Walking and cycling will be made easier between West Street and Old Shoreham Road via Brighton railway station and the Seven Dials.
Brighton and Hove City Council said today that it had been awarded £600,000 by the government towards a £750,000 overhaul of the route.
The station to the seafront is well used by tourists, shoppers and commuters while thousands of students and commuters use the route between the station and BHASVIC.
The council said: “Brighton and Hove City Council has secured £600,000 of government funding to make a key route in and out of the city safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
“The money, from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Safer Roads Fund, will be used to make improvements to the A2010 route between West Street and Old Shoreham Road which includes
- Queen’s Road
- Surrey Street
- Terminus Road
- Buckingham Place
- Bath Street to the Seven Dials roundabout and
- Dyke Road to the Old Shoreham Road junction
…
“The council will also contribute £60,000 with another £90,000 coming from ‘section 106 developer funding’.
“A large section of the route is one used by lots of people travelling between Brighton railway station and the seafront, as well as the Churchill Square shopping centre.
“As well as improving safety along the route, the changes also align with the council’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) which looks to improve active travel across the city.
“The A2010 route between the seafront and Old Shoreham Road has been identified as an area of the city with the potential for serious injuries.
“A large part of the funding will be improving the junction of Queen’s Road and North Road to address the safety issues for pedestrians waiting to cross.
“This could include redesigning the junction, installing better traffic signals and pavement widening to make it safer to cross.
“The fund could also consider introducing speed reduction measures at Terminus Road with other signing and lining improvements along the A2010.
“Work is now under way on an initial design for the scheme which will be taken to the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee for approval.
“If agreed, it’s hoped work would be able to start early next year.”
This is the project that the local Conservative Party is only saying will benefit motorists. Thank you for clarifying that it’s going to make the most vulnerable groups of road users safer.
MAX
Well we take what councillors of any party say with a pinch of salt, more likely being sarcastic.
We already know this scheme is going to be a disaster in the making and will benefit pedestrians at best, and that is great and a big positive.
As for traffic flow where Public Transport is concerned, that is another matter. There’s hardly any room around Surry street already and Cyclists, well they risk life and limb around that area so hopefully the design will address that but on recent schemes where BHCC have anything to do with it…
The three dots at the end of your message seem to imply you think recent BHCC schemes have not made cycling safer. If that’s what you think, could you explain which ones? It’s good to know where things don’t work. Thanks
Max
Okay well lets go with valley Gardens, heading South into Town where does the cycle lane go when it gets to Edward Street ?
I tell you where, no where, you have to filter over to the pavement. Why not run the cycle lane from Elm Grove all the way to the Old Steine, a golden opportunity missed. Preston Circus is another.
Thanks for explaining it’s not the BHCC schemes that make cycling less safe but that it’s where the existing schemes end (or or where none yet exist) and cyclists have to mix in with traffic.
Yep, that’s a good argument for more connected schemes. Fortunately work starts this year on Valley Gardens phase 3, including more separated paths for cycling, walking and wheeling, to fill the gap between Edward St and the seafront via the Old Steine.
The one alongside the old one on the seafront has made it more dangerous by pushing cyclists into the road. This route was one kids and nervous cyclist liked using to build up their confidence and the route has now been deserted by most of these cyclists which is why fewer cyclists use this route after the second lane was put in next to the old lane.
Jane
That is a good shout.
What bothers me as a Motorist are the inexperienced riders on bikes, mostly the hired ones. Why they risk riding in the road wobbling around and veering across the road when there’s a cycle lane right next to them.
Loads of people walk this way and its too hard to cross the road. I hope it will be quicker to walk and quieter.
Whatever they plan it needs to considered so that pedestrian walking and wheeling benefit the most. If you get off at the station you unlikely to have a bike, (and even less likely to pedal up the hill to the dials). Secondly public transport must not be impacted upon, (unlike the to be extended A259 cycle lane which Stagecoach said in consultation will affect bus times).
Alarm bells ring when we get another article like this.
Firstly the source of information is another press release from the council’s own ministry of misinformation.
And secondly, some of us are now very aware that they paint a nice picture of what they intend to do, but then do something rather different which we were not warned about.
The key things here, are that we know the station route to the seafront is full of pedestrians – be they commuters arriving home after work, or tourists visiting the city – and we also know the roads around the station are narrow and offering little space to add cycle lanes (for those cyclists who can manage the steep hills).
