The world is full of politicians. - A bit of humour.

Here is something I read in one of the national newspapers this week which made me laugh.

"The world is full of politicians. These brave noble souls have dedicated their entire lives to the quest for answers. They have worked out what we really need to do in order to create peace and prosperity on this planet. They stand for what is right and true and good. They never argue with each other for the sake of it. They just airily debate the finer points of ideas on which they both heartily agree .... don't they? Around you a lot of rot is being taught. Rise above it. Don't get into it."

Thank goodness I have no ambitions in Politics!!

Consultation strategy and finder. Worth checking out.

The following is taken from Bristol City Council's web site and the link for the Consultation Strategy is:

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/
Consultations/consultation-strategy.en

It is also worth checking out the Consultation Finder page (which didn't have the proposed Portway park and ride expansion listed. Why not? I don't know but it is a consultation to the public. Is feedback being limited?) The link is:

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/
Consultations/consultation-finder.en?Task=list&Status=0&Ward=0
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Consultation principles

The following principles underpin the council's consultation work:

1. Consultation should be needed
   Before any new consultation begins, a thorough search will be made to find out whether relevant questions have already been asked of the public. We will avoid unnecessary repetition and duplicates and answers that already exist will be taken into account before any further consultation is undertaken.
2. Opinion should be informed Consultation will aim to seek informed public opinion and not just instant reaction. Whenever possible, the council's communication mechanisms will be used alongside consultation to inform and stimulate public interest, particularly in relation to major strategic and city wide issues.
3. Decisions should be based on evidence The council will adopt clear processes of consultation which, wherever possible, produce results that are measurable and can be evaluated objectively.
4. Purpose should be clear Any consultation will contain a clear statement describing why it is being carried out and how the results will be used. The way the consultation links to the council's wider corporate aims, work programmes and statutory policy framework will also be described.
5. Consultation should be well planned and timely Consultees will be given adequate time to prepare their response. It is recognised that the length of time will vary depending on the time of year and the level of response that is being sought. Sufficient time will be allowed for the results of consultation to be collated, analysed and considered, so that the results of consultation feed directly into the decision making process.
6. Consultation should be inclusive Consultation will aim to be inclusive. To achieve this, the council will give particular consideration to the needs of people with impaired sight or hearing or who have learning difficulties; people whose first language is not English or who cannot read at all and people who might have problems with physical access such as people in wheelchairs and people with pushchairs. In addition, the council will take steps to ensure that the views of younger people, older people, people from ethnic minority communities and others whose views are frequently excluded or overlooked, are actively sought as part of consultation that is inclusive and representative of the community as a whole.
7. Methods should be appropriate and well-managed The council will use a wide range of public consultation methods. They will be used appropriately, reflecting the strengths and weaknesses of each method and will be managed with a clear understanding of the particular skills, knowledge and resources that consultation requires.
8. Results should be acknowledged and fully considered
   The full range of views expressed during consultation will be acknowledged and attention drawn to areas of agreement and disagreement. The results of public consultation will be weighed carefully together with other evidence and considerations.
9. Accessible feedback should be given
   Accessible feedback will be provided both on the results of consultation and on how they have been used, in order to encourage greater public participation in the future.
10. Effectiveness should be evaluated
    The effectiveness of major public consultation will be evaluated and the results shared to encourage broader lessons to be learned. Evaluation will consider not only the number of responses received but also the quality, cost and timeliness of the consultation and the overall usefulness of the results in helping to inform decisions.

The council's commitment

The council will do the following when it consults:

• value your contribution to consultation and will not ask you the same questions over again in a short space of time, without good cause
• aim to provide sufficient background information to enable you to understand and respond to the consultation material
• aim to produce consultation results that are measurable and can be evaluated objectively
• present a clear reason for carrying out consultation and will endeavour to offer you meaningful choices. Consultation will not be used simply to rubber stamp decisions that have already been taken
• be clear about how the consultation is being organised and how responses should be made
• explain the purpose of the consultation and how it anticipates the results will be used
• strive to allow sufficient time for the consultation
• aim to make the consultation inclusive by taking account of any particular needs or difficulties you have to enable you to respond to the consultation
• make appropriate use of a wide range of consultation methods
• offer feedback on the results of the consultation and on how these results have been used to inform decision-making, once the consultation is complete
• will respond to your comments on being consulted by considering how future consultations might be improved.

What we expect from consultees

The council has the following reasonable expectations of its consultees:

• consider carefully how members of any group you are representing through the consultation have been involved in formulating the response, especially ensuring you represent the full range of members' views, highlighting areas where agreement and disagreement exists
• ensure your contribution is accurate and authoritative, especially where your particular skills or expertise are being sought
• ensure your responses are as clear and concise as possible and relevant to the issues being considered
• be courteous and respectful of other people's views and courteous towards representatives of the council when engaging in public consultation events

Consultation methods

The council is experienced in using a range of consultation methods. When we conduct consultation, we choose from this range an appropriate method of consulting with the target group in line with the principles of the consultation strategy. The consultation methods document sets out the following:

• The consultation methods
• The circumstances in which they are used
• Strengths of the method
• Drawbacks of the method
• Cost indications of the method
• How methods have been used previsouly by Bristol City Council

My feedback/comments to Bristol City Council. Consultation for proposed expansion for Portway Park and Ride.

Here is my feedback/comments on the proposed expansion for the Portway Park and Ride so far. Many questions remain unanswered so I am not fully aware of the implications and therefore questions previously asked must be answered and local people/communities consulted because opinion on some issues have not been sought.

I have also added Bristol City Council's Consultation Principles/Process to the end of this e-mail because I do not believe all points have been met. However three questions were replied to the others were not answered and policy names given instead. The local Councillors for the Avonmouth Ward have also failed to respond to correspondence on the matter of the Park and Ride.

• How many Portway Park And Ride Proposed Expansion leaflets were distributed?
• Avonmouth Ward has over 12,000 residents in the area so were these leaflets distributed to the whole ward or just a selected area? If the latter where? (Leaflet states "views of local people in the Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Portway areas are now being sought")
• Who else has been consulted about the expansion project?

The current publicity and consultation exercise is intended to inform people (including local residents, businesses and existing users of the Portway P&R site and bus service) of the plans and provide an opportunity for them to comment and give their views on the details of the proposals. Over 5000 leaflets were distributed to homes and businesses within approximately 1km of the site, advertising posters and leaflets put on the 902 service buses, a large advertisement placed at the site and a small exhibition in Shirehampton Library. Responses are being assessed before the plans are finalised and submitted.

This means that the quote "views of local people in the Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Portway areas are now being sought" is misleading because you have done a 1KM radius. And business in the area, would that be local shops or the business's that are based in the Industrial area of the docks, M5 bridge area and Avonmouth industrial estate. The Portway Park and Ride does not serve these areas, in particular the Industrial estates where public transport is so badly needed. If you don't have a car or bike you are not going to walk. It is simply too far and air quality and safety in the area is not good.

The plan to expand the Portway Park & Ride facility was specifically included in the Park and Ride Action Plan in the Joint Local Transport Plan for Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire for 2006/7 to 2010/11, which received widespread publicity and consultation and was approved in March 2006. ..... The implementation of the expansion at Portway is part of the Integrated Transport Spending Programme for the period covered by the Plan.

