East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood: What new low-traffic scheme means for drivers

A new trial scheme to reduce "rat-running and speeding" in east Bristol will begin this September.

Bristol City Council says the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood is aimed at making it easier for people there to walk and cycle from A to B.

It's being funded by money from the West of England Combined Authority that's been set aside for improving walking and cycling routes.

The scheme applies to Barton Hill, and the parts of Redfield and St George that are south of Church Road and north of the Riveron.

New road furniture like bus gates and modal filters will restrict traffic to some streets, meaning drivers may have to take different routes to get home, get to the shops, and get to work.

Why has east Bristol been chosen for a liveable neighbourhood scheme?

• It's near a cycle route - the Wesley Way

• It's within a short walking and cycling distance of the city centre

• It's near developments like Temple Island and the new university campus, which are likely to attract more car journeys

• It's near the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and there are concerns that people might rat-run through residential areas to avoid the CAZ charges

• It's near cycling routes out of Bristol, like the River Avon Trail

Which areas are covered by the scheme?

The map below shows the streets covered by the trial scheme. We'll look at how each area is affected later in this article.

How does the scheme work?

The liveable neighbourhood trial will restrict traffic to some roads in east Bristol and prevent drivers from "rat-running" through residential streets to avoid using main roads.

Bristol City Council intends to do this by dividing up neighbourhoods into colour-coded groups of streets.

The map below shows how this will look.

A range of measures will then be used to stop drivers from passing from one colour-coded area into another.

For example, motorists won't be able to drive from the purple zone (in the top left-hand corner) straight into the orange zone beside it.

Instead, they'll need to go via main roads like Church Road and Summerhill Road to reach the next zone.

Any roads shown in grey on the map will be unchanged by the trial.

How will motorists be stopped from passing between the zones?

Modal filters

These stop cars and other motor vehicles from driving down a road, but leave gaps for walkers and cyclists to pass through.

A common way to achieve this is by putting one or two bollards across the entrance to a street.

These can usually be easily removed or lowered to allow emergency access for the police, fire or ambulance services.

Bus gates

Bus gates are similar to modal filters, but they only allow buses, cyclists and walkers to pass through - not motorists.

There isn't a physical barrier involved. Instead, the "gate" is represented by traffic islands, road signs, and sometimes different coloured tarmac to warn drivers that they cannot continue that way.

Bus gates use cameras to catch out any motorists passing through.

Pocket parks

Modal filters can be extended to create pocket parks.

This means using planters to create a central area where no motor vehicles are allowed, which can be turned into a pocket park.

The size of pocket parks depends on whether vehicles need to access the area.

Other road changes and furniture

The trial scheme will also mean more cycle hangars - to be used for storing bicycles, making some roads one-way and creating more pedestrian crossings.

Plans for a permanent liveable neighbourhood scheme

If the trial scheme goes well, Bristol City Council intends to make the liveable neighbourhood permanent in east Bristol.

This would include planting more trees, and installing permanent cycle hangars and more street lighting along the River Avon Trail and Silverthorne Lane.