A large part of Bristol is set to become car-free in the coming months as the Labour-led council implements a major new low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme.
Officials will install ‘pocket parks’ and more than 12 ‘modal filters’ such as bollards or planters which will block traffic from several key roads in the east of the city.
The LTN will cover an area stretching for two miles and could become permanent by 2025 amid a £6million project called the ‘East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood’.
The scheme aims to encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport instead of driving to help tackle air pollution – and it will be trialled from this autumn.
But locals are concerned over traffic being forced onto surrounding roads, delays caused to emergency services and an insufficient public transport network.
There will also be gates that will block private cars but allow buses through, while several roads will be made one-way only, reported the Daily Telegraph.
It follows the controversial schemes being launched in London, Birmingham and most notably Oxford – which has resulted in arson, theft and vandalism.
RAC data shows London has the schemes in Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Hounslow, Lambeth, Newham, and Waltham Forest. These are all Labour led apart from Croydon, which has no overall control.
The restrictions in the Barton Hill, Redfield and St George areas of Bristol were first suggested last year and have gone through a first consultation.
This found the biggest issues in the area were too much traffic, poor behaviour by drivers such as pavement parking and a lack of pedestrian-friendly streets.
The scheme will then have a further consultation with local residents before possibly being made permanent.
One of the key changes will be banning cars from cutting through the area by using Beaufort Road, Avonvale Road, Marsh Lane and Victoria Avenue, which are often used by drivers trying to avoid the congested A420 Church Road.
This will be done by installing bollards and planters that will only let people through if they are walking or cycling.
There will however be alternative routes that local residents and businesses can use to keep access to the area – but they cannot be used to drive through it.
Cars will also be stopped from getting through by so-called ‘pocket parks’, which are double rows of planters creating space for trees and benches.
Don Alexander, Bristol’s cabinet member for transport, said: ‘We have seen from other schemes that using a co-design approach to develop proposed interventions for the scheme with communities is key to success.
‘We’re starting the trial East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood scheme with interventions such as modal filters, bus gates, and cycle hangars using temporary materials which will allow us to understand the impacts and then make further alterations.