Residents in Sydney Road said the liveable neighbourhood has ‘freed them from the tyranny of the motor vehicle’
Jonathan Holmes
BBC News, West of England
A trial liveable neighbourhood scheme that restricted traffic in some parts of a city is set to be made permanent.
In April, Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) installed bollards at the junction of Sydney Road and New Sydney Place in Bath.
Residents living on Sydney Road said the scheme “freed them from the tyranny of the motor vehicle”.
A BANES spokesperson said about quarter of respondents to its survey supported the scheme, with most objections coming from people living outside the trial streets and the wider Bathwick area.
Before the trial began, New Sydney Place saw 4,466 to 4,770 vehicles a day on average, and three quarters of that was through-traffic.
Once the bollards were installed, vehicle numbers were reduced by up to 90% on New Sydney Place and 70% on Sydney Road.
The schemes aimed to cut rat-running along residential roads and to create safer places for cyclists and pedestrians.
Some claimed Sydney Place’s LTN pushed a lot of traffic out onto other roads
Traffic levels were monitored during the trial and the council said that while major routes nearby saw an increase in vehicle numbers, the impact on travel times and queue lengths was “not significant”.
There was also no negative impact in terms of air pollution as a result of the road closure.
Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for resources, said: “It is interesting to see from the feedback how people’s opinions have shifted over the course of the trial to be more positive, although a significant number are obviously still opposed.
“The consultation process allowed people to express a wide range of views.
“The trial is a result of years of campaigning by residents.”
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