i've started catching the shuttle ferry across the floating harbour from the end of gas ferry road to the new development at the bottom of jacobs wells road. This cuts about a mile and a half of my route (including the worst and best bits so a mixed blessing). It doesn't necessarily save any time though, as the boat (the tiny white blob on the right of the photo, not the grand brown blob on the left) is usually across the other side when I arrive and you have to wave for them to come over and pick you up.

I knew it existed because of word of mouth, but had trouble finding any information about it on the net, and even though I used to pass it every day, the pick up point on the town side is hidden away behind the yuppie flats. Eventually I just went down there and had a look and found information in chalk and blackboard format.