Bath’s liveable neighborhoods cause bus delays

Liveable neighborhoods are causing delays on busy routes, a bus operator has warned.

First Bus, which operates most of Bath’s buses, says closing a road in the city center pushes more traffic onto other streets, causing congestion and delays.

Bath and North East Somerset Council is developing liveable neighborhoods – also called citywide “low traffic neighborhoods” or LTNs.

The operator warns the council’s plans to overhaul other routes could cause further disruption and make cars the “most attractive option” for people in the city.

The controversial plans aim to reduce speeding and smuggling on residential roads and create safer places for cyclists and pedestrians; but First Bus warned they could push people towards cars.

“Any LTN would push traffic onto main roads and increase congestion, thereby delaying bus services and making the car the most attractive option,” the operator said.

The liveable neighborhood, which was launched on Sydney Road in April, was met with mixed views. Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Those living on the roads said they were “freed from the tyranny of motor vehicles”. But residents living in neighboring streets warned it was only making traffic at their homes worse.

First, say: “The recent Sydney Place LTN pushed too much traffic to the bottom of Bathwick Hill, delaying the U1 and U2 service.”

The city is also preparing to make changes to Gay Street as part of another livable neighborhood.

First warned that the plans would “prevent any buses from operating north of the city if George Street is closed”.

In response, BANES council said road closures in the area were “not widespread and are usually of a limited duration”.

The council had originally planned to create 15 liveable neighborhoods in Bath, but this was reduced to 11 due to “financial constraints” and the impact of inflation on construction costs.