Bristol mayor Marvin Rees has called on drivers who are stopping for a quick coffee or to offload in the pop-up cycle lane on Park Row to not “be selfish” and to consider other road users. This was in response to questions asked by the public during a full council meeting on Tuesday (March 14).
Member of the public, Haydn Gill, quizzed the mayor about the Park Row Active Travel Scheme and with regard to drivers stopping in the pop-up cycle lane, he asked: “"Currently there is a driver, I can guarantee it, parked in the Park Row bollard scheme, what do you say to that driver parked in that scheme at the moment?".
The mayor responded: "Don't be selfish. Just like I’d say to anyone in a vehicle whether it be a car or a bike, behave as though there are other people trying to make use of the space that you are using - whether cyclists using shared spaces with pedestrians, or whether its cars using shared space on roads with cyclists."
He added that there was only so much the city could do as an authority with rules and segregated spaces. He said: “But some of the way the city functions comes down to human behaviour, decency and a decision to be caring and compassionate - or not - parking in a cycle lane is that. But that rule goes for car drivers and it also goes for cyclists and it also goes for people who ride their bikes at 30mph down the railway path, we need to behave as though there are other people living in the city.”
Speaking about the floating bus stop on Park Row which runs between the bus stop and the pavement, the mayor said that he has concerns with narrow roads and pavements where pedestrians have to cross a cycle lane to get on a bus, particularly with regard to older people and people with disabilities. He said this could create “conditions in which there’s a heightened likelihood of some kinds of conflict.”
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He added that as a cyclist, he remains aware that he may have to use his brakes, such as stopping behind a bus when it is pulled over. He said: “We do need to roll out infrastructure for cyclists, but that infrastructure can’t be built on a commitment to making sure cyclists never have to use their brakes to allow someone else to use some of that public space.”
The mayor highlighted that while the council will use expert guidance for infrastructure design, “lived experience of Bristol and common sense” will also guide how public highways are designed.
This follows a report last week of local cyclist, Phil Sturgeon who posted video clips on Twitter showing vehicles with hazard lights on stopping on the Park Row cycle lane, with others describing it as a daily issue. He said drivers ignore signs which indicate that no parking, loading or waiting is allowed.
The council advised that the pop-up cycle lane in Park Row is advisory and could only be enforced if it was specifically designated with a Traffic Regulation Order. But the council added the offence of being parked in a suspended parking bay can be enforced and a penalty of £70 can be issued by officers who patrol the area regularly, which would be reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.
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