The range of improvements that could be used in a liveable neighbourhood, with information on what they are, how they can help and what the downsides may be.
These improvements form the basis of our Design Toolkit, which we use when we ask for your views on our liveable neighbourhood proposals.
A filter which allows buses and bicycles to travel through, which is enforced using cameras.
Advantages:
Bus gates improve bus journey times and reliability as most private vehicle traffic will not use the road, except for access. Bus gate exemptions can be granted to some vehicles.
Disadvantages:
Bus gates do not entirely remove traffic from a street and so there are fewer opportunities for changing how the street is used. For example, for seating, green space or play space.
Cycle and e-scooter parking is often located near destinations where people want to visit and provides somewhere to lock your bike for a short period of time.
Advantages:
The lack of safe, secure and accessible cycle parking is a barrier which often prevents people from owning or using a bike. Installing stands at popular locations can help address this barrier.
Disadvantages:
Cycle and e-scooter stands placed in the road will require parking to be relocated or removed. Cycle and e-scooter stands on footpaths can cause obstructions.
A cycle hangar is a covered, lockable and secure pod that sits on the road. It takes up about the same amount of space as a parked car and it can hold 6 bikes securely.
Advantages:
Cycle hangars provide a secure and convenient place to park a bike for people who do not have space at home. It makes it easier for people to keep a bike and reduces the need to rely on motorised transport.
Disadvantages:
Cycle hangars require the reallocation or removal of parking.
A diagonal filter is a type of modal filter that can be introduced at a crossroad. This prevents motor vehicles from travelling straight across the junction but allows vehicles to turn.
Advantages:
Diagonal modal filters take away the need to reverse or u-turn, enabling access by larger vehicles when needed while preventing through traffic.
Disadvantages:
Diagonal filters don't create as many opportunities to change how a street is used, such as with seating, green space or play space, compared to a full modal filter, because more traffic flow is retained at a diagonal filter.
Conveniently placed charge points for electric vehicles (EVs), for residents without off-street parking.
Charging times are typically 8 or more hours, depending on the EV and power on offer.
Advantages:
Not everyone can switch their mode of transport so providing additional EV charge points enables people to switch to vehicles that have reduced or zero tailpipe emissions.
Disadvantages:
Can be expensive to install and require on-going maintenance costs. Can also be difficult to enforce to make sure they're reserved for charging EVs and not used for general parking.
Local measures to manage unsafe parking such as double yellow lines on junctions. Or area-wide solutions such as residents' parking permits or match-day parking schemes.
Advantages:
Makes junctions safer for all users by increasing visibility. Area-wide parking schemes can help prioritise space for parking for local residents.
Disadvantages:
Fees may apply for some residents parking schemes.
Designing the street to reduce the speed of traffic, where this is unsafe. This can involve measures such as pavement build-outs, trees and planting and visual cues.
Advantages:
Makes local streets safer, reduces noise and can encourage people to walk and cycle and use the street for more social activities.
Disadvantages:
This may involve narrowing the road space and could require a reduction in space for some car parking.
Modal filters stop motor vehicles travelling through a certain point, while allowing access to walking and cycling.
Modal filters can help reduce the amount of traffic in a neighbourhood. They're not designed to stop people owning, using or parking their cars.
Advantages:
A modal filter is a cost-effective way to reduce traffic on a single street or, if designed thinking about the area as a whole, across an entire neighbourhood.
Disadvantages:
Modal filters are more effective if the whole area is thought about. If they're installed in isolation, they could displace traffic onto neighbouring streets.
Changes to how traffic accesses a neighbourhood can be made by making certain streets one-way or no entry. This can be useful in particularly narrow streets.
Advantages:
Using one-ways in conjunction with modal filters or banned turns can be an effective way to prevent through traffic using a certain route.
Disadvantages:
One-way streets need to be designed to enable cycling in both directions and may need to include traffic calming measures, as traffic can speed up when streets are one-way. As vehicles would still be using the street, the benefits of traffic reduction and opportunities to change how the street is used are limited.
On-street car parking spaces can be repurposed for people-centred uses, such as seating, planting, play and cycle parking.
