Bristol City Centre traffic during the day?

[BaffledByBristolTraffic]

Hopefully you wise MNetters can help me.

I have an interview in Bristol (nr Temple Meads) next week. For various reasons, I’d prefer to drive to it but my experiences of rush hour traffic have made me nervous of being late.

Is the traffic that bad during the day? I’d need to be at TM for 3ish. Is park and ride worth considering?

I’d be coming from Newport way, if anybody can tell me what they would do, that would be great. I could get the train but I’d highly likely bump into somebody I know!

Anyone? 😳

My only experience is taking DS to Uni a couple of times. Traffic is heavy and slow, but not gridlocked.

That would be school run time. I’m not sure where the park and ride goes to but city centre is a nightmare to be honest. Lots of one way streets. I’d get the train to be honest. Parking can be v expensive also.

Honestly? If your interview is within walking distance of Temple Meads, and you can use the train easily, it's a no brainier.

Bristol is a bloody nightmare and despite all its attempts to thin traffic congestion, it ain't getting any better - for as long as the surrounding transport links into the city remain utterly shite at least.

Where would you plan to park? There is literally no convenient parking, free or otherwise.

The park and ride at Long Aston stops near Temple Meads. It's a 15 minute bus ride so worth considering. I work near TM and the traffic isn't too bad during the day but if you're not used to it the road layouts can be confusing and parking is difficult.

Yes but isn't it a right schlep over to Long Ashton, if you're coming over from any of the the M4/M5/M32 motorway directions?

If its on a friday, at the time, i wouldn’t drive & take the train. It is normally quite busy in & out of bristol. Any other day, you should be ok but leave plenty of time. You can park in temple meads station or there are a fair few pay & display nearby too.

Thanks all - sounds like park and ride is a no-go then. I’m not too worried about parking, I managed to find some during rush hour (albeit eye wateringly expensive!).

Maybe I’ll just wear a mask and risk the train - it’s literally a 3 min walk from TM 😅

It’s on a Wednesday and I’m not too worried about the time taken to get out of town afterwards. It took me an hour to do about 4 miles during rush hour recently but I hoped/wondered if it was better after that had died down.

Loads of roadworks in Bristol at the moment, and the Cumberland Basin is a nightmare - there was an accident one afternoon last week and someone I know left their car on a side street and used one of those scooters to get home it was that bad. If I were you I'd get the train.

Makes more sense to get the train

Train it is then!

Thanks all

Newport to Temple Meads is so easy by train. I wouldn't drive there, not if you're not a confident city driver. It gets very busy.

Watch out that Redcliffe Bridge near Temple Meads is currently closed (for walking or driving): www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/bristol-harbour/redcliffe-bridge-refurbishment - generally traffic in the city centre is a nightmare at the moment, though it might not be too bad at 3pm. But I agree with others that the train is the best bet!

Is definitely get the train. Parking round there is awful! Good luck with your interview

It's half term next week. Traffic should be okay. However train does sound far easier.

Come off the motorway and park at one of the stops on the Severn Beach line. Severn Beach, Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Sea Mills are convenient from the motorway if you're travelling in from the Newport area. From either of these stations you can pick up the small, local train (every 30 mins, conductor service on-board) and be at Temple Meads really quickly. You probably wouldn't meet anyone you know on this line as it only runs a shuttle service between Severn Beach and Temple Meads. It would totally bypass the inner city traffic which can be treacle at that time of day.

This is great advice! Thank you!

It's worth considering that a lot of the city centre area is a Residents Parking Zone AND the Clean Air Zone is due to start soon (it will apply to private diesel vehicles as well as commercial).

Train it’s so easy

Name changed for this because I don't want to out myself but I know the Severn Beach line and the areas around it well.

If you are driving in from Newport, don't park at Avonmouth or Shirehampton stations. Avonmouth village is all residents parking and the car park at Shirehampton is small and time limited.

If you are parking at Sea Mills, the area directly infront of the station tends to get full quite quickly and depending how people have parked it isn't the easiest to turn around in. You'll have more luck parking along Sea Mills Lane (which despite the name isn't a lane), especially if you park up just before the road bridge.

Avoid Bristol buses like the plague. Late, overpriced and totally unreliable.

There's also a Park and Ride on the Portway (A4) which is near where M49 comes into Bristol. Much handier for people driving from Wales. I wouldn't drive in the city centre unless there is no alternative, too many bus lanes/road works/temporary traffic lights. Get the train!

This is interesting because I'm generally a nervous driver when I don't know somewhere and was dreading taking DS to Uni in Bristol City centre, but I found it OK. I've driven in much worse places. We parked OK too, although I expect it was expensive.