12/12/2020
PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSULTATION!
The consultation for the future of our fantastic high street is now open and we want to encourage people to take part, whatever your views on what should or shouldn't change about the street. The link is here: https://bristol.citizenspace.com/sustainable-transport/st-marks-road-engagement-survey/
Most of the questions are multiple choice questions to gather individual preferences, but there are three questions with open boxes. Please consider including some or all of the suggested comments below which we think highlight some of the problems with the street and some of the ways that it can be even better!
QUESTION 8. Please use the text box below to specify any other experiences you have of the St Marks Road street environment:
> There is a lot of through-traffic on the street that makes it a noisy and less pleasant environment for shopping. This traffic could easily be re-routed to other arterial routes which would make the street more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists and allow for outdoor seating from the food/drink businesses, increasing the number of customers they can accommodate and, in turn, their revenue.
> It feels quite unsafe and inconvenient when cycling against the flow of traffic. It seems that many people driving don't realise that there is a cycling contraflow lane (the road markings have worn down). There is inadequate segregated space here for cyclists to use the street.
> Wheelchair users and pedestrians with prams/buggies will often found their route blocked crossing the Henrietta Street junction because delivery vans, lorries and customers' cars park over the end of the road. This makes them less likely to return to St Marks Road as it isn't an easy and accessible space for them.
> The loss of the Covid-19 barriers means there is less space to physically distance at this time which puts people's health at risk.
> The road surface for all road users is terrible and needs a resurfacing.
> Large lorries often block the pavement in the vicinity of the railway bridge causing pedestrians to walk in the road.
> SUVs and other large vehicles are often parked on pavements in the stretch near the Sugar Loaf/the mosque which make the street unattractive and difficult to navigate.
> The waste bins on the street are not well-maintained and unattractive. They could be replaced with new multiple material recycling bins.
> There is nowhere to sit down on the street at present. A few benches would really help to create a place for dwelling, not just passing through.
> There is no dedicated pedestrian crossing anywhere on St Marks Road. This would be of enormous benefit if one was included in any re-design.
QUESTION 11. If you would like to suggest any other priorities for St Marks Road, please specify below:
> Please bring back the Covid-19 barriers so that people do not have to put their health at risk by shopping on St Marks Road.
> Allowing access for delivery vehicles is clearly important for the viability of the businesses on the street. However, it would be useful if the access for deliveries was only within certain hours (for example, before 11am and after 6pm) so that part of the street could be used to create more space for walking, cycling and relaxing. This would involve a change in the one-way nature of the street, but a dedicated loading/unloading area could be created in the area near to the Sugar Loaf/mosque and a turning circle somewhere near the Henrietta Street junction.
> It would be good to attract some new independent businesses into the street through providing access between Berwick Road and Henrietta Street for pedestrians and cyclists, with access by motorised vehicle available during a time-limited period rather than throughout the day.
> Businesses between Berwick Road and Henrietta Street that require access from a vehicle close to their front entrance should be given dedicated parking loading bays that can be used during the limited access hours.
> There should be at least 2 dedicated disabled parking spaces just outside the limited vehicle access area between Berwick Road and Henrietta Street.
QUESTION 13. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?
> If physical meetings become possible due to the roll out of Covid-19 vaccines, the council needs to hold some consensus-building public meetings that bring different perspectives together and find useful compromises so that some of the disagreements that have come about through this process can be resolved and the community is more unified and at peace. These should be professionally chaired by an experienced and neutral chair and allow time for written as well as spoken communication so that people can be heard no matter their confidence level in a public space.
> The council should provide data on the negative affect of through-traffic on communities as part of the ongoing community consultation and also provide evidence of the benefits to business of creating even small sections of pedestrian- and cycle-friendly space on high streets.
