One of our main goals is to create better routes for walking, wheeling, and cycling. By making it easier and more pleasant without a car, we’re giving people more choice in how they travel for everyday trips.
New alternative A4 cycle route
The Bristol and Bath Railway Path is well used, but we aim to create a brand-new alternative cycle route between Bristol and Bath cutting four miles from the existing end-to-end trip.
The new cycle route would mostly be a dedicated two-way cycle path but, in some places (where space is tight), shared with pedestrians.
Meanwhile, a series of interlinked cycle paths and connections – local roads specially designated for cyclists to use – would link the cycle paths to local destinations.
The current entrance onto the Railway Path from the Bird in Hand pub is narrow and hard to use, especially with a bike, wheelchair, mobility scooter or pushchair. We are proposing to resurface and widen the path to make it much easier to join the Railway Path from Saltford.
We are also proposing improvements between the A4 at Norman Road and the Bird in Hand pub. These include making pavements wider and installing new crossings to make the area safer. You can find out more detail about this section here.
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We’re proposing to extend the Bristol and Bath Railway Path to create a continuous car-free route for walking, wheeling, and cycling between Brassmill Lane and the River Avon Trail into Bath city centre.
This would be an 850m shared path along the old railway track between Rudmore Park and Avon Park, and between Newbridge Road and Locksbrook Road. This would connect to a path through the planned development off Newbridge Road.
We are considering adding lights here, but we need to make sure they don’t bother the local wildlife.
We are looking at two options to connect the end of the current Railway Path on Brassmill Lane and the new section at Rudmore Park:
Option A
The current path would be extended to follow the pavement to the left as you leave the Railway Path. A new crossing would be added opposite the entrance to Rudmore Park with separate areas for pedestrians and cyclists.
Option B
This option would link the Railway Path to the new shared path that goes behind the back gardens of the houses on Rudmore Park and Brassmill Lane, using a new bridge over the road. It would still include the crossing from Option A to help people cross safely and connect with nearby places.
There would also be improvements to Station Road at the end of the new section of path to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists to connect back to the River Avon path. There would be signs to help people find the path and stay on the main routes. We are also looking at ways to help people connect with nature along the new section of the Railway Path. This could include things like insect hotels, new nature boards with interactive features and artwork inspired by nature in the area.
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We are also looking at upgrading the Railway Path between the Bird in Hand pub and Brassmill Lane in Bath. Adding lighting could help people feel safer and make the path easier to use all year round but we need to carefully consider the impact on local wildlife.
This would mean an improved car-free connection between the Newton Park and Locksbrook campuses at Bath Spa University.
Click here to view the interactive map
What would this mean?
- Safer, quicker, and more attractive ways to travel by walking, wheeling and cycling for local residents and Bath Spa University staff and students
- Improves safety for everyone by moving more of the route away from the road — reducing conflict between people walking or cycling and vehicles, including lorries and large vehicles using Brassmill Lane and Locksbrook Road
- One less car parking space near the Bird in Hand
- To make room for the new path, some local wildlife habitats would be affected and some trees might need to be moved or removed. We would plant at least the same number of new trees to replace them, although the exact locations haven’t been decided yet. We’re also exploring options to replace other plants nearby
What’s changed since 2023?
- The designs are much more detailed than those in the previous consultation
- There is more information about where the route could be extended with two different options available