Residents give their views on Filwood Quietway
Residents came to give their views on the proposed plans for a new cycling and walking route which will run through Knowle West at an event on Wedmore Vale.
The route called the Filwood Quietway, which is being delivered by Bristol City Council and Sustains, will run through the Northern Slopes and Victoria Park. It will link local people to Temple Meads and will eventually reach the new hospital in Hengrove.
At an event at the junction of Wedmore Vale and Glyn Vale on March 22, cyclists and pedestrians were stopped and asked to have their say on the planned route and to raise any issues.
Martin (47) a keen cyclist from Filwood ward said: “It would be good if we could support the local people to do the school runs on this rather than in their cars… anything that can help and encourage people into using healthy means of transport is a good thing…”
Kate Cooke (43) from Filwood said: “I’d be interested to see if the new plans would be accessible to people with trailers and tricycles – we have a lot of single parents in the area and currently there are no local cycle routes..
“Local cycle group Ride in the Park also takes cyclists out of the area because there aren’t any off-road routes they can use that are accessible…I’d like to see traffic free routes and I hope more people would cycle.”
And twenty-eight-year-old Ed Stannard from Windmill Hill ward said the route would make him feel safer away from the traffic.
He said: “I received a leaflet about this and I think it’s a good idea. I cycle to work and the proposed route is my commute but at the moment I use the roads…”
Urban Designer at Sustains Anais Leger-Smith said they had been talking a lot to people who lived around the Northern Slopes and in the local area.
She said: “The main feedback so far is they are quite happy about the route through the Northern Slopes. Out of the two plans one goes straight up the Slopes and the other to the right and they have all voted for the one straight up as it’s more direct to where they live.
“There have been some issues about crime and feeling unsafe, people riding motorbikes and people being scared of dogs… The way to address that would be to improve lighting. They are also unsure about the access barriers… and would like to make the route more accessible for wheelchairs, disability scooters and buggies…”
The next consultation will be held at Filwood Broadway on 12 May from 4.30 -6.30pm. For more information or to view the interactive map of the route and add your comments visit www.travelwest.info/filwood or join the conversation on Twitter #CycleAmbition
