During the summer, the council responded to the COVID-19 crisis by providing more space for walking and cycling on community roads to support social distancing. This included using temporary barriers to widen pavements and provide bike lanes. We have been flexible with our approach and we have been listening to suggestions from local people for improvements to support high streets and help people get around safely both during the pandemic and in the long-term.

The council has now secured further funding from the government to provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists while public transport capacity is reduced. As a result, we are now looking for suggestions on how we can change a number of busy neighbourhood roads and high streets around the city, including Picton Street.
We are aiming to:

• Maximise enjoyment of the areas being considered
• Minimise rat running
• Improve access for all
• Create more liveable neighbourhoods with less traffic congestion and pollution.

The government funding must improve cycling and walking journeys. Changes could include:

• Consistent or timed traffic restrictions to stop motorists cutting through community hubs
• Changes to the road layout or direction
• Wider pavements
• New bike lanes

We are keen to hear local views before drawing up any detailed proposals. The council’s aim is to ensure any change to the street environment benefits the community as a whole and supports businesses to stay and thrive in the area with increased footfall.

Below is a survey asking local people to think about Picton Street. What would you change about the street, what is working well and what could be improved in terms of the street environment? At this stage we are considering all ideas and feedback from local people which could include suggestions of pedestrianisation, changes to traffic movements, improvements for pedestrians and cyclists etc.

We will work with the community to co-design a scheme and there will be further engagement early next year on any detailed proposals.

Please complete the survey and return it in the freepost envelope provided before Sunday 24 January 2021.

If you have a comment , question or you would like this information in another language, Braille, audio tape, large print, easy English, BSL video or CD rom or plain text please contact us:

• Email: transport.engagement@bristol.gov.uk
• Phone: 0117 903 6449 and leave a message on the answerphone.
• Write to: Picton Street, Transport Engagement Team, PO BOX 3399, 100 Temple Street, Bristol, BS1 9NE.