A23 Patcham bus and active travel scheme
As part of our work to speed up bus journey times and to reduce congestion we’re planning to install a new bus and active travel scheme on A23 Patcham in spring 2025.
We’re now asking for your views and feedback on the plans.
More information
In 2022, we were awarded £28 million by the Department for Transport for our Bus Service Improvement Plan. The money is being used to improve bus services and provide lower fares across the city.
Funding has been provided to speed up buses.
This includes a new shared bus lane on the southbound side of the A23 Patcham between Brangwyn Crescent and Brangwyn Drive. As this part of the road is very wide, there wouldn’t be any need to reduce the number of traffic lanes.
The bus lane would operate 24 hours a day and could also be used by taxis and cyclists. It will be installed under a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
Have your say
Have your say on the proposals until Monday 9 September.
If you would like a paper copy of the survey or require additional assistance, please call us on 01273 294 808 and leave your details.
Stay updated
To stay up-to-date with this project and the progress made, you can ‘follow’ the project at the top of the page and receive updates directly to your inbox.
Phases
Information
Why is a bus and cycle lane needed?
The A23 is a busy route into the city and is a major bus route. Traffic flows on the A23 vary throughout the day and year. Congestion at busy times is high, making bus journey times unreliable. A new lane will help more buses run to timetable. As the road is currently very wide, we are able to install a southbound bus lane without removing any traffic lanes.
Why doesn’t the bus lane extend to the existing lane south of Carden Avenue?
The new lane has been designed to extend as far south as possible within the available road space. This will avoid the need to widen the road. Introducing the bus lane in this way will have the added benefit of helping to minimise the impact of construction-related delays for motorists.
Will changes be made to the design?
We will consider feedback received during the engagement period. Changes to the design will be considered where possible.
Why are you upgrading to a signalised crossing?
A new signalled crossing will mean pedestrians have a safe crossing point along this busy road. We also need to remove the current island to install the new bus/cycle lane.
Why are you extending the 30 MPH limit?
At the moment, the 30mph speed limit starts at the junction with Old London Road. The new bus and cycle lane will mean narrowing the traffic lanes on both the north and southbound sides of the road. Reducing the speed limit will improve the safety of the road for all users in this area.
Why is the bus lane a shared bus/cycle lane?
The new lane has been designed as a shared bus/cycle lane. This will allow cyclists to benefit from the full width of the newly installed lane, giving them more space away from general traffic along this busy stretch of road. Due to the available road width, it is not possible to have a segregated southbound cycle lane alongside a new shared lane.
When would the bus / cycle lane be built?
We expect the bus / cycle lane would be installed by early 2025.
What is a TRO?
The bus and cycle lane will be installed via a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). A TRO is required for any changes to traffic or parking restrictions on the public highway. Without this, restrictions would not be enforceable. There will be a chance to comment on this once it is published on our website.