The shared use of Prince Street Bridge by pedestrians and cyclists was always likely to pose problems for both bridge users. In the view of the Bristol Walking Alliance (BWA) “the current provision for pedestrians on the bridge is inadequate” and “given the high volume of pedestrians, a lane should not be shared between walkers and cyclists. The whole of one side of the bridge should be only for pedestrians, wheelchairs, mobility vehicles, and people pushing bikes.”
Changes to the pedestrian side of the bridge by Bristol City Council have improved matters a little: the division between the pedestrian and cycle lanes has been made clearer through a white lane marking (see photograph). Hitherto the two lanes were only distinguished by a dip in the bridge surface, a feature likely to cause pedestrians to stumble.
One very practical suggestion by the BWA is likely to be more successful in reducing pedestrians-cyclists incidents:
The good behaviour message: We suggest that the council should implement “Respect other users” (or similar) signage at key places. Pinch points are places where at times there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic that fills the space, and such signage could be used at all pinch points. It is important that this message is put across.