After six months of review and £40,000 spent on consultants, the evidence is clear. The option that delivers the biggest reduction in delays, the fastest journey times and the best overall traffic performance is bringing back two-way traffic on Salmon Parade and East Quay.
Thousands of local people signed my petition calling for two-way traffic to be restored because they can see that the current arrangement is not working. The consultants' own modelling shows that Option B performs best for motorists and would provide the greatest reduction in delays.
I am also disappointed that, despite this review taking six months to complete, two months longer than originally promised, local businesses do not appear to have been formally consulted as part of the process. Traders are directly affected by these decisions every day. They have experienced the impact of the current traffic arrangements first-hand and their views should have been sought from the outset.
The consultants have recommended retaining the current layout because they believe it better aligns with the Celebration Mile objectives and the Bridgwater Vision. However, Somerset Council's Executive must now decide whether to prioritise a planning vision first developed in 2009 or the evidence presented in the report.
There is funding available within the Celebration Mile budget to make the necessary changes. The money is there, the evidence supports it, and local people have made their views clear.
When the Executive meets on Wednesday, anything less than restoring two-way traffic on Salmon Parade and East Quay would mean ignoring both the evidence and the views of the thousands of Bridgwater residents who signed the petition.
I hope the Liberal Democrat Executive listens to residents, listens to local businesses and does the right thing by restoring two-way traffic.
Diogo Rodrigues
Leader of the Conservative Opposition on Somerset Council
Councillor for Bridgwater East & Bawdrip