Advantages:
Parklets help create small sections of the street where people can socialise, rest and relax. These measures can help people with mobility impairments as it provides frequent rest stops. Parklets can also be installed outside shops and on high streets to help support local businesses.
Disadvantages:
Parklets require the reallocation or removal of parking.
Modal filters can be extended to become pocket parks.
Two rows of planters are used to create a central area where motor vehicles are not allowed. This can be turned into a pocket park. The size of a pocket park depends on the need for vehicles to access the area.
Advantages:
Pocket parks can add the most community value by introducing features, such as planting and benches.
Disadvantages:
Pocket parks use more street space and may mean some car parking spaces are lost.
Involves making changes to reduce vehicle speeds and create an environment which prioritises walking, cycling and scooting. Treatments can include continuous footways, cycle tracks and speed tables.
Advantages:
These measures can reinforce safety and pedestrian and cycle priority at side roads. They can be delivered in tandem with trees and planting to improve the street scene.
Disadvantages:
They can be expensive because of constraints, such as drainage and utilities.
Protected cycle tracks separate people walking, cycling and driving by using measures such as a different level, kerb line or bollards.
Advantages:
Protected cycle routes are the only way to enable people of all ages and abilities to cycle on busy roads where there are high speeds or volumes of traffic.
Disadvantages:
Protected cycle routes can be difficult to install because of the narrow width of many of Bristol's streets. This can mean that competing priorities need to be balanced, such as cycling, bus priority and loading for local businesses.
Safe crossings are designed in a way that prioritises people walking and cycling, making it easier to cross streets with high levels of traffic.
Zebra crossings, parallel crossings or signalised crossings can be used depending on the volume of traffic. A parallel crossing is a combined pedestrian and cycle crossing which has priority over the road which it crosses.
Advantages:
Safe crossings over busy roads are essential for connecting neighbourhoods and make longer journeys by walking and cycling easier.
Disadvantages:
Zebra, parallel and signalised crossings can slow down bus journey times if buses operate on that stretch of road. They can also be expensive due to constraints, such as drainage, utilities and signal installation.
School Streets turn streets around schools into priority zones for people to walk and cycle and restricts car use at the start and end of the school day.
Residents can be exempted from the restrictions, which can be enforced by collapsible bollards or movable barriers often operated by school staff or volunteers.
Advantages:
School Streets can be a low-cost way of improving the walking and cycling environment at key times. They can relieve parking pressures, improve road safety for children and discourage unnecessary car journeys.
Disadvantages:
School Streets can be quite resource intensive due to the need to move the barriers at drop off and pick up times. The improvements to walking and cycling are only experienced temporarily during peak times and there are limited opportunities for placemaking improvements.
Street art can be used as a low-cost approach to raise awareness of a change in the use or environment of a street or encourage reduced vehicle speeds. Street art can also be used as a form of wayfinding to help direct and connect people to places.
Advantages:
Street art can help improve the street scene and enhance the public realm.
Disadvantages:
Street art requires on-going maintenance to make sure that it retains its visual impact.
Street lighting can be installed on lamp posts or at ground level to help illuminate spaces and enhance visibility at night.
Advantages:
Street lighting can make people feel more confident to walk and cycle at night as it increases visibility and make places feel less intimidating.
Disadvantages:
Street lighting can be expensive to install and run. Environmental impacts need to be considered if being installed in green spaces.
Trees, planting and grass verges can help improve the retention of surface water, provide shade and shelter and reduce vehicle speeds.
They can be included as part of other measures such as modal filters and side road treatments.
Advantages:
Street trees, planting and grass verges reduce runoff into the sewer system and mitigate flooding events, which are likely to increase as a result of climate change. They can also play an important role in carbon capture, rewilding and increasing biodiversity, as well as improving the attractiveness of the street.
Disadvantages:
Street trees, planting and grass verges can be expensive to install and require maintenance.
Pavements should be wide enough for people to use at all times, including pushchairs and wheelchair users.
Advantages:
Safer and better access. Prevents people being forced to walk or wheel in the road.
Disadvantages:
Can be difficult to find space to widen pavements on very narrow streets. May require loss of parking or parking restrictions.