One of the ambitions of these proposals is to create better routes for cycling as well as walking, and if you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter – wheeling. By providing better connections, and making it easier, safer and more enjoyable to cycle, people would have more choice about how they travel by bike for everyday journeys.
Creating a brand-new alternative cycle route between Bristol and Bath would cut four miles from the existing route along the Railway Path. From Totterdown in Bristol all the way to Saltford, this route would follow the A4, mostly via a dedicated two-way cycle path but, in some places (where space is tight), shared with pedestrians. Meanwhile a series of interlinked cycle paths and quiet routes - local roads specially designated for cyclists to use - would provide connections to local destinations.
At Saltford the cycle route would connect with the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, which offers a direct way to Bath.
Bristol and Bath Railway Path
We are looking at a number of improvements that could be made including:
- Improved access, for example at Saltford, by making the connecting roads safer for cyclists with better signage and traffic calming. An alternative to the steep ramp at Saltford is also being explored.
- Widen the path at current pinch points
- New lighting, introduced sensitively to minimise any impact on wildlife
- Possibly extend the cycle route in Bath so that it continues off road using a disused railway path between Brassmill Lane and Station Road. Alternative options could be to use part of the Railway Path in combination with quieter local roads, or to re-join the existing riverside path at Station Road.
- Safer, easier for those cycling as well as walking and wheeling
- Faster journeys by bike between local destinations e.g., Saltford to Keynsham, as well as on longer journeys between Bath and Bristol