Top Ten Bristol Transport Debacles

bristol | transport | opinion/analysis Friday November 14, 2008 00:55 by Joshua Hart

A Tour Through the Hall of Horrors

It just seems to keep getting worse. As residents of Bristol continue to suffer the effects of rising traffic levels and shoddy transport choices on their environment, health, and quality of life, our political leaders are scared stiff of appearing to be anti-car. Their paralysis, borne out of fear of intervening in society’s petrol addiction in any meaningful way- is preventing them doing anything to actually solve the problem. Instead, like a drug addict, we increase the dose to get the same high- we widen roads and build new car parks, hoping that it will make us forget our problems. Temporarily relieved, we wake up the next morning feeling worse than ever. Politicians talk green, but their actions are digging us deeper into the gaping black hole of car dependence and climate catastrophe every day.

Bristol's Shortsighted Transport Policies Make Everyone Suffer....

Like it or not, it seems that the forces of darkness have decided that if they stand any chance of launching their schemes to increase road and airport capacity, they better do it now, and they better force them through all together before the twin realities of peak oil and climate change reshape our transport landscape forever. This plan could divert and distract us, or it could end up backfiring on them, raising the hackles of a powerful new coalition of Bristolians who say enough is enough.

If you live in Bristol and you care about the future of your city, my advice is to gear up for a fight over the coming months. The shit is truly hitting the fan folks- you better arm yourselves with bicycles, keyboards, d-locks and a copy of the Freedom of Information Act cause it might get very ugly.

For Bristol's top ten transport debacles, see http://onthelevelblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/top-ten-...cles/