Liveable areas of Bath cause bus delays

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

First Bus, which operates the majority of Bath’s buses, says the closure of the main road to through traffic has led to increased traffic on other streets, leading to congestion and delays.

Bath and North East Somerset Council creates liveable neighborhoods – also called “low traffic areas” or LTNs – throughout the city.

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

The controversial schemes aim to reduce speeding and jaywalking on residential roads and create safer places for cyclists and pedestrians, but First Bus has warned they could push people towards cars.

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

The liveable precinct unveiled on Sydney Road in April was met with mixed reviews, according to the agency. Local Democracy Reporting Service.

People living on the road say they are “freed from the tyranny of the automobile.” But residents of neighboring streets warn that this will only worsen traffic near their homes.

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

The council is also committed to making changes to Gay Street as part of another liveable area.

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

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

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