council, even though they are completely sensible, easy to implement and obviously obvious, there are some already in place... probably to prove that they shouldn't exist.

Take the one in Elton Road.

It helps cyclists access Gloucester Road from the north-west whilst preventing cars from doing the same. (Let's not dwell on the appalling quality of the public realm in such a vibrant area of Bristol which is now entirely dominated by a 'traffic intersection' of the lowest quality, where pedestrians are given the lowest priority and longest waiting times). No, really. Let's not dwell on that appalling junction. Or whoever conceived it. They have probably retired anyway. Or moved on. Or been sent to Coventry.

Anyway, back to Elton Road. Or more specifically, the interface of the Elton Road cycle contra-flow with Elton Lane.

Imagine the scenario:

You're trying to get to the Prince of Wales on two wheels. Or Maplins if you're out of CD-RWs. Or the Bread Store for a City Loaf and some doughnuts. So you peddle down Elton Road, using the cycle lane contra-flow. It's rush-hour, so there are lots of cars coming towards you (fine so far). But it's rush-hour. So there will always be someone in a BMW looking for a way to jump the queue. But they are only looking one way as they approach the bottom of Elton Lane... at speed, trying to turn right. But they don't look right (they're entering a one-way street and the 'cars' are coming from their left). So they don't look right. At all. Ever. Despite the signs. Because they're going too fast. And they are in a car. Which is safe.

Well, I've got good brakes, and luckily my children were behind me.

This time.

(Aside: Moi? Judgmental of Bristol traffic engineers? And Urban Designers? Never)

For Immediate Release

A press release from the cycling campaign reaches our inbox.

The Bristol Cycling Campaign wishes to extend its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the cyclist who died following a collision with a lorry on Winterstoke Road on Tuesday August 11.

This tragedy is part of a series of bicycle/lorry collisions in the city over the past week.

1. Thursday August 6th, A collision at the junction of Perry Road and St Michael's Hill, left the cyclist in a serious condition in the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
2. Tuesday August 11th The junction of Winterstoke Road and Brunel Way. The cyclist, struck by a Mercedes Sprinter van, died.
3. Tuesday August 11th Old Market. A DAF lorry cab turning left collided with a bicycle outside the Evening Post. Again, serious injury -this time pelvic, leg and head injuries, and again, another customer for the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
4. Wednesday August 12th Stokes Croft/Ashley Road - a female cyclist left with a suspected broken leg.

This week of tragedy comes exactly three months after two teenage children were killed walking in the city by hit and run drivers in separate incidents.

The Bristol Cycling Campaign calls for Bristol Council to come up with a design for the city's roads that ensures that pedestrians and cyclists can get to their home, work or school without having to travel in fear for their lives.

It is impossible for Bristol Council's targets of doubling cycling to be achieved without increasing the numbers of collisions, unless there is a step change in the way that all of us in the city treat the most vulnerable road users.

Here of some examples of ways that we could improve road safety in the city:

1. Bristol must follow Portsmouth's lead of slowing down the speed limits on the approaches to the city, to stop drivers coming straight off 70mph roads and into the narrow streets of the city - and to stop them speeding up as they get closer to the motorway.
2. Roads, and especially junctions, need to be designed to reduce the risk of collisions. As a specific example, the Stokes Croft/Ashley Road collision involved a bike lane which is on the left side of a left-turn only lane. The collision here is not "an accident", it is the inevitable consequence of the design of the road.
3. As lorries appear to be disproportionately involved in the recent incidents, Bristol Council needs a plan to make their movements less hazardous to other road users. In London, for example, Transport for London is running a special cycle/lorry share-the-road training and publicity campaign.
4. Everyone needs to be encouraged to attend the Council-supported cycle training courses. As well as teaching cyclists how to cope with dangerous road designs, they will give drivers better understanding of the dangers that cyclists face.

Martin McDonnell, secretary of the Bristol Cycling Campaign said: "With rising obesity levels, congestion and road pollution, encouraging cycling is more important than ever. We call on the Council to fulfil the Cycling City vision by making the city safe to cycle around."