To the public this is jargon. Talk about policy making and strategies people switch off. Ask many people what this means or if they were asked questions about it they'd most probably look blank because it was never put to them in plain English or they were not aware of it. And as far as people are concerned local Councils and Government make these decisions, local communities are not asked opinion because it is meant to be in their best interest. Did you make people aware in the local community that the Council changed their mind in 2002 and that the Bristol Local Plan was to be changed and as part of the alterations 'safeguard the allotment site next to the existing site on the Portway frontage, for an expansion to the Park and Ride facility'. No. And that means Bristol City Council went back on their word that they would not expand onto the allotments during public meetings held in 2001. It was also mentioned during those meetings that the P&R was expected to reach 1500 spaces eventually and this is mentioned in a statement entitled 'Avon's Legacy' and a petition presented in 1994 and other statements made by local community councils at later dates. So how many times can we expect the Council to change the goal posts?

Bristol City Council have to keep local communities informed on what is going on or being planned for their area in a better way. Communication needs to be straight forward and plain English. The local Councillors seem to lack involvement in the local community with enquiries being overlooked or ignored. The Avonmouth and Shirehampton Community Councils (for Shirehampton SCAF), you need to keep them updated on a regular basis and provide plain English documents not jargon. And you should also include the local community Newspapers to keep people informed. People read papers. And you would need to provide the information in plenty of time for print. After all no mention of the P&R consultation in the September or October issues and November issue is too late for The Shire for example.

Helen Holland in a radio interview this week talking about the Web Cast of Council Meetings is quoted as saying "This is your Council", broadcast to the people of Bristol. Is it really? You wouldn't think so.

As for the other questions raised. No reply. Therefore a fair assessment cannot be made because all the facts have not been laid out in plain English and the Council continue to hide behind clever marketing campaigns and hidden phrases.

The current site is not being used to capacity and has fallen below expectations. Those are words spoken or written about Portway Park and Ride by Bristol City Council.

Portway Park And Ride Predicted car usage.

Above are the predicted hourly flow rate cars using the Portway Park and Ride taken from an Environmental report dated 18th December 2000. What about rush hours morning and evening? May I suggest that this report be looked at again as five and a half years down line it is not hitting those figures and falling very short. Research was unproven at the time and in reality today comparisons need to be drawn. What went wrong and why is the question? That is what Bristol City Council should be asking themselves and how reliable is their research they have on the proposed expansion. Work on the mistakes made before moving onto an expansion that is yet unproven use. Forget about policy and grants for the moment, work on the mistakes that have been made so far and correct them.

Leave the Park and Ride as it is. It is serving a purpose to those people who use it as a walk on site or use the 3 bus stops on the Portway in or out of the city. There was always a demand for a bus service along the Portway. After all the 99 and Badgerline bus services were withdrawn as late as 2000. Why should local people suffer because 'the Council got their figures and research wrong'

The question of research has not been answered. And I hate to make assumptions but you have left no choice. As with the current consultation form for the proposed expansion of the Portway Park and Ride it is closed yes or no answers and very little room for comment. Only specified questions were asked. There is nothing about work, shopping, school or why they use the Park and Ride or where they have travelled from or have they had to make a detour of their route to reach this P&R facility. Although on the consultation this is aimed locally and those who currently use it. It doesn't prove that it will be used by more people in their cars.

So even if using research provided by the Bristol Alliance for shopping and travel into the city for example, it is not aimed specifically at Portway Park and Ride. This is generalised research but does it take into account other continually changing social/consumer trends and how long ago was it done? And how do you know your catchment area for the Portway Park and Ride? Have you asked people in South Wales, Gloucester, Swindon, Hereford and Worcester for example. And with the M32 Park and Ride under heavy discussion again, has the knock on effect from that development been taken into account for the future? And why isn't the P&R being used for Bristol attractions and events in the city during the day? Demand is unproven. Until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment.

P&R isn't necessarily the solution because the traffic congestion is moved from one area to another which is true in this case because traffic has been diverted onto local roads. People are using routes that take them out of their way to their destination, but it has a role to play as long as they are placed on direct routes that the car user is travelling on and ideally directly off the motorway. No amount of extra signage is going to persuade a motorist off the motorway to use this Park and Ride and that is where the problem lies. It was put in the wrong place for its use.

The Severn Beach line provides a very good regular train service. Its fast, cheap and links in with the other trains. There was talk of a platform on the P&R for the train back in 2000 but nothing came of it. I have been told it is very unlikely to happen because there is no investment in trains and there are other issues with it as well. Also P&R and the train are run by different organisations. Ever heard of working together? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! The station platform would have been a plus point.

Disabled people with shopping buggies are not able to use the Park and Ride (or any bus service for that matter) because there is no provision for them. As there is 'access to all', disabled people with Shopping buggies should be able to use the Park and Ride Service. I have family members and friends who have to use the shopping buggies door to door due to lack of mobility and disability, so that will have to be seriously considered as they cannot get into Bristol. Dial A Ride provide a limited service and although an excellent service is not as flexible for all.

And here is some hidden phrasing that has not been told. 'The future projects' and 'other City centre projects' apparently it refers to Castle Park and Bristol Arena projects but what others. I was told by a Council Officer at Shirehampton Library that "We may be looking at extending the opening hours of the Park and Ride". What extension would this be? Not midnight and gone surely if the Bristol Arena audience is included? In fact the Arena would be best served by the trains being next to Temple Meads Railway Station. And Christmas shopping hours extensions all year round instead? You have not advised the local community or the public about this and therefore you have not given people including me a say about this. Do not extend the opening hours. And any changes you must tell us, because that is not in the consultation and we have not had our say on opening hours. There are houses across the road from the site, we live here, it is our community, our lives. Until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment.

"The existing access points and bus circulation area will remain as at present" - This is open to speculation so what changes would/could happen and how would it affect the road layout in the area if changes are made in the future? I don't want the road layout to change, or the entrance to the Park and Ride moved to a more centrally based part of the site. No more traffic lights either. Don't want it to resemble a second Bath Road with more traffic congestion, even around the Park and ride site as well. Until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment.

"...... a new amenity building with facilities for passengers and staff will be provided soon after the expansion is completed". - Where would this be placed on the site, one or two storey building, what facilities will be provided and office space? (Can't see it marked on the leaflet plans). This is not in the consultation there is no question asked about it and its not marked on the map. The building should not be more than one storey and should not encourage people to hang around the area. It should only be used by people using the service. And what are the facilities? I cannot reply about that. Any building should be on the current site not extended site. Until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment.

"The bus service frequency and route will be unchanged for the time being although local enhancements are under investigation" - Again what would be the proposed changes, how soon would they be implemented and what are the local enhancements under investigation? What enhancements would be made?. One thing could be added as enhancements. The bus serves the Avonmouth/Severnside/Docks area for the workers in the area. It is so badly needed especially those who don't have cars or bikes and only access is walking. Would solve a lot of job centre problems with interviews and getting to business's in the area for the unemployed. Other than that until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment.

You do need to note that there is a lot of traffic going ito Avonmouth during rush hour and out again during evening rush hour with people travelling to and from work in the area. Not all traffic is aimed for the city centre, they go elsewhwere too. Westbury-On-Trym, Clifton, across the Cumberland Basin. So traffic is going in the wrong direction for this Park and Ride and car drivers will continue to use their cars to get to and from work. And remember an awful lot of lorries and vans go back and forth the Avonmouth area for work.