So of course we are concerned about safety, but it’s also about the sensible allocation of limited space.
What is not mentioned here is that these roads are also one of the last cross-city routes for cars, vans and our slow bus network. Most of those vehicles would not choose that route were it not essential.
The roads in this area have already been dug up and reconfigured several times in recent decades, and the cynic in me suspects this latest scheme will be no better. The last change was to move the station taxi rank – something that neither the taxi drivers nor the taxi users like.
In this case, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists might also benefit more if the same money was used to level broken pavements and to fill potholes – but you don’t get any joined-up thinking from this council.
Just for once wouldn’t it be wonderful if Brighton council thought about the dire housing situation in the town rather than concentrating on these seemingly endless “road overhauls” which as far as I can see make very little difference to the lives of ordinary Brightonians.
Is it beyond the wit of our council to look into what possibilities there are for providing affordable housing or are they just going to continue as they are acting as confederates of Sustrans and Bricycles. – Come on guys we desperately need housing more than these endless road schemes…
This project has been initiated by the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads section, not by the Council. It would be great if the relevant Government minister initiated (and funded) help for housing.
Max,
My point is that Brighton council don’t put any effort into addressing the housing crisis -perhaps they could be actively looking at ways of doing this instead of spending all their time applying for grants to deliver very little of real value to Brighton …
Who knows what may be available out there but the green led council don’t appear to be bothered to look.
Catherine: I’m looking forward to to the first pedal powered ambulances, refuse trucks, fire engines , delivery vehicles etc – cycling is a hobby for a small number of people not a real term solution to life in a modern society…
Agreed wholeheartedly. It is all grab-a-grant with this council, regardless of what it is for (plus the inevitable overspend at our expense when the grant arrives). A clear-out of councillors is required next month – certainly all Greens and probably some Labour – but what is most necessary is a total shake-up and clear-out of the officers who apply for and promote these useless initiatives. No hope that will happen, unless the new interim CEO can see what is wrong and sort it out. However, ‘interim’ does not suggest that could happen.
As for Catherine, she has been on this forum for a long time with her ‘mindfulness’ agenda and has always seemed to be ‘away with the fairies’. Best to ignore her, I think.
Stop voting green and we might actually see the council do something other than bike lanes
We need more cycling lanes and less car routes. Cycling and walking are great for mindfulness. Cars ok for mini breaks at weekend or going to the airport but leave them in your drives and enjoy the air. Great for mindfulness!
Cars and vans and trucks are used by a lot of businesses and a lot of people where the use of a bike is literally pointless as you cannot carry anything on them. The road should be for all, not just cycling.
Never heard of an electric cargo bike Dave? Much better for most car/van users unless you’re moving white goods all day every day.
Car Delenda Est
How much cargo can you get in one of those ?
How many people can you get in one of those ?
You Never Heard of Multiple Drops ?
Catherine
So how is one going to get to work when one has equipment to take and there’s no public transport ?
So how are the various key workers, those would be careers, doctors, delivery drivers, builders etc going to get to their various jobs?
If one needs a van one most use it. If one doesn’t one shouldn’t
Electric cargo bike
Exactly so many electric options! Folk can get an electric car or van. All helps.
Have you seen the price of electric vans, or noted their limited mileage range?
Totally impractical and certainly unaffordable for any tradesperson.
Car Delenda Est
So how many people can you get on a cargo bike ?
I try mindfulness when I struggle to get on a crowded bus, full of people coughing; when I am pestered by beggars as I walk through Brighton and Hove; when I search in vain for a public loo; or when I have to dodge cyclists riding on pavements, some at great speed, and it doesn’t work!
Keep trying henry. Mindfulness works! Try a cold dip in the sea then a candle when you get home
Not bloody likely!
But I shall try mindfulness next time I am driving.
Don’t rise to this, Hendrik. She is all mindfulness, whatever that is, aromatheraphy, candles, cold dips in the sewage-ridden sea and relaxing ‘mindfully’ in one’s garden that many of us don’t actually have.
But where to stick the candle….?
So where people actually cycle, Chatham place and viaduct road… No mention of it.
Viaduct road is a total shambles, should be the priority to get this sorted out asap rather than silly vanity projects like west street
Cars and vans and trucks are used by a lot of businesses and a lot of people where the use of a bike is literally pointless as you cannot carry anything on them. The road should be for all, not just cycling.
Great news. Let’s get Brighton cycling and walking
Proud our city is so green
Roads are for cycling not polluting
Breathe in the sea air. I do anyway before my long commute to London. Ha
And if you can’t walk too far???