We wish a speedy and full recovery to all the Bristolians who are currently in hospital because they chose to cycle around a cycling city. We also wish to express our appreciation to the emergency services, who have responded excellently in all these incidents.

Bike under Lorry on Stokes Croft

One of our many reporters was on Stokes Croft to catch the aftermath of this weeks's second bike/lorry incident, this one with a skip lorry turning left over a bike (which may have been going straight on).

The reporter "S" says:

I was heading out on stokes croft, had turned right and was in picton street when the incident happened, so didnt see it. I did see that the vehicle in the front of the left turn lane was the orange truck involved. I think there may have been a bike in the ASL, but my memory is vague as I do that route too often. If I am correct, that bike was somebody else anyway.

The lorry was turning left from cheltenham road and the arches, but as it wasn't moving I could catch the green light first and turn into ashley road, then left into picton street, where I was busy feeling smug that I had cleared the junction so easily today. Suddenly there is really load screaming, that doesn't stop. Everyone nearby starts rushing up, saying whats happened?, looking around.

There's a woman on the floor screaming, not much blood. A PCSO runs up and starts to look after her, and calls for support. The nearby shop brings out a blanket and everyone comfort the cyclist until the paramedics and then the ambulance turn up. I'm not giving you any photos of her -the lorry driver is the man in orange to the left of the photo.

The ambulances came fast

(ed: 6-minutes from the first photo to the one with two ambulances)

The ambulance took her off, there was some suspicion of a broken leg/ankle. The bike is toast. By comparison, the cyclist seemed fairly uninjured

There we have it then, three bike/lorry collisions in a week -one on Park Row, one outside the Evening Post, this one. We all hope that everyone involved recovers rapidly.

It's too early to assign blame here; the reality is that in any bike/lorry collision, its the person on the bike who loses. What is obvious, when you look back at the route they were using is that the bike lane leads people on bikes into exactly the wrong place -inside vehicles on the left turn lane. We've been here before, praising vehicles for blocking it out of safety concerns, and here you have evidence that it really is something to avoid. This is a pretty hazardous junction all round, its where the same reporter had their A&M Motor Road Rage incident, heading the other way.

RIP Bristol Urban Design Team

They've gone and removed Bristol's famous Free Parking Space.

In what appears to be a concerted attack on motorists, fly-parkers, and anyone concerned with quality in the 'Public Realm', Bristol City Council have unilaterally blocked access to this well-known Bristol attraction. This is pedestrianisation by stealth.

What was an apparently well-designed and considered contribution to our inner-city highway infrastructure is now little more than a fly tipping opportunity. Or an exclusive 4x4 parking bay.

Or are the cycling-city mob about to fill it with bike stands?

Game Theory at Sussex Place junction

We are still seeking photos of the days when there was a mini-roundabout here, but until then we are blessed with this photograph of what the junction looked like pre-widening. Remember, at this time there was a bike lane and a pavement wide enough for a pedestrian to get past any parked cars. The improvements to the junction are to reduce pollution by helping traffic flow. Pedestrians and tax-dodging cyclists can use the back roads instead.

As to what is going on here, our Reporter "TJ", says

The picture was taken from Ashley Road and the sequence of events was as

follows:

• Lights are green for traffic coming off Ashley Road
• Lower Ashley Road was stationery and traffic from Ashley Road (white transit followed by green and black cars - hereafter Muppet Group A) moved forward onto the junction to avoid getting held all the way through another sequence.
• Lights change to green for traffic coming off Sussex Place
• Traffic moving from Sussex Place onto Lower Ashley Road (led by the yellow brakedown lorry) was unable to move forward much due to congestion on Lower Ashley Road and Muppet Group A.
• Traffic moving from Sussex Place onto Ashley Road got fed up with sitting there and started to pull out from the queue and drive down the wrong side of Sussex Place to get past the blockage. Quite a lot of this traffic was overtaking 10+ cars queueing to turn left onto Lower Ashley Road (i.e. driving a long way down the wrong side of the road).
• Lights change to green for traffic coming off Lower Ashley Road.
• Several of the cars coming down the wrong side of Sussex Place were still trying to cross the junction, including the grey sports car and the silver Nissan Micra in the picture but with more infront and behind (hereafter Muppet Group B).
• Traffic turning left from Lower Ashley Road into Ashley Road (led by lorry with white cab and blue body) is blocked by Muppet Group B.
• Traffic turning right from Lower Ashley Road into Sussex Place (led by silver people carrier) is blocked by Muppet Group A but would be blocked by Muppet Group B even if Muppet Group A had moved in the two or three minutes since they pulled into the middle of the junction.
• No-one can go anywhere until Muppet Groups A and B have managed to clear the junction.

