May 2008

Ultra light rail consultants/engineers meet local councillors and officers

We brought experts in Ultra light rail technology to Bristol to do a presentation to the Executive Member for Transport, councillors from all parties and officers from the West of England and Bristol City Council on an ULR alternative for the Ashton Park and Ride Bus Rapid Transit route. A report will be submitted for further consideration at the end of May. For details of the green credentials of ULR see the attached document here (PDF).

April 2008

Bath & North East Somerset

A member of the Alliance raised the issue of an Integrated Transport Authority at a public meeting in Bath. The report of the public meeting is available at Better Bath. We are organising meetings with political parties in BANES to seek their agreement for joining an ITA along with Bristol City and South Gloucestershire councils.

March 2008

Greater Bristol bids to be Cycle Demonstration City

The TfGB writes in support of Bristol City and S.Gloucs bid for Greater Bristol to become the UK's first ever Cycle Demonstration City. Winning the bid would result in £9 million being spent on cycling infrastructure, routes and promotion within the next three years. Half of this will come from Cycling England. The results will be announced in Bike week in June. For more details go to cyclingengland.co.uk

March 2008

Bus Rapid Transit

The steering group of the Alliance decided to oppose all the BRT routes that would use existing cycle routes such as the Bristol to Bath Railway Path, the Malago Greenway and the Frome Greenway or existing rail lines such as the Harbour to the Create Centre rail track. We propose instead an alternative Ultra Light Rail option for the Long Ashton Park and Ride to the city centre route with extensions to Temple Meads and Cabot Circus using the existing rail track, new rail track and on-street running in the city centre. Our document containing our alternative to BRT for the entire Emersons Green to Long Ashton Park and Ride route was sent to councillors from all parties on Bristol City Council. The document is available for download here (PDF)

January 2008

Roger Hutchinson, Labour Leader on South Gloucestershire Council submits a motion in support of an STA for Greater Bristol to the full council meeting and councillors vote in support.

Autumn 2007

The Alliance meet councillors from each of the Bristol political parties to discuss the creation of an STA (and other transport issues) and all councillors offer their support in talking to their colleagues in other West of England councils yet to discuss the issue of an STA.

July 2007

Bristol City Councillors vote unanimously for the creation of a (Strategic) Greater Bristol Transport Authority at a full meeting of the Council. Email and paper petitions with over 2,000 signatures was presented by Councillor Charlie Bolton. All Bristol’s MPs had indicated their support for an STA prior to the meeting. The Alliance present a statement to the full council to thank councillors for their support and outlining the type of improvements we would like from an STA.

May 2007

Transport Authority Motion

The Alliance approaches all parties on the Bristol City Council and the Conservative Party agrees to submit a motion to the Tuesday 24th July full Council meeting in support of the creation of a Transport Authority for the Greater Bristol Region as follows:
Please note that the motion below has been received for the Meeting of Full Council scheduled for 24th July 2007, which is the first motion received for that meeting:
Cllr Richard Eddy to move
'This Council supports the principle of setting up a Strategic Transport Authority for the Greater Bristol Region recognising the opportunities raised in the Government's Local Transport Bill to improve powers over the bus service and related matters'.
The Alliance will be attending the 24th July meeting at which the petition (both e-petition and paper petition) will be presented by Charlie Bolton, Green Councillor for Southville.The Alliance will talking to all parties in the run up to the meeting in order to get as many votes in favour of a Transport Authority as we can.

May 2007

Draft Local Transport Bill

The Government publishes its Draft Local Transport Bill which contains provision for Local Authorities that do not currently have Transport Authorities to ask for one to be created in their area without the need for new legislation. The same bill introduces bus reform including Quality Contracts which will allow a more simplified franchising of a bus network by a Transport Authority (similar to the current situation in London) a measure that has been lobbied for by existing PTAs. This would a big step forward to re-exerting local control of the bus network.

April 2007

Manifesto sent to 106 candidates

The Alliance wrote to all 106 candidates in the Bristol City Council elections, sending them a copy of our Manifesto and two demands and asking them to support the creation of a Transport Authority. Replies in support were received from members of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties. At a hustings on transport organised by Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways, candidates from all parties in local elections expressed support for a Transport Authority.

February 2007

20 groups are so far supporting the manifesto

19th November

Petition started

The Council Labour Group have set up a Council epetition proposing that the Council introduces a speed limit of 20mph in residential areas. This is a key demand in our manifesto so please support it via:

http://www.bristol-city.gov.uk/item/epetitionview.html?PetitionID=156

18th November

New groups supporting Manifesto

Alliance against the South Bristol Ring Road and Sustainable Southville are the most recent groups to sign up to the Manifesto – the total is now 15 groups.

13th November

Council ePetition launched

A Bristol City Councilor, Charlie Bolton (Green Party) supported the Manifesto by setting up an ePetition, as covered in the Evening Post.

6th November

The launch

The Transport for Bristol Manifesto was launched on 6th November outside Bristol Council House.

The launch was fully covered in the local press, Bristol Evening Post, Bristol Observer and Venue Magazine. It was also covered in some key national press like Local Transport Today, Planning magazine and the Surveyor.

The Alliance wrote to all the political parties asking them to support the Manifesto and consider demanding more powers and funding from national government.