Car parking on the allotment site I assume will be the flatter ground in that area, so how much increase in levelling off the land be? I assume the raised part of the allotment will have more trees and landscaping - what would this be and involve? (after all we don't want storage units and work area problems that we initially had the last time.) Any work vehicles have to be parked on the park and ride site and not the road side. Again not in the consultation leaflet question. Locals need to have a say. Until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment.

Lighting for the additional parking spaces, will this be screened off by landscaping too as lighting will be at a lower level.? This is because the lighting at the Sports Ground along the Portway is distracting, bright and annoying and assume the P&R expansion if it went ahead would be at that low level. Again locals would need to be consulted as its not explained or been asked for opinion in the consultation. Until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment.

The central reservation on the Portway by the Park and Ride, that is not what I would call landscaping, I call it a mess. Bristol City Council need to get their act together on their landscaping issues.

The 57 bus (local) was withdrawn without warning for example and Park & Ride users should not be left high and dry without a service because 'the Council got it wrong' and it struggles to stay open or even close. Whenever the Government grants run out what happens then? How will it be financed? Until those questions are answered I cannot comment any further on that for the moment. An example is the @Bristol 'Wild Walk' and IMAX cinema. Both closed. (I was very surprised) The managers said "They were no longer financially viable. They blamed a lack of Government funding for the decision to close" This could happen to the Portway Park and Ride after all Politics is a very tricky area and Political Party's have their own agendas on public transport. A change of Government in the future could mean a lack of funding and what then? Bristol City Council have to be 100% certain on this. It has to be solid but going by the past track record it is unlikely.

Leave the Park and Ride as it is. Wait for Cabot Circus to open, work on the mistakes and weakness' of this Park and Ride first. Re-asses everything six months after Cabot Circus opens and then see what is happening. Any research carried out has to targeted to the Portway Park and Ride area and it's unproven catchment area as well as locals in the area. It should not be generalised and pot shot information given by people who won't be using the Portway Park and Ride because they don't live in the area or are not even in the catchment area for use.

And with this proposed Park and Ride expansion the Avonmouth Ward has not seen re-investment back into the local communities to provide social facilities for all to use. (After all we have lost the Swimming Baths, Robin Cousins Sport Centre, Youth Clubs and other facilities) What do we get back as a community?

Various Councils, P&R operators, bus operators, train operators, other organisations are all working on ways to persuade car drivers to leave their car at home. That means walking out your front door, down the road to your bus stop or local train service platform. (Note no P&R use). Maybe Public Transport needs to be nationalised, but until all these organisations own agendas, red tape, budgets and profits are cleared away from the table and the question of teamwork and communicating together to solve the public transport problem and congestion is put in front of them, it just won't be solved. You will continue to pull things apart and achieve very little in the process of problem solving.

War of words over new Park and Ride. - News item.

Another news item from the Bristol Evening Post, this time about the M32 Park and Ride proposal.


WAR OF WORDS OVER NEW PARK-AND-RIDE


10:40 - 19 October 2007

Bristol City Council's plans for a new park-and-ride system for the M32 have sparked a political row in neighbouring South Gloucestershire.Last month the city council submitted a bid for a share of the £1.4 billion Transport Innovation Fund.

One of the schemes the city council hopes to fund is a park-and-ride scheme in Stapleton.

The Tory-led South Gloucestershire Council has given its backing to the scheme.

But Councillor Pat Hockey, the former executive member for transport on South Gloucestershire Council, accused the Tories of backtracking over their policies.

Mrs Hockey, a Liberal Democrat councillor, lost her position when the Tories gained control of the council in the May local elections.

She claimed the Tories had previously opposed plans for a park-and-ride site at Frenchay to serve the M32 because it would cause congestion in the area.

She said the new site for the park-and-ride would cause exactly the same problems with congestion.

She said: "We have seen no information on what has been done to find out what the impact of all the cars trying to get into a park-and-ride site in such a location would be. There has been no consultation.

"After campaigning for years against a park-and-ride site in the Hambrook-Frenchay area, the Conservative administration has now agreed to assist in delivering one just over the city boundary if the Government provides some of the funding.

"They haven't even asked for any funding to support bus services for people who might use it to travel into South Gloucestershire.

"I don't know whether this is sheer incompetence or deliberate secrecy. I certainly raised the key questions before they agreed to support the bid - but got no answers."

Councillor Brian Allinson, South Gloucestershire executive member for planning and transport, denied he had backtracked over policy.

He said: "Our position has not changed, we have consistently opposed the development of a park-and-ride in South Gloucestershire in the Hambrook area and we are delighted that Bristol City Council has now abandoned this proposal.

"The proposal for the Hambrook site was supported by the previous Liberal Democrat Bristol City Council administration and we welcome the decision by the new Labour council not to pursue it.

"We recognise that Bristol has serious traffic problems to address and that there is not a park-and-ride in the North of the City.

"Bristol is now progressing plans for a park-and-ride in Bristol on land owned by Bristol City Council and it is not for South Gloucestershire Council to try and veto our neighbour's schemes. This approach will only damage our credibility with Government, when we are determined to work together to ensure maximum investment in our local transport infrastructure."

He said South Gloucestershire Council was still pursuing building its own park-and-ride site near Bristol Parkway rail station. Plans for another park-and-ride scheme in Nibley, near Yate, have been put on hold.

Bristol City Council executive member for transport Mark Bradshaw said South Gloucestershire would be fully consulted about the new park-and-ride scheme.

He said: "We are determined to deal with the transport problems in Bristol and South Gloucestershire and park-and-ride clearly has a role to play in this.

"Residents in both our areas expect transport improvements to be delivered on the basis of a strong working relationship between our councils.

"Both South Gloucestershire and ourselves are determined to work together to deliver the improvements which are so badly needed.

"We are committed to a park-and-ride on the M32 corridor which is needed to alleviate traffic congestion into the City Centre.

"We are happy to work with South Gloucestershire and the Highways Agency to ensure that it is properly planned to ensure it brings maximum benefits to the travelling public, from both our areas."

Web Link:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144936&command=
displayContent&sourceNode=144919&c..18720052&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

Solve our transport problems once and for all. - Call by a member of the public.

Here is a letter that appeared in the Bristol Evening Post Letters page. Valid points made by the contributer.


SOLVE OUR TRANSPORT PROBLEMS ONCE AND FOR ALL

10:40 - 16 October 2007

So the city is clogged up beyond belief and it is costing Bristolians £350 million per year - surprise, surprise ("Snarl-ups costing us £350 million a year", Post, October 13).The average four-year-old could tell the experts the reasons why and what the solutions should be.

First has the monopoly, and unless there is a combined resolution by all four local councils that forces First to listen to its passengers or pay a congestion charge, nothing can be changed.

This joint partnership agreement with First and the four local authorities is rubbish.

All it does is force the poor old council taxpayer to have to pay for expensive road improvements and so on so that First can have priority on main routes.

I believe First has the slowest bus service in the country because it has not adopted the Oyster bus fare system. Passengers should have to purchase their tickets before getting on the bus.

First has operated the system on its buses in London and on its trains, but these are areas where there is competition.

The time wasted taking fares, finding and giving change holds up the service and reduces it to a crawling pace at busy times.

Journeys must be speeded up if people are going to use the bus - there is nothing more annoying than sharing a bus with people on mobiles, listening to loud music, aggressive behaviour or loud chatter while stuck in a traffic jam.

There is insufficient information at bus stops so passengers have to stop the bus whether they need it or not for information.

Why can't First have maps on the inside of the buses as they do on the London Underground so that people know where they are going?