I seem to remember that someone in Muppet Group B actually hooted at the traffic trying to go from Lower Ashley Road into Ashley Road under the green lights. They did manage to all clear the junction within a minute or two (the grey sports car on the right is just starting to move forward onto Ashley Road) but for a while it looked like being a really entertaining snarl up.

This is fascinating, as it is another classic example of real-world deadlock. In computing systems, a deadlock occurs when a number of entities are each blocked, waiting for the actions of the other entities. It can only occur if

1. There is mutual exclusion: here, only one vehicle can fit into the middle of the junction at a time, or into any of the junction exits.
   
2. A hold and wait condition exists: it is possible to claim one resource (the junction or an exit) before acquiring the other.
3. Resources cannot be taken by force. There is no easy way to remove a vehicle from the junction or an exit.
4. A circular wait exists: the chain of dependencies comes back to the original entity.

For more detail, there is a set of slides on the topic. While most people don't really care about such computing things, it is interesting to see it in the real world because of this:

• The self-interested action of each driver is to pull out into the junction, to make some progress when you get a green light, because when the light changes, the car at the front of the other junction will do exactly that, regardless of whether it can get out. As a result, the system grinds to a halt; it enters a failed state.
  

This is pretty important, because the whole idea of choosing the best option for yourself regardless of the decision the others make is the whole foundation of Game Theory. And in Sussex Place, the Nash Equilibrium appears to result in the loss of traffic flow. (Yes, that is a university lecture, but its a political science one and doesn't have much maths in it)

So, why is that important? Because Game Theory was the underlying political science/mathematics of the cold war. And John Nash, the mathematician behind it. These are the equations you would use when planning a conflict escalation policy that starts off with tanks in Berlin or Vietnam, and ends with an exchange of strategic armaments in ballistic missiles over the Arctic Circle, and hence the end of humanity -the big Failed State.

The politicians, the soldiers, sat their with their maps, their tables, their graphs, got the mathematicians in and game up with plans that during the cold war came pretty close to that condition on a couple of occasions, but everyone always backed off. For which we all have to be very, very grateful.

Comparing the Cold War to Sussex Place then, we have to pretty glad that those people trying to drive across Bristol weren't involved in planning or managing the conflict, as we wouldn't have stood a chance of getting through it alive.

Contra Flows

Doh?

The idea of contra flows for cyclists is all over the Internet, and on Bristol's many 'cycling city' websites (and rants/blogs).

Try BristolStreets for suggestions...

So why not?

I reckon that if cars (like P588FAN) can do it, cyclists ought to be allowed too...

Any suggestions???

Balloon Fiesta Parking on Bower Ashton Terrace

Here is WF06SNU at the junction of Ashton Road and Bower Ashton Terrace on Thursday evening. The owner could be a local resident, or someone going to the Bristol City FC grounds, or maybe someone visiting the Balloon Fiesta in nearby Ashton Court. Although at first glance this seems to be an excellent parking location with the rocky pseudo-bollards on guard, cars parked here without care may still be in danger.

This car, for example, could still be at risk from unobservant pedestrians dirtying the paintwork whilst attempting to squeeze past. Such pedestrians are likely to include families with buggies and with children made excitable by seeing a floating Churchill dog and eating candy-floss and burgers.

By choosing a slightly different parking angle, the pavement here would be completely blocked, ensuring excitable children would be forced to use the road, leaving WF06SNU safe from candy floss and burger grease.

(trivia: we've seen this build-out before; clearly a secret Ashton Gate parking area. This time, credit to reporter "WB" for letting us know about this secret spot for a car)

Remembering Troy Atkinson

It's just over three months since Troy Atkinson got killed by a car while crossing the road by Cabot Circus. Today, pedestrians still cross the junction.

