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NEWBRIDGE PARK+RIDE PUBLIC TRANSPORT


 

The Newbridge Park + Ride stands to benefit from an improved public transport service to the City Centre.

The existing bus service is adequate for the current P+R facilities, but it is clear that the small size of this site is suppressing a much larger demand than can at present be accommodated. There are plans to increase the capacity of the site but this would soon overwhelm the existing bus service with a very large demand at peak periods, falling off to one which was uneconomic throughout much of the day.

An apparently easy option would be to increase the number of buses serving the site. This could add to the city's congestion problems because certain parts of the present road routes are congested and there is limited space available for setting-down and picking-up passengers in the City Centre . Furthermore there would be no economies of scale or improvements in loading patterns to be gained by this approach.

Other solutions have been sought:

 

BUSWAY PROPOSALS

A bus-based 'Rapid Transit' system, utilising the old Midland Railway alignment, has been proposed; but this would suffer from a number of serious disadvanteges:

 

TRAMWAY PROPOSALS

The route between Newbridge and the City Centre should be considered in two parts. An off-road Western Riverside alignment which will by-pass congested inner-city roads; and the Western Riverside to Newbridge alignment, part of which can run on the wide and relatively uncongested Newbridge Road. A number of advantages would accrue from operating on these alignments and from using trams:

 

OPTIMISING THE CHANGEOVER POINT

The choice of changeover point from reserved track on the Western Riverside to street track on Newbridge Road will mainly be influenced by the balance between avoidance of traffic congestion and optimising accessibility for passengers.

Windsor Bridge Road - TfB preferred option
 
 Advantages
 Disadvantages

Catchment area (500 metres walking distance) includes Audley Park Road and theTennyson Road - St.Johns Road area, which has high housing density.

Would require considerable traffic management at northern end of Windsor Bridge to allow trams priority over queueing traffic

Serves play area of Royal Victora Park.

May need extra road space in Windsor Bridge Road

Could use existing Windsor Bridge

Bridge structure was not designed for trams, some additional engineering work may be needed.

 Although in the short term this option involves more work, in the long term it will give the best public service. Tramway planning should always be long-term and, for that reason, this is the route preferred by TfB

Eastern end of Locksbrook Road
 
  Advantages
  Disadvantages

Avoids a short sometimes-congested stretch of Upper Bristol Road between Windsor Bridge Road and Locksbrook Road

Traffic management measures would still be needed on some of the Upper Bristol Road and additional measures would be needed at the junction between this and Locksbrook Road

Could use existing railway bridge to cross river without additional engineering work

Old railway bridge could become a liability when repairs are needed.

Better access to part of Locksbrook Road

Does not serve Royal Victoia Park or Park Lane and is a greater distance from the Audley Park Road area


Station Road
 
 Advantages
 Disadvantages

Avoids a long stretch of the Upper Bristol Road and Newbridge Roads between Windsor Bridge Road and Chelsea Road

The junction between Station Road and Newbridge Road is very restricted in space and has an adverse camber. Construction of a satisfactory alignment could necessitate demolition of some surrounding properties (which TfB would not advocate)

Could use existing railway bridge to cross river without additional engineering work

Old railway bridge could become a liability when repairs are needed.

 Better access to some of Locksbrook Road

Does not serve Royal Victoria Park, Audley Park Road or theTennyson Road - St.Johns Road area


East of Station Road
 
 Advantages
 Disadvantages

Avoids Newbridge Road and Upper Bristol Road entirely

Difficult of access

Dedicated fast service

Hospitals/Upper Weston Route would need to be constructed separately

Uninterrupted by stops

Does not serve large areas of Lower Weston, Newbridge Hill area - would run almost empty for much of the day.

Could use existing railway alignment

Parts of this alignment may need reconstruction and could become a maintenance liability

 

Railway alignment may be needed in future for long-distance transport link


Upper Weston
Hospitals
Lansdown (P+R)
Larkhall
Batheaston,
Bathford
Newbridge (P+R)
Western Riverside
 City Centre Circle
Churchill
Bridge
( Lambridge P+R?)
Bathampton
Twerton
Oldfield Park
Bear Flat
Bathwick
University
(P+R)
Whiteway
Southdown
Odd Down (P+R)
Combe Down

For further information see:

B&NES "Rapid Transit" proposal for Western Riverside
Western Riverside Route

Upper Weston and Newbridge routes
Guided busway
Western Riverside reports
Guide to prospective developers
City Centre Circle
Interchange
Segregation of tramways
Speed of boarding with conductors
Peak demand
Pollution

Other Maps

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