IF you want to see the benefits of the Greater Bristol Bus Network, Bristol City Council says, just look at Bath Road. Four months ago the Evening Post received a seemingly never ending stream of criticism of the changes being made along one of the busiest commuter routes in the city.
Drivers, bus passengers, traders and people using the park and ride from Brislington all said traffic jams were getting worse, not better.
But since it was completed, those complaints have all but disappeared.
The time it takes to get from Three Lamps to Hicks Gate has been cut from between 10 minutes and 40 minutes to between 10 minutes and 12 minutes, the council says.
The Evening Post visited the council's state-of-the-art traffic control centre in Stokes Croft to talk to the GBBN team about the £78 million project.
The centre in Wilder Street has access to hundreds of cameras all across the city. They allow the traffic team to monitor any jams or accidents and deal with problems in real time.
Using the cameras to show the whole of the Bath Road during rush hour one evening this week, one thing was quite clear – there were no jams.
Traffic was free flowing, and even queues at traffic lights cleared quickly.
There was no problem with vehicles being stuck on repeated cycles of red to green and back to red.
The council says it is all down to the changes they have been able to make through the GBBN scheme.
Adam Crowther, traffic signals manager, said: "Five or six years ago we had two cameras on the Bath Road.
"We couldn't really see, so we put fibre optics and cameras along the whole length of the route."
This allows the council to redirect traffic snarl-ups down side roads and alleviate problems.
The bulk of the works were physical changes to the junctions along the route, particularly around the Brislington Park and Ride.
Mr Crowther said: "There were two really bad congestion points, Sandy Park and the park and ride.
"On Sandy Park we took out a section of bus lane that was holding up traffic. It made a major change inbound."
The council has also taken the opportunity to bring forward road resurfacing so it's done at the same time as roadworks for the GBBN changes. Now the road will not have to be resurfaced for another 30 years.
All this has resulted in more reliable journeys on buses and the park and ride, the council says.
Passenger transport group manager Steve Bird said: "One of the biggest issues in Bristol is the bus service. People have been crying out for a decent bus service and now we're providing a decent offer.
"We're confident from our previous experience there will be, and is, a step change in the quality of public transport."
Bath Road is just one of the 10 routes that are included in the GBBN project.
The others are; A367 Bath to Midsomer Norton; Bristol to Cribbs Causeway; Mangotsfield to Cribbs; M32 bus lane; A369 Bristol to Portishead; A4018 College Green to Cribbs; A432 Bristol to Yate; A37 Bristol to Midsomer Norton; A370 Bristol to Weston-super-Mare.
Officers say they have provided bespoke solutions to all of the major traffic problem points along the ten routes, and have not simply taken a one-size-fits-all approach.
Mr Bird said: "Each of the corridors has different features. Whiteladies Road has a very large retail and residential area, so the primary purpose isn't to get traffic through as quickly as possible."
The GBBN project is not just about improving journey times though.
There are safety benefits as well. One example is the pedestrian crossing at the Emery Road junction, which means children can now cross safely to St Brendan's School.
A new bus stop near the ITV West studios means people do not have to walk along the pavement-free side of the road.
Businesses have also benefited, the council says.
Before the changes to the Bath Road, half of the row of shops by the Murco garage at Bristol Hill were empty.
Now they are all occupied and the council actually had to leave its consultation shop because a tenant was due to move in.
The scheme has seen 450 trees planted and 500 bins installed.
According to surveys, bus passenger satisfaction has gone up significantly from 2007 to 2011, although this relates to the whole network and not just the ten GBBN routes.
The council accepts there has been disruption but believes in the long term everyone will benefit.
Highway traffic manager Terry Bullock said: "It's been a difficult time for everybody but it's done now, so people can look forward to good journeys for many years to come."
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