Behind them, there is a plaque, showing that his friends and family remember and miss him.

T.W.A.
Troy William Atkinson
4th April 1994-28th April 2009

Round the area, though, there doesn't seem any attempt to remember Troy by making the junction safer

There is still a road through the middle of the shopping area, one that has "shared use" pedestrian areas which offers traffic the right of way, one that has taxi and disabled parking, through car drivers and various people doing short-stay pickup in the taxi and disabled areas, and the bus lane.

Troy's friends and families may remember and mourn him, but the city, the infrastructure, it does not.

Ofsted Again

According to local media sources, many Bristol schools are doing quite well these days in the KS3 stakes.

We correctly predicted this back in February 2009!

As a result of that blog, we also highlighted, in March, that Bristol was being visited by people keen to bathe in our success. Presumably so that they could learn our secrets.

Today, we can report the success of Bristol in attracting visitors in their thousands (and not just for the Banksy Exhibition). People are here to learn to read from all over Britain! And to prove it, they're parking their cars all over our streets.

Unfortunately, the drivers of H56NUB and CK56VCP all appear to have failed their SATS, but we assume they're here to learn, too. Hopefully they will stay, learn, and then spread the word.

Just like the driver of EA04YWF who has been in Bristol for at least six months and is still learning.

Like those visitors from afar coming to Bristol Museum for the Banksy extravaganza, the drivers of these vehicles are contributing to the local economy. On behalf of the people of Bristol we say Thank You.

Railway Path: 24 years old

That known subversive, Chris Hutt, is celebrating 24 years of the Bristol-Bath railway path's existence. He may celebrate it, having helped build it, having snuck out with other troublemakers like John Grimshaw, and built the country's premier walking/cycling path while British Rail wasn't looking.

But think of the damage it has done for the city. A stretch of Bristol is forever deprived the option of a railway line. When our strategic partners, the West of England Partnership, tried to reclaim this wasteland for bus use, all those whining tax-dodgers got together and fought it off. Yet it was built for such public transport in the first place.

We do like to visit the R.P., primarily as it is a good way of keeping our eye on those subversives: Chris Hutt, Josh Hart, Steve Meek and others. Here, on the first Sunday in August, we have one of the original subversives, John Grimshaw, cycling from Bath to Bristol.

Why exactly is he cycling on the path? Is he enjoying the first sunny day for six weeks? No, it is part of a train journey from Wiltshire. Apparently he and three others were thrown off the train at Bath, because there were more than the official number of bicycles (2) on the train.

From John's perspective, he is probably thinking that it was lucky that he had the foresight to build a 15 mile walking/cycling path, just in case such an event should occur. But look at it from the train company's perspective: this man stole a line from them, the least they can do is make him use it.

Elsewhere we see that some subversive is advocating boycotting the cafe at Bitton, because the hobbyists want to extend the railway line. It was a railway line once, it can be again. A volunteer-run train service running one train a day could be a valuable contribution to our city's transport needs.

Traffic news

The Evening Post is reporting that a cyclist ended up under a turning lorry at the Park Row/St Michael's Hill Junction. It is handy for the BRI, and while they have a broken thigh bone, they are apparently going to survive, which is good.

The E.P comments section is the usual mess of assumptions and abuse, but there is also commentary from someone who was there, which we reprint in its entirety

I saw the aftermath but not the actual accident. I was waiting to cross the road at the traffic lights just up from the St Michaels Hill junction, the traffic lights were changing and the lorry was one of the last vehicles to go past me and was turning left up towards St Michaels Hill. The next thing I heard was a massive crushing sound - like a massive coke can - which of course turned out to be the bicycle - and heard screams, I looked round to see a horrible scene, one that you never ever want to see.

I believe that the cyclist saw the traffic lights start to change and went to cross the junction at the bottom of the hill and didn't see the lorry coming around the corner. The lorry obviously didn't see the cyclist either...so blame probably lies both ways.

Wishing the man a speedy recovery, I'm just glad it wasn't more serious.

