A4 Bristol Portway traffic changes planned - including reducing speed limit and changing cycle path

The speed limit along parts of a major road in Bristol could be cut in an attempt "to boost sustainable transport options".

Bristol City Council is planning to reduce the speed limit from 50mph to 40mph along parts of the A4 Portway to make cycling and walking more accessible and to allow buses to travel more quickly along the route.

The proposals also include introducing a bus lane on both sides of the road along most of the route and widening narrow pavements shared by pedestrians and cyclists.

Focussed on the northwestern section of the road, the plans start at the M5 flyover and go along the A4 onto Hotwell Road, before going along Anchor Road up to Explore Lane.

Bristol City Council said the proposals were drawn up following discussions last summer in which people were asked what issues they faced when travelling along the route.

Cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said the feedback revealed it needed to fix issues around infrequent bus services and narrow shared pavements.

"Throughout the first round of early engagement, we found that bus users wanted to feel more connected to the north of the city with more frequent services to more areas," he said.

"Many were in favour of longer operating times for the Portway Park and Ride service and thought bus lanes would make buses more reliable overall."

He added: "People who walk or cycle along the route raised issues of narrow shared spaces on pavements, the quality of the surface, and questioned the speed of traffic.

"At this point, we are not recommending a segregated cycle route on the road as there would not be enough space for this along with the 24-hour bus lane.

"However, where pavements are narrow, especially around bus stops, we are suggesting widening them to reduce potential conflict between cyclists and pedestrians.“

Bristol City Council is now asking people who live or travel along the road to give their views on the proposal.

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: “As part of our ambitious programme to improve major transport routes in and out of Bristol, we need people to feed into this consultation to help us to create a better, more connected city for everyone, and bring down air pollution as we work on our goal to achieve net zero by 2030.

"If we are to meet these goals, as a city we need to continue the transition to sustainable modes of transport, such as walking, cycling and public transport.

"Adapting key routes, such as the A4 Portway, will help us meet this challenge head-on."

People can share their views on the proposals until Sunday 12 November.