High-quality, protected bike lanes are coming to Drove Road in Swindon. Finally, all these upgrades are significant steps towards improving safety for all motorists and pedestrians. The goal of the pilot is to mitigate the risk of vehicle skidding, especially in places where our roadways have fallen into disrepair. These improvements represent an important piece of our larger strategy. They intend to safely accommodate growing traffic volumes and minimize fatal and serious injury crashes on the roadway.
Sadly, our local community recently became the site of one such horrific act. To prevent the fire from spreading during windy conditions, officials evacuated more than 60 residential properties. One 999 call described a suitcase oozing blood. Given such a dramatic and dangerous situation, emergency services quickly jumped into action. State and federal authorities moved quickly to determine the extent of the damage and protect the health and safety of residents in the surrounding area.
Yet, just as Drove Road improvement works were poised to start, another urgent issue has bubbled up within the area. Photography of Chew Valley Lake shows worrisome indicators of drying up, and such drastic ecological deterioration has Chew Valley residents and local leaders stressed over the future. The lake’s water levels have receded drastically. This reversal has led to debate over whether to impose a hosepipe ban in the region.
Bristol local authorities are in emergency mode monitoring the effects at Chew Valley Lake. The change in total water volume could have serious implications for local ecology as well as the ways in which the community interacts with their water. Residents are justifiably alarmed by the prospect of new, heavy-handed water use restrictions. They worry this will be the case if things don’t turn around soon, especially with summer bringing an increase in water demand.
The proposed widening on Drove Rd is intended to alleviate afternoon gridlock from cut through local traffic. Even combined, they will not address the greater environmental catastrophe that the receding lake has created. Yet the community has a greater sense of urgency. This is because of the unique convergence of two major phenomena: better road safety and lower water levels.