Buses do not have wide enough entrances and low enough floors for wheelchair, buggy and shopping trolley users.

There are no local park and rides linked to local shopping centres - Gloucester Road is a glaring example. Just imagine the difference a park and ride instead of the proposed new supermarket would make to easy access and help reduce the parking on Gloucester Road.

None of the stations have dedicated bus services linked to railway stations - Parsons Street, Montpelier and Clifton Down Stations should be part of an integrated transport network. Ashton station should be expanded as an extra station to help relieve congestion caused by people coming in from the south of the city.

Cars provide a door-to-door service which, when you have a lot of shopping and children or a walking difficulty, is a better option than waiting in the freezing cold or rain wondering if the bus is going to come and if there will be a seat to sit on.

If all the buses went into and out of the city, not across, it would also speed up the journeys and stop the knock-on effect of an accident on one side of the city affecting the other side.

A bus service should be provided to Abbotswood Station and there should be a station at Henbury to take all the commuters from the north of the city into the centre of Bristol by train.

Trains are a better deal as they have right of way, don't have to grapple with other vehicles and tickets have to be bought before you get on.

A Essex (Mrs),Henleaze.

Information from 1995, 2000, 2001 through to current later this week.

I will be adding further blogs later this week as I now have paperwork on how the Portway Park and Ride was expected to work and is a matter of public record. Some of the information will be scanned as jpegs to save time. Comparisons will be drawn from back then to information that is currently available.

There are also mentions in statements dating back as far as 1995 of a 1,750 parking space P&R and a 1,500 plus parking space P&R for the area. Two petitions presented in 1995 and then 2001 and also evidence of our local Councillors at the time respresenting the Local Community and working with the local community organisations in the area. I even found a mention of the land at one point to be considered for sporting facilities for the area (and this was not Robin Cousins Sport Centre), travellers site and car pound.

There is also a long history of objections to this P&R because the site is in the wrong place, heavy traffic flow due to the industrial estates in Avonmouth, (from the City, Cumberland Basin and other directions and back again remember the industrial area has no Public Transport service) and it doesn't intercept the traffic on route. For example we'll use the M32 proposed project where traffic in an ideal world would be intercepted on its way into the City right off the motorway. Whereas the Portway Park and Ride you have to come off the motorway come off two roundabouts, or a link road and a roundabout, (depending which direction you are coming from) drive down the Portway through a residential area of Avonmouth to get to the Park and Ride. Encourages more traffic off their route and into an already heavy traffic area. One or two of these remain valid points but the P&R was built and it has it's use but it doesn't solve the traffic problem.

BUT there are local plans, transport plans, strategic plans and other policies made that are meant to cover a ten year forward planning period and sometimes these plans are revised in between times too.

A reply from Bristol City Council NOT the Councillors and they still continue to hide.

Bristol City Council e-mailed a reply on 15th October 2007 to the questions raised by a number of people who live in the area. Of course I have sent copies to Avonmouth Community Committee and SCAF too.

The questions were not that hard were they? I think their reply says a lot and it's up to you what conclusions you draw. And what is the role of a local Councillor in the community?

A meeting will be arranged because the questions raised still need to be answered. These are concerns raised by local people. It's the here and now they want to know about. Oh by the way, feel free to ask the questions if you wish!

And here is something I read in one of the national newspapers today which made me laugh.

"The world is full of politicians. These brave noble souls have dedicated their entire lives to the quest for answers. They have worked out what we really need to do in order to create peace and prosperity on this planet. They stand for what is right and true and good. They never argue with each other for the sake of it. They just airily debate the finer points of ideas on which they both heartily agree .... don't they? Around you a lot of rot is being taught. Rise above it. Don't get into it."

Thank goodness I have no ambitions in Politics!!

---------------------------------------------

Dear Ms Courtney-O'Neill,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to the proposals to expand the Portway Park & Ride facility.

The local ward councillors for Avonmouth and the Executive Member for Access and Environment were fully briefed on the plans before the consultation exercise was carried out. You do not say which group or organisation you represent.

The plan to expand the Portway Park & Ride facility was specifically included in the Park and Ride Action Plan in the Joint Local Transport Plan for Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire for 2006/7 to 2010/11, which received widespread publicity and consultation and was approved in March 2006. The expansion of Park & Ride facilities is a crucial element of the strategy to tackle congestion and related transport issues discussed in the Plan. The implementation of the expansion at Portway is part of the Integrated Transport Spending Programme for the period covered by the Plan, and the timing of this project is intended to support the development of Cabot Circus by the Bristol Alliance.

The current publicity and consultation exercise is intended to inform people (including local residents, businesses and existing users of the Portway P&R site and bus service) of the plans and provide an opportunity for them to comment and give their views on the details of the proposals. Over 5000 leaflets were distributed to homes and businesses within approximately 1km of the site, advertising posters and leaflets put on the 902 service buses, a large advertisement placed at the site and a small exhibition in Shirehampton Library. Responses are being assessed before the plans are finalised and submitted. Suggestions and useful comments are helping to shape the way the site and the bus service are planned and operated. Feedback being received from existing and potential users of the service is particularly useful for future planning of the bus service, on-site facilities, bus operating details and bus priority measures.

Your comments regarding matters such as the layout, landscape treatment, user facilities, access points, bus service, traffic issues etc will be welcomed. If you wish to discuss any concerns you may have directly with officers from this department, please contact us to arrange a meeting if that would be useful to you, indicating which dates/times would be convenient.

Yours sincerely,

Public Transport Major Projects Team.

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And here are the questions asked:

• How many Portway Park And Ride Proposed Expansion leaflets were distributed?
• Avonmouth Ward has over 12,000 residents in the area so were these leaflets distributed to the whole ward or just a selected area? If the latter where? (Leaflet states "views of local people in the Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Portway areas are now being sought")
• Who else has been consulted about the expansion project?
• If the current site isn't being used to capacity why expand further? What evidence and research does the Council have that shows demand for this?
• Who did the research, how was it done and how long ago, who did they ask, how many people, where did these people come from, local people, catchment area people, how many had cars - that would use THE Portway Park and Ride (not a Park and Ride or other public transport)
• What other factors have been taken into account with the research that is relevant to the local area/community and continually changing social/consumer trends to show demand for increase?
• "Additional signage to give better advance notice of this Park and Ride facility for people travelling from further away" Encouraging increased traffic to the area (as well as the current industrial) passing through for Avonmouth residents. The argument being that those car users would have remained on the motorway to get into the City. - What is the catchment area for the Portway Park and Ride?
• The latest figures show 235,000 journeys were made for the year for the Portway Park and Ride, how does that compare with Brislington and Long Ashton services?
• What are the statistics/demographics for Portway Park and Ride and use? (ie: Car users, walk on site (locals), other stops along the way (locals) -from opening to date)
• And how is the usage broken down? (ie: Regular users for work and School -5/6 times a week, shoppers, casual users, disability/wheelchair users -from opening to date))
• Figures used are for journeys not people so one journey is equal to a return trip ticket or is a journey classed as 'into the city as one trip and out again as a second journey'?
• How many people use this service?
• What is the expected growth for this service and what has it been in the past?
• How does the Portway Park and Ride plan to increase use of its service during the day after the students and workers rush? (buses are seen running empty or too few people during the day)
• How much does it really cost to run the Portway Park And Ride in comparison with Brislington and Long Ashton?
• Disabled people with shopping buggies are not able to use the Park and Ride (or any bus service for that matter) because there is no provision for them. As there is 'access to all' what plans and provisions will be made in the future to enable disabled people with Shopping buggies to use the Park and Ride Service? (People who need use of buggies door to door)
• How many extra disabled parking spaces would be made available in the centre of Bristol once Cabot Circus is open and what provision has been made to prevent abuse of use by non disabled people?
• What happened to the proposed train platform and it's integration into the P&R service? Will this happen in the future?
• Why haven't new and current attractions such as @ Bristol and all the big festivals and events such as the Festival of The Sea Real Food and Organic Festival, and so on encouraged use of the Portway Park and Ride?
• 'The future projects' and 'other City centre projects' are hidden phrases in the leaflet. Apparently it refers to Castle Park and Bristol Arena projects. Are there any other projects/attractions that should be noted for the future?
• Are these projects definitely going ahead or will they remain as proposals or become expired projects in the future?
• If Castle Park and Bristol Arena go ahead what impact and usage would these attractions have on the Portway Park and Ride really?
• I did question this on Monday and I was told by a Council Officer at Shirehampton Library that "We may be looking at extending the opening hours of the Park and Ride". What extension would this be? Not midnight and gone surely if the Bristol Arena audience is included? And Christmas shopping hours extensions all year round instead?
• Would the Portway Park and Ride (as well as Brislington and Long Ashton) become a late night service in the future and how late would this be?
• People have great choice with shopping, entertainment, and social activities so how accurate and reliable is the research for Cabot Circus/additional attractions for the Avonmouth ward? How sure after the initial excitement, curiosity, and so on dies down - say six months down the line - that the Portway Park and Ride will meet expectations? After all original expectations are yet to be met from the initial project and it opened in April 2002?
• "The existing access points and bus circulation area will remain as at present" - This is open to speculation so what changes would/could happen and how would it affect the road layout in the area if changes are made in the future?
• "...... a new amenity building with facilities for passengers and staff will be provided soon after the expansion is completed". - Where would this be placed on the site, one or two storey building, what facilities will be provided and office space? (Can't see it marked on the leaflet plans)
• "The bus service frequency and route will be unchanged for the time being although local enhancements are under investigation" - Again what would be the proposed changes, how soon would they be implemented and what are the local enhancements under investigation? What enhancements would be made?
• Car parking on the allotment site I assume will be the flatter ground in that area, so how much increase in levelling off the land be? I assume the raised part of the allotment will have more trees and landscaping - what would this be and involve? (after all we don't want storage units and work area problems that we initially had the last time. Will work vehicles be parked on the park and ride this time?)
• Lighting for the additional parking spaces, will this be screened off by landscaping too as lighting will be at a lower level.?
• The central reservation on the Portway by the Park and Ride, when will proper landscaping to carried out on this area?
• The Park and Ride is being used. However the site has fallen below expectations and growth slow. Shouldn't it be left as it is for the moment and it's weakness worked on and resolved first before embarking on such an ambitious project and it is ambitious. Shouldn't the Council learn from it's past mistakes on this project, work towards getting it to capacity sometime in the future to help make it stronger to follow through at a later date such ambitious expansions rather than have it fall on its face? Why can't this be done?
• The 57 bus was withdrawn without warning for example and Park & Ride users should not be left high and dry without a service because 'the Council got it wrong' and it struggles to stay open or even close. What back up plans do Bristol City Council have should this project fall below expectations again (and remember this is a larger site than currently is)?.
• Who runs the Park and Ride, how is it run and what role does Bristol City Council have in it's running/service?
• Who invests in the Portway Park and Ride site and how, what contribution is made? (passengers use the service and do not invest in the service)
• Is further expansion beyond 820 car parking spaces expected to be proposed/happen in the future and how/where would this be done?
• In October 2000 a report for the then named Avonmouth Park and Ride stated "a 550-space car park with both disabled and parent and child parking spaces for the site". In light of this (and the additional land wasn't obtained for various reasons) the parking spaces stand currently at 320. - If the 550 space Park and Ride had been built and not used to capacity today would this proposed expansion of 500 additional car spaces to the site still be pursued especially as Bristol City Council admit in the current leaflet 'the present site is not currently used to capacity' and media have also reported its shortfalls?
• "Estimated Capital £1.5 million has been allocated in the 2000/1 Local Transport Plan settlement towards the construction of the Avonmouth Park & Ride and a further £1 million will be required from the 2001/02 settlement." (from October 2000). What Government Grant subsidies have been given to the Portway Park and Ride so far and what other subsidies and financial assistance has been received from date opening to current and where from?
• What has been the total expenditure and income from the Portway Park and Ride since initial proposal, building and use to current date?
• In the Capital Programme for 2007 - 2010, how much has been allocated for the Portway Park and Ride and for what period of time?
• How is the proposed expansion being financed and what is the long term financial support and view for this?
• What is the financial forecast for the Portway Park and Ride should the expansion go ahead?
• When would it be self supporting and not reliant on grant and subsidies?
• What is the current financial state of the Park and Ride?
• What will happen when the Government grants and subsidies run out to finance and run the Portway Park and Ride service?
• What effect would the proposed 4th Park and Ride in the M32/Frenchay vacinity have on the Portway Park and Ride in the future after all it is closer to the city?
• Will the Portway Park and Ride (or in fact all Park and Rides) be supported by revenues raised through road user charging schemes/congestion charge, residential car parking permits and increased car parking fees in the future?
• When will the Avonmouth Ward see investment back into the local communities and provide social facilities for all to use? (After all we have lost the Swimming Baths, Robin Cousins Sport Centre, Youth Clubs and other facilities)

Portway Park And Ride, trains and transport. Follow up letter to Bristol Evening Post.

On the 15th October 2007 I e-mailed a letter to the Bristol Evening Post about Friday's article entitled 'Do We Need More Park And Ride?'. It was to clarify a few points. It also mentions other transport issues and answers the question raised on Saturday about a train platform for the Portway Park and Ride. Below is the letter I sent and await to see if it is printed.

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My letter that appeared on 27th September and my use of buses. The paragraph 'I used to use the bus ..... it hasn't changed' is referring to a recent trip to the top of Blackboy Hill/Whiteladies Road. The P&R doesn't go there and there is the odd occasion where I do use the bus but again the P&R doesn't get me there either. My preferred mode of public transport is the train. However my letter did prove one thing. People make assumptions and in life assumptions can be the wrong conclusion.

The article that appeared on Friday 'Do we need more Park and Ride?' is in fact taken from a larger news piece that covers several other issues with many questions being raised and as yet awaiting a response from Councillors and the Council. Items to note are that I did not say "there was no proof that more park-and-ride services were needed". That has been taken out of context as the article reads "I asked the Council Officer what proof did they have that the Park and Ride would have increased usage?" I am still awaiting reply on that along with another question on how their research has been carried out for the proposal and the results. Research is limited numbers and is rather generalised. And I have not said I am against P&R, I have said they work fine when put in the right place. And I had to laugh when I was described as a campaigner, I am in fact a concerned resident who lives next to the P&R. I love my community and where I live.

Residents in the area are unaware what the hidden phrases mean in the glossy leaflet for example "be ready for future attractions" which are Castle Park and Bristol Arena and me being told "We may be looking at extending the opening hours of the Park and Ride". What extensions?. All the clever marketing and hidden phrasing needs to be questioned such as "bus frequency and route will remain unchanged for the time being although local enhancements are under investigation". "Existing access points and bus circulation area will remain as at present but a new amenity building will be provided..." Where? It's not on the map. And whenever the M32 P&R is eventually built what will the knock effect be for the Portway P&R because it changes the catchment area. Soon it will be too late to ask questions and after all the 'Council have already told us their plans'.