And what if you can’t ride a bike because you’ve got a bad leg???
I fail to see how you can redesign the junction of North Road/Queens Road?
There is no room to redesign it!
The only thing they can do is re-sequence the traffic lights.
But that will cause the inevitable traffic snarl ups that the Greens are so good at doing.
West Street was only altered a few years ago and now they want to do it again?
The same is with the Seven Dials roundabout!
They could tidy it up, but like all of Brighton, it’s takeaway after takeaway, so that’s not going to happen!
It won’t bother me anyway as I never go into that area anymore thanks to the Greens and their constant persecution the motorist who pay a fortune to use what is left of our pot holed roads we have now, roads that was stated in 2010,
would take 200 years to fix!
Now it’ll be lost likely 300 years!
Any money raised should be used to fill in our third world pot roads all over Brighton which are a total disgrace!
The Greens need to remember, that it is not just cars that use these roads but motor cyclist and cycles!
And sooner or later, these pot holes are going to kill someone!
And the blame lies entirely with the Green Party and their continuous hair brained schemes they come up with!
Simon Philips
To be fair that is a particularly difficult Junction for all types of users.
What I would do is from North street going up, move the traffic lights further back allowing more road space for pedestrians X-ing from Queens Road.
In Queens Road, take out the left turn lane, install cycle lane so making it safer for them and again bring the traffic lights back a little.
The problem with having two lanes at this junction is traffic turning left hasn’t got a lot of room if there’s buses waiting to go ahead, it makes for a very tight turn especially in a big vehicle van etc and where traffic has stopped at the top of North road can make it tight as well.
On Green light traffic cam go with left turners having a bit more room.
Just a thought.
Correct, West Street along with North Street were only altered a few years ago, also Brighton Station and 7 dials and now they want to do it again?
Every single individual freedom owning a car offers is being stripped away from right under our noses and most can’t even see it.
No government or council should be restricting people’s freedom of movement.
No government or council should be targeting one type of transport user.
If you think all of this pro cycling and splashing of cash is about your freedom and health, think again.
Ah yes the freedom to sit in traffic all day while the world walks past..
Car Delenda Est
Yes also the freedom to get myself to and from work to places where public transport doesn’t serve, where cycling or walking are impactable and I can go at the times I need, the freedom to load my vehicle with as much stuff as I need, the freedom to pick up work colleagues and take them to work, meaning just one vehicle instead of three or four.
Yes we could probably get an electric, but they don’t have the range and take forever to re-charge. Perhaps increasing the prices on the invoices will work, but I doubt people would want to pay three or four hours extra while the van is being re-charged.
As we speak, council officers and managers in the Transport Dept are rubbing their hands in glee and thinking of new ways to spend the money on pointless cycling infrastructure whilst ensuring they can make things even more horrible for the hated motorist
This is a conversation where there will never be an agreed consensus on what is the right thing to do or not do!
I hope we focus on the evidence base.
Exactly why Greens just go with the experts
Except when they don’t agree with the experts, for example their own EIA assessment from experienced officers said that the removal of BB bays and closure of Gardner Street would affect those with the most severe disabilities the greatest, (and that additional Regent Street parking would NOT off set this). Also an independent report they commissioned by Mott Macdonald claimed the same they simply ignored it all and closed the street. Lesson to be learned and perhaps the Greens greatest failure over the last 4 years they have selective listening.
Car Delenda Est
‘Exactly why Greens just go with the experts’
You should not have gone there C D E.
20 MPH speed limits, the ‘Experts’, that would be DfT, Police and other motoring groups advised that some roads were suitable for a reduced speed limit as there was no reason for them to do so and would create needless congestion, but council went ahead and did it anyway.
Old Shoreham Road cycle lane.
The experts who conducted a survey about a decade ago published a report on the pro’s and con’s of installing a cycle lane and suggested that it wouldn’t be a viable project for a number of reasons that would need to be taken into account so the project was shelved.
The ‘Greens’ didn’t take this information in and went ahead and did it anyway.
VG3 has been quoted officially as being of low value for money with little benefit, but as we know, it’s going ahead anyway.
Benjamin
This is a conversation where there will never be an agreed consensus on what is the right thing to do or not do!
We agree for a change.
I think from experience as a motorist and pedestrian, something has to be done at the junction of North Road and cyclist need a safe way to go to and from the station.