Gloucester Road North, A38, & Gipsy Patch Lane, B4057, Filton

“The Ministry had now intimated ... “Wickedly dangerous,” was the description applied by a member at Monday’s meeting of the Gloucestershire Highways Committee to that portion of the Gloucester-Bristol road from Filton Church to Filton Aerodrome. The Vice-Chairman (Captain R. A. Bennett), who presided, quoted from a report by the County Surveyor, which states that when the revised five-year programme of road improvement was under consideration by the Committee in October, 1935, special instructions were given the County Surveyor by the Committee to give priority to the preparation of a scheme for widening the section, having regard to the developments taking place at the Bristol Aeroplane Works adjoining the road, and to the intensity of traffic resulting.

Plans were on the point of completion for a 100-foot road ... [but] the Ministry had now intimated that they would proceed with the widening of the existing trunk road provided the proposal was reduced in cost to provide for an 80-foot road only, with a 30-foot central carriageway and two cycle tracks and footpaths...New plans had now to be prepared for a modified scheme. The Vice-Chairman added that he, Captain J. H. Trye, and the County Surveyor, had gone into the matter, and all agreed that the bigger road was to be preferred to the 30-foot carriageway with paths and cycle tracks. But it seemed to him that if they upset the Ministry they might not get anything at all.

“So it might be advisable to accept this in the hope they will get on with it,” added the Vice-Chairman.”Gloucester Journal, 11 September 1937.

This was subject to a compulsion trial ... An MoT meeting was held on 6th January 1965 in Room 6/16 St. Christopher House, London, to discuss the proposed cycle track orders at Filton and Oxford. Ministry of Transport archives, National Archives.

The following year the Minister approved one of the orders:

“Cycles must keep to own track

Mrs. Barbara Castle, Minister of Transport, has approved proposals making the use of certain cycle tracks compulsory for pedal cyclists. The proposals are those of the Oxfordshire County and Oxford City Councils and concern the cycle track on the Oxford eastern by-pass. This is three miles long with a cycle track 12-15 feet wide. More than 2,500 cyclists use this section of the by-pass daily on their way to and from factories in the area but it is estimated that almost a third use the main carriageway, mixing with motor traffic. The cycle track is also being used by some small cars, threewheelers and two-wheeled motor vehicles. The Minister has decided to confirm two traffic regulation orders which makes the use of the cycle track on the by-pass compulsory by pedal cyclists. The Ministry of Transport says that these orders are regarded as an experiment and will be reviewed after two years. A similar proposal for the A38 trunk road at Filton, near Bristol, is to be withheld until the Oxford scheme has been evaluated.” Liverpool Echo, 3 August 1966.