There is a web site available that has information on the Portway Park And Ride and other articles besides which will also include information that has been provided by Bristol City Council as a matter of record. The web link is: http://www.myspace.com/portwayparkandride There is also a discussion group available that has the questions raised about a number of matters and hidden phrases that need to be clarified The web link is: http://groups.myspace.com/portwayparkandride Check out the web links for updates and it's up to the community to use the discussion group or not.

People have great choice for shopping, entertainment and so on and Cabot Circus isn't the only place to go. For example you can also shop local, Cribbs Causeway, Cardiff, Swindon, online shopping and so on. And you have a choice of transport as recent reports have shown in the Bristol Evening Post. Old ways of the horse and cart are not mentioned because we have moved forward and no real environmental effects there. Walking is something most of us have access to, again no real environmental effects. But the biggest thing we have is opportunity, communication and working together as a team or do we?

Various Councils, P&R operators, bus operators, train operators, other organisations are all working on ways to persuade car drivers to leave their car at home. P&R isn't necessarily the solution because the traffic congestion is moved from one area to another and people are using routes that take them out of their way to their destination, but it has a role to play. And a point was made from a guy in Portishead about the trains. The Severn Beach line provides a very good regular train service and I use it too because its fast, cheap and links in with the other trains I use. There was talk of a platform on the P&R for the train back in 2000 but nothing came of it. I have asked again about this platform and its inclusion to the P&R and have been told it is very unlikely to happen because there is no investment in trains and there are other issues with it as well. This has been questioned again. Also P&R and the train are run by different organisations. Ever heard of working together? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! The station platform would have been a plus point.

And there is point proved. Until these organisations own agendas, red tape, budgets and profits are cleared away from the table and the question of teamwork and communicating together to solve the public transport problem and congestion is put in front of them, it just won't be solved. They will continue to pull things apart and achieve very little in the process of problem solving.

Traffic Congestion Shouldn’t Train, Bus P&R and other organisations work together for a change?

Here is another news peice from the Bristol Evening Post web news pages on This Is Bristol Shouldn't Bus, Train, Park and Ride and other organisations involved including local Councils work together as a team and include each other rather than work on their own agendas and pull each other apart? Until they get their act together on this and real communication happens between all of them then Public Transport isn't the real alternative to encourage people out of their cars. Check out the various links on the main page to find out more about transport plans and so on.


By all means discuss this on the Portway Park and Ride discussion group if you wish and start a topic. It is relevant: http://groups.myspace.com/portwayparkandride

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SNARL-UPS COSTING US £350M A YEAR


09:36 - 13 October 2007


Traffic congestion is costing the greater Bristol area at least £350 million a year, according to a new transport blueprint.


The figure is set to soar to almost £600 million by 2016, says Bristol City Council and other councils in the former Avon area.


Average car speeds during the Bristol rush hour are around 15 miles an hour - the slowest in Britain outside London.Now the four West of England Partnership authorities - Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire - are submitting plans for tackling the crisis to the Department of Transport.


In a document called "Our Transport Future" they pledge to work together for a slice of £1.4 billion of government cash next spring.


The councils expect their "vision" to cost them £2.5 billion by 2026. They want to see major improvements in public transport and the road network.


Measures include new Bus Rapid Transit routes, featuring segregated bus lanes to provide fast and reliable journey times.


The councils also want improvements to rail services, including extra carriages, the reopening of rail lines and stations and improved facilities at stations.


Mark Bradshaw, Bristol City Council's executive member for transport, said: "We have been talking with our colleagues in the four councils and I think it is clear that we are making progress.


"But there's more work to do and we need to work together to tackle congestion and to continue to look at better alternatives to the motor car."


Elfan ap Rees, North Somerset's executive member for highways and strategic planning, said: "If we don't get satisfactory rail links and public transport generally into Bristol and its northern fringe, we will not support any form of congestion charging or charging for workplace parking.


"Our priorities in North Somerset include a Portishead rail link and a new road link between the A370 and A38 for better access to Bristol International Airport."


Brian Allinson, executive member for planning and transport in South Gloucestershire, said: "What we are trying to do is develop a regional approach. We have real congestion problems, particularly on the ring road and along the northern fringe of Bristol, at rush hour.


"But there is no point in dealing with a pressure point here and another there. We have to work together. This document is an expression of interest in talking further with the Department of Transport.


"The document makes initial proposals for an application to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund.


After consultation and with the approval of all the councils involved, the West of England is aiming to submit its full application in early 2008. They expect to hear whether they will get funding some time next summer.


Before any final decisions are made there will be an extensive consultation programme where the public's ideas and views will be taken into consideration.


Web Link: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231512&home=yes&c..18664740

Do we really need more Park and Ride? And my Defence.

The Bristol Evening Post have printed an article about the Portway Park and Ride and are the first in three weeks to get a comment from Bristol City Council because before that they remained silent.


The comments in the article is actually taken from the following Indymedia feature which I gave them permission to use, so by all means compare the items (And read the various blogs on this page):
http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=26923


I had to laugh when I was called a campaigner ...... ummmm I am actually a concerned resident. So I want to get that straight and thanks for letting me know I am married?!!!!!!.


I am not urging residents to oppose the plans but ask questions about this project because a lot of information in the leaflet is clever marketing and hidden phrases that are not explained.


I haven't said Park and Rides don't work what I have said they work very well when they are in the right places. The community recently lost the 57 bus with no consultation and I don't want to see that with the Park and Ride - I used the business plan bit as the best way to describe things - go the same way because 'the Council got it wrong'. People are using the P&R service so why should they loose out? The Council have weakness's to work on before expanding and worded phrases such as 'I think' and 'had potential' when speaking to the media give doubt on their side, are they confident? No? All I am saying is wait and see and revise findings at a later date when they are more reliable.


There are a couple phrases from Mark Bradshaw city council's executive member for transport that cause me doubts:

"the site had potential to be much more effective."
"If we make it more attractive and improve signs on the motorway then I think it can be much more effective."


The Bristol Evening Post failed to mention that a web site and discussion group are available on the internet so I guess it'll be a letter to the Evening Post's letter page because readers are only getting part of the picture.


As of today questions sent to the local Councillors about the proposed expansion I have not had a response or acknowledgement from but I have already been told by other organisations that they have "also had problems with both councillors, and a long history of not replying to letters or emails."


I also sent the questions to the Environment, Transport and Leisuire Department including their Director, so I await a response from them.


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DO WE REALLY NEED MORE PARK AND RIDE?


BY RUPERT JANISCH R.JANISCH


10:40 - 12 October 2007


A campaigner from Shirehampton is urging residents to oppose plans to expand the park-and-ride scheme on the Portway.


Bristol City Council wants to add 500 car parking spaces to the 320 already at the facility, which is on the A4 just next to the M5 bridge.


The expansion is part of the city council's plans to get more people using the bus into the city centre, particularly when the new Cabot Circus shopping centre opens next year.


But Kathryn Courtney-O'Neill, a Shirehampton resident who has been living in the area for 42 years, said the existing site was rarely full.


She said there was no proof that more park-and-ride services were needed and said there were other priorities for the city council to worry about first.


The Portway site has been open for more than five years and is operated by Wessex Connect, which runs buses every 15 minutes to the city centre.


