Things have been happening at Hollway Road shops, the parade of two dozen units plus library at the heart of Stockwood. Cycling City is on the job of turning it into the destination retail centre of choice for the cyclists of South Bristol.
Until now, we've had to make do with just three bike stands at the shops.
Now, two have been added at the library
.....plus two at the Co-op
.....plus three at the post office
.....plus two at the chippy
.....plus two at the offie.
Sadly, the recently refurbished playground at Cottle Road Park, with its own little shopping parade, remains without any provision for bikes.
As do the shops on Sturminster Road.
Clearly, there's a plan behind all this. If only we knew what it was.
........................
Meanwhile, the other side of the one-time tracks, the Parks people are consulting about the future of the few acres of open space between the Whitchurch Railway Path and the Saltwell Viaduct on the A37. Apparently it's a Site of Nature Conservation Interest, (which makes it pretty safe from being sold off to provide park-keepers in Knowle). But isn't this the place where Cycling City want to provide a new off-road link route under the viaduct and up into Whitchurch? They don't seem to have told the Parks planners.....
3 comments:
Bristol seems to be fast becoming Cycle Rack City. It's the one thing that the Cycling City project seem to be making good progress with. And in central Bristol at least they're well used.
I'm not so sure about the protection afforded by SNCI status. The Bristol & Bath Railway Path is an SNCI but that didn't stop the council trying to turn it into a bus route or selling a slice off to the chocolate factory developers at Greenbank.
Interesting that Parks seem blissfully unaware of the Cycling City proposal for a new path from the Whitchurch Greenway along the valley and under Saltwell Viaduct to Whitchurch Lane.
I wonder if they've secretly dropped that proposal, given that it would have run into all sorts of problems on the west side of the viaduct where it would require CPOs of people's fields and even gardens, and that in BANES rather than Bristol.
Bicycle racks are easy to implement because they involve taking space from pedestrians not motorists. Let's see if any turn up in car parking spaces.....
Of course, I've no problem with there being lots more cycle stands. But I can't help thinking they could be distributed more effectively, maybe after asking local cyclists.
Chris, I've just learned that Cycling City investment in the Whitchurch Railway Path is still very much on their agenda. If they can include the Whitchurch (Saltwell) link - and do something about the Sturminster Road on-road leg (about which I have my own ideas), then so much the better.
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