TRIPPING THROUGH BATH: PAVEMENT REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE

Introduced by Rae Harris, Pedestrians’ Association representative, on 10 November 1998

The speaker reviewed the problems with pavements under four headings: Policies, Management, Engineering and Priorities.
A National Strategy for walking will soon be announced by the Government but there already exists the ‘Avon’ policy - which appears to be ignored by B&NES, although they adopted it. B&NES formulated a hierarchy of road-users which put pedestrians first and car-borne commuters last but so far there is not much evidence that they are applying it.
As a World Heritage City, the condition of pavements as encountered by tourists is a matter of importance and may be improved when the City Initiative: Transport & Environment (CI:TE) team start to introduce their new ‘streetscape’, but the residents have heard so much talk (since 1987 or earlier) and seen so little action that they are cynical about this new approach.
Management involves funding; staff and safety. The system of obtaining Government funds is changing; the Engineering Dept. is being re-organised and the insurance company endlessly, and often inaccurately, contests claims for accidents. The pedestrian finally gives up on getting any compensation. The Pedestrians Association provides Pavement Report Cards for sending to Councils (with copies to the PA) to report ‘dangerous or unsatisfactory’ pavements, copies of which were distributed. They would be valuable in arguing a compensation case.
There are British Standards and Codes of Practice for the engineering of pavements, which specify in detail the materials, but these are written for nation-wide use and the special requirements of historic towns do not get acknowledgement.
The mobility-impaired person in a wheel chair or on crutches or using a Zimmer frame finds considerable difficulty in getting around Bath, as do pedestrians with push-chairs, both of whom find that pavements are frequently too narrow and interrupted by a road without a pedestrian crossing.
Children who would like to walk alone to school cannot do so safely because of the lack of crossings - so their parents drive them there! Why are there so few Pelican or Zebra crossings in Bath, not only in the centre but in the ‘suburbs’ too?
The new head of the CI:TE team is the Urban Designer for the City and we hope that she will be as interested in pavement width, construction and maintenance as in the furniture which gives the street its appearance.
Don Lovell