Mark Bradshaw, the city council's executive member for transport, said the site had potential to be much more effective.


But Mrs Courtney-O'Neill said: "I have my doubts with this expansion.


"We should leave it as it is for the moment because it has failed to reach expectations so far. Like any business, if you are making a profit and demand has increased beyond your capacity, you expand, make further profit and continue growing.


"But what if you are a business that has failed to reach expectations, want to expand and research carried out isn't solid?


"You work on your weakness and solve it, get into profit, increase demand and try again.


"Park and rides have to be able to sustain themselves, support themselves and make a profit to survive and re-invest. As with anything new, once the curiosity in Cabot Circus dies down people will revert to habit.


"This park and ride was open before Broadmead was demolished and the city has other attractions to encourage people to make use of it.


"Which begs the question why aren't people using the Portway park and ride to get to them?


"I encourage people to ask questions and get answers in plain English, not be fobbed off with jargon."


Mr Bradshaw said: "For every one person who says the park and ride doesn't work, you get many more saying it's a good thing. We already have this site and we recognise that the Portway is one of the key routes into the city centre.


"If we make it more attractive and improve signs on the motorway then I think it can be much more effective.


"We are very keen on park and ride and we clearly have to do more to promote the benefits of it.


"We are currently undergoing a period of consultation prior to any planning application going in."


Web site link:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&c..18649967&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144912

New web site online to check out planning applications for your area

This is from the Bristol Evening Post web site today and a really good idea because so much happens that we are not informed of or made aware of in our local community.

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WEBSITE REVEALS PLANNING REQUESTS


BY RUPERT JANISCH R.JANISCH

10:40 - 12 October 2007


A website giving people the chance to see what developments are planned for their area has been launched by a Bristol man.


Previously, people had to know the street name where an application had been proposed in order to use websites such as UKPlanning or the city council site.


But Sneyd Park resident David Wedge, 36, has set up his own website, www.planningfinder.co.uk where people can enter their postcode and find out all current applications near their homes.


Mr Wedge, a product development manager, said he had the idea after realising the lack of notice local authorities need to give when planning applications are lodged.


The Evening Post has published several stories in previous years of residents who only discovered an application had been submitted after a chance encounter with a notice on a nearby lamppost.


Mr Wedge, who co-founded the website with friend Tom Busby, said: "The service came about when I began to notice just how many Evening Post articles concerned planning issues."


A waste-recycling centre had opened near a residential area without anyone living nearby being told about it."


The local council apologised for not having sent consultation letters and promised to put things right, but this was not before a great deal of misery had been caused to many local residents.


"This type of mistake happens around the country, and the consequences of such errors can be grave for those people caught up in them."


People using the website can enter their postcode and find all current applications within a 400-metre, half-mile or mile radius.


The website works by searching for applications on local authority websites and then identifying which ones are close to the user.


Mr Wedge said: "The Planning Finder service is designed to improve the scrutiny given to planning applications in general and currently covers more than 100 councils across the country - full national coverage is planned.


"We envisage our website automatically drawing the attention of the right expert in the council to applications as they come in, be it one which should be seen by the pollution control department, nature conservation officers or whoever."


Instead of providing a postcode they would register the kinds of application they wish to see. The website is intended as a tool to benefit all in the community, whether residents, developers or government officials, by helping make planning information far more visible."


The free website also includes newspaper articles on planning issues from around the country and a variety of case studies.


Web Link: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&c..18649972&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144912

Traffic flows and congestion. Congratulations in order?

Another news item from the Bristol Evening Post news web pages that covers the former Avon County Council area and there are a number of feedback comments on this issue. Click on link: This Is Bristol


PRAISE FOR TRAFFIC FLOW SCHEMES


10:40 - 11 October 2007


Councils in the former Avon area have been praised by the Government for developing plans to beat jams and keep traffic flowing.


Transport Minister Rosie Winterton gave Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset a 'good' rating for its Local Transport Plan, which aims to cut down congestion around the city.


The report said that the councils generally had "good transport strategies for walking, cycling and freight".


B &NES was singled out for praise for its innovation in handling roadworks on the A37 road south of Bristol. The road is a busy commuter route for people who live in Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Wells, but who work in Bristol.


But the area's ability to react to incidents such as major accidents was criticised, with the report saying the area was "weak on emergency planning".


No one from Bristol City Council was available for comment last night.


Other councils in the former Avon area - South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and B &NES - all welcomed the report's findings.


Brian Allinson, executive transport member for South Gloucestershire Council, said: "We are pleased with the rating from the Department for Transport.


"This reflects our commitment to work with our neighbouring authorities to continually improve transport within the region.


"Charles Gerrish, B &NES cabinet member for transport, said: "In particular I am pleased to see an acknowledgement of the tremendous efforts we put in to making sure the works on the A37 were carried out with the minimum of disruption.


"Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, North Somerset Council's executive member for transport, said: "There is more we would like to do but the poor funding by central government means that we are unable to compete with higher funded authorities such as Bristol for the staff and resources."

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To read the feedback comments click on:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231512&home=yes&c..18641924

Commuters prefer cars. Latest poll reveals how we travel to work.

Commuters prefer cars. Latest poll reveals how we travel to work.

Just in case you missed the Bristol Evening Post news article on Wednesday 10th October 2007 here is the item that is on the Bristol Evening Post news web page and click on the link: This Is Bristol
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POLL REVEALS COMMUTERS PREFER CARS


10:40 - 10 October 2007


Almost half of the commuters in Bristol currently use their car to get to work.


A poll of 50 city companies' employees showed that 47 per cent of those questioned still drive into town to get to work.


Nearly 9,000 commuters took part in the Big Commuter Count, which was conducted for the first time earlier this month by Bristol City Council.


There are no results from last year to compare to this year's data, although the council does plan to run the scheme every year from now on.The results show that:


Fewer people (9.8 per cent) use the bus to get to work than cycle (10.6 per cent)
Pedestrians make up just over 20 per cent of those polled
Forty per cent of people drive their own car to work, with another 6.4 per cent travelling as passengers
Only 40 out of the 8,796 people surveyed travel as passengers under the council's 2carshare.com scheme, which aims to promote car sharing as a more environmentally-friendly form of transport.


The city council, along with the three other authorities in the former Avon area, is in the early stages of implementing a £121 million joint local transport plan to improve congestion.


The council claimed the survey shows many employees in Bristol are prepared to leave the car at home when they can and use more sustainable ways of travel.But one transport expert said the figures in the commuter survey show that, despite the improvements which have already been put in place, people were still firmly stuck to using their cars.


By contrast, a spokesman for a bus users organisation said some form of road pricing was the only feasible way to cut congestion and reverse the "disappointing" results of the survey.Tim Green is director of the national Road Users Alliance.


He cited London as an example of a city with a fully integrated public transport system but said it was a "hopeless and slightly pointless task" trying to get people in Bristol to change their mode of travel.He said: "We believe that people should choose which form of transport system suits them best and that's likely to be the car."


The reasons for this shouldn't surprise anybody - it's cheaper, quicker, more reliable and there's more independence than any other way."


Getting the bus is very time consuming and people will make their judgements about comparing it with the car before choosing which one to take."


Mr Green called for better park and ride systems into the city, to be combined with a more extensive bus service which could then take commuters to their place of work.


