Nobody can fail to have noticed that on the way into Bristol we have a new Toucan crossing. A Toucan crossing is a Pelican crossing that also permits for bicycles to be ridden across, an essential aspect given that the Festival Way is not only a well used local cycle path but also part of the National Cycle Network.
Following a nationwide audit of the National Cycle Network Sustrans, the Bristol based walking and cycling charity, identified the crossing as a priority for improvements. The charity allocated £140,000 of funding it had received from the Department of Transport for North Somerset Council to deliver the improvements (further funding from the Joint Local Transport Plan met the total cost of the scheme). The new crossing links the Festival Way to the recently built traffic free route through Ashton Court to Bristol.
As well as the new crossing, visibility has been increased on this stretch of road by removing low-level vegetation and raising the crown of some sycamore trees. This is to help people using the crossing, and those driving on the road, to see one another.