£1 million upgrade touted for popular cycling path, including CCTV cameras to tackle "wild west" bikejackings that saw cyclists ditch route and feel "safer between buses and cars"

The Bristol & Bath Railway Path is expected to benefit from £1m worth of work and upgrades, South Gloucestershire Council looking to make the popular route "safer and more comfortable" for its users — a consultation launched for plans that come at the end of another year blighted by reports of anti-social behaviour and bikejackings.

The 15-mile off-road path connects Bristol and Bath, the route a much used commuting corridor for cyclists and also popular with walkers. While crime and anti-social behaviour are nothing new on the path, recent months have seen numerous reports of dangerous riding by a "speeding" e-scooter gang, as well as more violent bikejackings and robberies.

While the extent of South Gloucestershire Council's plans for the path likely means they have been in the works for some time, recent events are likely to have further persuaded the local authority to improve the path's facilities.

In November, cyclists reported not feeling comfortable using the path at night, one rider saying the violent bikejackings had turned the route into the "wild west" and that users "feel safer" on the road "between buses and cars". The council has since installed some CCTV, a move which saw a robber caught by police within 24 hours and has presumably only served to encourage more proactive action by the local authority.

> "I feel safer between buses and cars": Violent bikejackings force cyclists to avoid popular cycling path which has turned into "wild west" with an "epidemic of joyriding"

New lighting and more CCTV cameras are proposed, the map below showing the section between Teewell Hill and Bitton Station that are to be prioritised, the project to be led by South Gloucestershire Council and funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority through £1m from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements Fund.

South Gloucestershire Council has also suggested it wants to remove some barriers and physical features which create barriers for path users "to make walking and wheeling, public transport and cycling not only viable, but the preferred way of getting around – especially for shorter journeys".

"To do this, we must make alternatives to the motor vehicle, like the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, safe and convenient," the council said. "Working with local people, our aim is to make the Bristol & Bath Railway Path a more attractive environment for those who walk, wheel, jog or cycle along the path.

"We know there are people who want to use the path, or use it more often, to get around but currently feel there are barriers stopping them. These improvements are designed to remove some of those barriers. The installation of CCTV will help reduce antisocial behaviour and deter incidents of crime along the path. Removing some physical barriers and street furniture will improve accessibility and make the path an easier, more comfortable travel route for all users."

A consultation is underway and will run until the end of January. At this stage, 20 CCTV cameras are being considered between the entrance to the Staple Hill tunnel and the former Mangotsfield Station, as well as two further camera locations at Warmley Waiting Room.

"These locations have been chosen because of an increase in reports and incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. They cover entry and exit points of the railway path and there will be two cameras on each column pointing in either direction of the path," the proposal states.

> Fears cyclists could be "gravely injured" by "speeding" e-scooter gang intimidating users on popular Bristol & Bath Railway Path

Accessibility improvements concern nine known barriers, the council perhaps pre-empting comments about fast speeds by suggesting that the locations intended are all generally at points where "cyclists reduce their speed when approaching". 

"In locations where we think there could be a significant conflict between cyclists and pedestrians, we would erect appropriate signs and road markings," the council said.

You can read the full proposals and respond to the consultation on the dedicated web page.