Newcastle City Council is set to enhance bus lanes across four key routes, aiming to improve public transport reliability and safety for commuters.
Newcastle: The city council is planning to extend bus lanes in four areas. This includes New Bridge Street and Byker Bridge. The goal is to make bus travel easier.
They want to improve bus services in Wallsend, Byker, Central Motorway, and Stamfordham Road. The plan also covers Westgate Road and Seaton Burn near Great North Road.
For the “Wallsend corridor,” they’ll extend the bus lane on Byker Bridge. They’ll also move bus stops to enhance the passenger experience. The council aims to add better bus priority measures and safety features.
These measures include new or improved bus lanes. For New Bridge Street, they plan to relocate the bus shelter and remove 10 parking spaces to extend the bus lane. They’ll also reduce the speed limit on Byker Bridge to 30 mph.
New road crossings will be added as well. The council is seeking public input on these ideas until February 9.
This initiative is part of the North East’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, supported by £163.5 million in government funding. The aim is to make bus travel more reliable.
There’s an ongoing consultation process. The first plans for the “Wallsend corridor” are available online. Affected groups can provide feedback on initial ideas to help shape the final plans.
Council member Juna Sathian stated that the focus is on making bus services more reliable and appealing. They want to encourage more people to choose public transport for their journeys.
These proposals aim to enhance bus priority measures and improve road safety. The council is asking for public views on the initial proposals before finalizing the plans.
For more information, visit newcastle.gov.uk/bsip.