I expect the truck driver is scarred as even if he was partly to blame - to get out of his cab and find somebody under your wheels screaming in pain is not how he would have wanted to start his day.

Terry, Bristol

We wish the injured cyclist a speedy recovery. We are also curious as to whether BBC Bristol will cover the incident, or copy the BBC London policy of not bothering to mention such events.

Also in the traffic news section, we are informed that on this Thursday evening, that the A38 is closed between Aztec West/the M4/M5 and the Southmead/BAe roundabout. Bomb squad called out for a suspicious package at Rolls Royce, apparently. Looking out the window over the North Fringe sprawl, the A4174 ring-road is congested no worse than normal for a weekday evening.

Pedestrians holding up traffic

These cars are having their journey through Cobourg Road, Montpelier held up by a selfish pedestrian.

The tax-dodging walker is happily strolling down the pavement, ignoring the fact that the only way to get down this road by car is to drive with two wheels on the aforementioned pavement. Because the pedestrian is uncaringly occupying the same space, the cars are forced to crawl along at his speed.

Lockleaze: the motorbike moves

A few days ago, a torched motorbike in the fields behind Lockleaze.

Within a week, the same bike has been dragged to the path by volunteers who care for the fields, where the bike has been burned more thoroughly.

There are some people who complain that the lockleaze-UWE bike path is unlit. We say - it finds its own illumination.

Criminals

Not content with ruining my usual Friday night tour of Bristol City Centre in my X5, these criminals, who usually run every red light they can find, have actually stopped at the lights.

Outrageous.

Death by Motorway

Lovely sign up on the pavement under the M32, near Tescos

"DO NOT CROSS M32
3 pedestrians killed
here in the last
12 months
please use
formal
crossing point"

We could be pedants and point out that it really means "Do not cross M32 approach road"

and just like most other signs in the city "no parking", "school keep clear" "speed limit 30", it is completely ignored

As a few shoppers bravely sprint back from the shops to their houses, in between the cars

The interesting question to consider is why are cars driving at 60-70 mph along here?

The roads are set up for it, barriers and signage are optimised for speed, you don't feel welcome on a bike, and pedestrians are simply forbidden. Except they keep coming, and death follows.

There is an alternate option to consider. You could drop the speed on the M32, and then cars wouldn't be pushing to get up to motorway-merge speeds (60mph in theory here), on that road. Instead the cars would only be doing 20-30. Instead of it being a high-speed route in and out the city, you try and make it a low-turbulence, high-throughput route, with safe pedestrian access here and on the St Pauls/M32 roundabout.

Just a thought. Until then, easily updated signs that get ignored.

Product placement: AA

Some of our viewers come from Abroad, where Abroad means further afield than Wales or the Isle of Wight, and these readers leave notes saying "what the zig-zags we keep mentioning".

Zig-zags are the lines before and after zebra and other pedestrian crossings, which indicate that under no circumstances should you ever think of parking there. Because of that restriction, they are not normally used for commuter and resident parking.

This leaves them as the primary short-stay parking area in the inner city. The tendency of zebra crossings to be placed near schools and shops makes them key locations for short stay shopping or parental dropoff.

Today, we see a yellow van EU06NUY with flashing lights up on one on Cotham Brow

From the side, you can see that it is an AA van helping broken down cars. Someone further down the hill appears to have run out of petrol; the AA breakdown van is on call to rescue them.

Although this seems to endanger pedestrians, it doesn't really, because while it may make it harder for approaching vehicles to see people about to cross the road, if the drivers are not going to stop for pedestrians anyway, it makes no difference whatsoever.

Once you recognise that, that zebra-markings are just a quaint memory of a distant past when children walked to school, it's then clear that their sole remaining use really is short-stay parking. They have no other purpose in our fair city.

Sunset over lockleaze

Sometimes we like to get out of the city and enjoy the nature on our doorstep

Such as the quiet greenways to Purdown camp.

Bristol ASL Chic 2

Not sure if this counts, but snapped today on the trusty iPhone...

RF58GNZ was definitely being piloted by a small blond woman...

Probably not Sandy Toksvig.

Definition of Danish? A bit like a Dan.