"A cycle-hostile road for only the brave": Cycling campaign slams council plan to introduce bus lanes instead of bike lanes, rubbishes "factually misleading" claim new proposal will still encourage cyclists

A cycling campaign group has spoken out against a council's revised plan for a road in Bristol, accusing the local authority of "completely missing the opportunity to make the road safer, easier and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities".

Bristol City Council has altered its plans for Muller Road in Lockleaze, the Bristol Post reported, meaning that initial proposals for cycling infrastructure on the "cycle-hostile road for only the brave and bold" is now being dropped and 12-hour bus lanes likely to be installed instead. 

And while the local authority claims the bus lanes — plus a new pedestrian crossing, bollards limiting vehicle access between two roads, and a raised table junction — will "help encourage active travel users by providing a safe environment to walk and cycle, as well as reduce the likelihood of accidents", Bristol Cycling Campaign disagrees.

Its chairman Ian Pond called the claims that active travel may in fact be boosted "misleading".

A committee report suggests a significant reason for the council's change of plan is that the original proposal, including cycling segregation, would have led to the loss of up to 53 trees and the need to purchase extra land.

However, dropping cycling and walking and simply putting in bus lanes has been rubbished as a solution by Mr Pond, the cycling campaign's chairman calling the decision a "massive policy failure which is not consistent with the council's transport, environment or health goals".

"We consider the assessment that's been prepared by officers to be factually misleading to the committee by the claims included suggesting the plan will increase walking and cycling despite these being dropped," he said.

A written statement added the opinion that ditching bike lanes for bus lanes "completely misses the opportunity to make this road safer, easier and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities who want to make their journeys on a bike".

"Muller Road is currently a cycle-hostile road for only the brave and bold cyclist," he said. "We called for action to be taken to address this. We are extremely disappointed to read that following the consultation there have been no revisions to take advantage of the opportunity to change this."

He also questioned the outline business case (OBC) which continued to suggest active travel would be boosted, saying it was "peppered with spurious claims suggesting the plan will increase cycle journeys stating it will increase 'the use of public transport, walking, and cycling while reducing trips made by private vehicles'."

"We contend that these claims are completely unrealistic and that references to increasing active travel in the document are misleading to committee members by their inclusion and repetition," Mr Pond said.

These plans refer to the southern half of Muller Road, the first phase on the northern half (pictured in the photo illustrating this article) seeing a 24-hour bus lane installed and bollards added to limit through-traffic on certain roads. If followed through, the new proposals for the southern half would see bus lanes in operation from 6am to 6pm throughout the week and Saturday.

Last year, the Bristol Cycling Campaign raised safety concerns after a diversion route was proposed, using the "unsafe" Muller Road, while a cycle route was closed for construction works on a new railway station. Following pressure, Bristol mayor Marvin Rees agreed to reassess the "risky" diversion.