Parklands residents are being encouraged to have their say on the trial restriction at Salters Bridge before the public consultation closes on 15 February.
Newcastle’s Labour-led council introduced restrictions on motor traffic at Salters Bridge and four other small bridges across the city in August as part of a programme designed to reduce through traffic in residential neighbourhoods and create safer routes for people walking and cycling.
Salters Bridge has generated the biggest response of the five trials so far, accounting for more than a third of all comments submitted.
More than 8,000 people have visited the consultation website and over 3,000 comments have been received across the five bridge schemes.
The council is now urging Parklands residents who have experience of the changes at Salters Bridge to make sure their views are heard before the six-month consultation period comes to an end.
The trial is being carried out using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, allowing the council to assess how the changes work in practice before making a decision on the bridge’s longer-term future.
Once the consultation closes, Labour will consider residents’ experiences alongside evidence including traffic levels on surrounding streets, vehicle speeds, air quality and the number of people using the bridge for walking and cycling.
Feedback from statutory consultees, including the emergency services, will also form part of the review.
The aim of the trial is to reduce unnecessary through traffic on residential streets while creating safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods and making it easier for people to walk and cycle on local journeys.
Cllr Arlene Ainsley, Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Air Quality, said: “Our feedback so far is clear that some people see the closures to motor vehicles as inconvenient, for a variety of reasons. While others feel they have experienced better quality of life with less traffic in their local area and enjoyed walking and getting on their bikes, as well as making it safer for children on their journey to school before the recent lockdown.
“We will be considering the public’s feedback, alongside other data, before making a final decision on the long-term future of these bridges.”
Labour is encouraging as many Parklands residents as possible to take part so that the final decision on Salters Bridge can be informed by local experiences alongside the wider evidence gathered during the trial.