The Bridge of Sighs (Signs!)
Back in the summer of 2000, when the beautiful Valentine's Bridge was being built behind Temple Meads Station as part of the Temple Quay development, we welcomed it as a very useful link to join East Bristol (including the Bristol-Bath Path) with the station and South Bristol. However, before the bridge was even opened, we spotted "Cyclists Dismount" signs on it! So began a lengthy correspondence between ourselves and the developers to get the signs removed or at least changed.. After all, we reasoned, in our congested and polluted city they should be encouraging cyclists, not putting them off.
We pointed out that Pero's bridge, by the Centre, used by both walkers and cyclists, has no signs at all, without apparent problems. If they had to have signs, why not "Cyclists give way to walkers" - at least we could still ride over. The developers disagreed. They claimed they were worried about cyclists falling over the rails into the water (honest!). So we suggested "Cycle with Care".
They said they would change the signs by April 2001, but they didn't. By this time most cyclists were ignoring the signs, leading to some conflict with security guards, and we felt that disregarding signs was bad PR for cycling in general. It was also possibly discouraging some cyclists from using the bridge at all, and was a bad precedent for future developments. 
So the letters continued. Some people might have contemplated direct action, but we remained patient. They did magically change one night but that didn't last long. We enlisted the help of the Council, Sustrans, CTC etc., but still the signs remained, and we kept writing.
Finally in October 2001, the signs were officially replaced by the ridiculous "Cyclists are advised to dismount for their own safety".
Almost like asking car drivers on Bristol Bridge to get out and push, in case their car goes over the edge! At least it gives us the right to be cycling there, and the advice doesn't have to be taken. The moral? Keep writing letters, they do change things in the end.
Kean