He said: "There needs to be a service which can deliver people's needs and expectations instead of trying to try and change people's choices because the authorities don't approve."Phil Tonks, spokesman for Bus Users UK, said: "


When it comes to urban transport in cities there has to be a major drive to really give public transport very much increased priority."


These figures are disappointing and there has to be a focus on redressing the balance because it's causing a lot of congestion and environmental problems."


If you have a plan which brings in charging for cars and better priorities for buses then it will give people a better choice in the long run. It's a difficult choice for the politicians to take but they need to look at the future of places like Bristol, which is growing year on year."


Many of the companies which took part in the poll have travel plans in place, which promote more sustainable travel.


Mark Bradshaw, executive member for access and environment, said: "The information from this simple and easy-to-do survey will provide the council with essential travel data and employers with data to support their own travel plans."

--------------------------------------------

In the Bristol Evening Post newspaper there was also a small colour coded bar chart on "How Bristolians travel to work" and information is as follows:

• 40.9% drive to work in their car
• 20.4% walk to work
• 10.6% cycle to work
• 9.8% catch a bus to work (Does not include Park and Ride)
• 5.9% are car passengers (not through 2carshare.com)
• 5.1% travel by train
• 1.8% use the Park and Ride services
• 1.6% work from home
• 1.6% travel to work on motorbikes
• 1.3% use other ways of getting to work (?)
• 0.5% travel to work by moped/scooter
• 0.5% are car passengers sharing through the 2carshare.com
• 0.1% use taxi/minicab
• 0.1% use the ferry.

Community, transport and sport. Check out the links and read for yourself.

Thought it might be an idea to check out the three main political party's web sites and see what news articles were posted recently on Communities, Transport, and Leisure for example. I found three items and their news pages are updated on a regular basis. However the Lib Dems news page didn't appear to have those topics covered so if you know of a news article I can use and place a link to please let me know. I want to try and keep a balance on this.

Remember these are samples of news articles printed on their web sites. It would be interesting to know what the views are from our local Councillors on these issues, how they plan to get involved with the communities because so far there has been limited involvement from them with local forums and community meetings.

The Labour News Pages

This is just two of many news items I found on communities, transport and sports so check out their news pages and make up your own mind.

Labour's policies on strengthening communities

Sustainable communities are about the things that matter to people: decent homes at prices that they can afford, good public transport, schools, hospitals, and shops; local residents able to have a say on the way their neighbourhood is run; and a clean, safe environment.

What can we do to sustain and strengthen Britain's communities?

The Labour Party believes that decisions should be taken by, or as close as possible to, the people affected by them. This means that we need to give local people more opportunities to change the things that matter to them, while developing the role and functions of local government to be more responsive to local needs. We want to engender a greater sense of ownership and investment in our communities, and to strengthen the role of local government as the champion of local communities.

Labour also believes that everyone should have the opportunity to live in a decent, affordable home. There are now over a million more homeowners than there were in 1997. The quality of our social housing stock has risen rapidly, through the Decent Homes Standard which by 2010 will have improved 3.6 million homes, benefiting eight million social tenants, with investment of over £40 billion. We now need to look to increase provision of decent and affordable housing to meet future needs.

How do we best meet Britain's transport needs?

A sustainable and integrated transport system is essential for our quality of life, continued economic success, and for building sustainable communities. People need to be able to move within and between communities, with choices and in a way that respects our environment.

The challenges we face in pursuing these goals are compounded by decades of underinvestment in our transport infrastructure. Successive governments have failed to devote sufficient resources to our transport network. We are half way through our Ten Year Plan for transport, published in July 2000, which is beginning to set things right. Now, to improve our transport network we need to plan ahead for the challenges we know we will face in the future.

Points to consider:

• What more can be done to empower neighbourhoods and communities?
• How do we build a culture of community leadership?
• What contributions can the third sector make to creating sustainable communities?
• What measures can we take to strengthen the leadership of our towns, cities and regions?
• How do we meet Britain's housing needs and aspirations?
• How can we ensure greater provision of affordable housing in the future?
• What can we do to minimise the environmental impact of new housing growth?
• How can we provide more social housing, including council housing, alongside improving existing stock?
• How can we ensure that the whole of Britain benefits from the London 2012 Olympics?
• What can we do to reduce road congestion in the long term?
• What must we do to create and maintain a sustainable transport system?
  

Web Link: http://www.labour.org.uk/stronger_communities

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PM welcomes £11 million boost for youth sports scheme

Gordon Brown has welcomed an £11 million boost to the national Kickz project which has been hailed as a success in cutting anti-social behaviour.

Kickz will receive the additional boost over three years, with the funding from the Football Foundation, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Labour Government helping the project expand its sporting and educational sessions.

It will now be extended to 100 projects and will involve 12,000 teenagers in the most deprived areas of the country, increasing the existing provision by four times.

The scheme is a partnership of 19 Premier League and Football League clubs that offer young people the chance to take part in sports sessions three nights a week, 48 weeks of the year.

These activities include football leagues, tournaments and coaching sessions as well as educational sessions about issues like healthy lifestyles and the dangers of drugs use and carrying weapons.

The Prime Minister said: "Football clubs are perfectly placed to offer something back to some of the most marginalised members of society."Through Kickz they can help young people get involved in their community and learn self-respect, personal achievement and a sense of responsibility.

"Kickz shows the extraordinary power of football and sport in general to reach young people and provide a route into volunteering, training, education and employment."

The funding we have pledged today will ensure that this partnership between the Government, football organisations and the police continues to grow and deliver positive results for young people and their wider communities in the years ahead."

In the first four pilot areas of the scheme, police reported that anti-social behaviour and low-level crime fell by an average of 27 per cent on the days that Kickz sessions were held.

The Football Foundation is investing £4.7 million in the scheme, the Metropolitan Police Service £3 million and £1 million is coming from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Matched funding from local bodies will bring the total funding amount to £11 million over three years.

Web Link: http://www.labour.org.uk/PM_welcomes_sports_activities

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The Conservative News Pages

This is just one of many news items I found on transport and there is a lot about the train service so check out their news pages and make up your own mind.

Government way off target on transport

Conservatives have questioned whether the Department of Transport is fit for purpose after a group of MPs condemned the Government for failing to meets its targets for traffic congestion, air quality, and vehicle emissions.

Commenting on the findings of the Transport Committee's report into the Department for Transport's Annual Report 2006, Shadow Transport Minister Owen Paterson said: "There should be real questions asked about whether this department is capable of doing its job."

In their report, the cross-party body found that of seven targets, the department had met just two, covering road safety and rail punctuality. Targets for congestion, air quality, public transport and carbon dioxide emissions, have all been missed, leading the committee chairman, Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody to declare: This is a terrible picture of failure."

Seizing on the findings, Mr Paterson said: "This damning report is more evidence of a Department for Transport which only has one idea - road pricing. And it can't even explain that."

And referring to the systemic failures highlighted by the report on road pricing, congestion, buses, concessionary fares, railways and emissions, the shadow minister declared: "There should be real questions asked about whether this Department is capable of doing its job."

Mr Paterson added: "The Department should be in the vanguard of thinking about curbing the growth of exhaust emissions, but instead, as with most other things, it seems to be wedded to old fashioned top-down Whitehall targets, and it can't even meet them."

Web Link: http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=135055

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The Liberal Democrats News Pages

There are many news items I found on their web site but I couldn't find anything recent on transport or community spirit. However if someone knows different please let me know and I'll add it to the blog. In the meantime check out their news pages and make up your own mind.

Web Link: http://www.libdems.org.uk/