Lewes Road transport improvements

Works to improve Lewes Road were completed in September 2013 and the Vogue Gyratory in December 2014. We now have the second set of monitoring data which has been produced to give us an indication of potential trends in behaviour.  The full report can be seen here: Lewes Road Monitoring Report January 2016 (PDF 311kb). The headline findings are;

• 9% increase in the numbers of passengers boarding buses
• Sustained growth in cycling
• Reported bus punctuality & reliability improvements.
• Limited change in journey times for general traffic on Lewes Road

Monitoring of the scheme will be undertaken annually in order to fully understand the impacts and to consider if any minor changes are required to improve performance.

If you require any further data, or wish to discuss this report in more detail contact the Transport Projects Team.

Related information

Full details of the previous monitoring report can be seen here: Lewes Road monitoring report - November 2013 (PDF 567kb).

Air Quality Management strategy: http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/environment/air-quality-and-pollution/air-quality-management-city.

Background information

Over £4 million was awarded to the council to improve one of Brighton’s busiest roads and cut congestion. Lewes Road was amongst the worst areas for air quality in the city. The funding came from the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, aimed at creating growth and reducing carbon emissions. Consultation on proposed changes to Lewes Road was held in Spring 2012, following an initial consultation in late 2011.

Changes that would benefit the area included:

• Upgrades to public transport facilities such as real time bus signs, bus shelters and accessible bus stops
• Improvements to Lewes Road for pedestrians, buses and cyclists
• Better links to the new South Downs National Park
• Provision of sustainable travel information and incentives to residents, school children and university students

Partners in the bid included Southern Rail, Brighton & Hove Buses, the University of Brighton, University of Sussex, the Primary Care Trust, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

You can read a full copy of our LSTF bid (PDF 30kb) and view a copy of the LSTF map (PDF 15kb)

Consultations

Second stage consultation

An extensive public consultation was carried out on proposed improvements to Lewes Road during April and May 2012 to which 4,166 responses were received. The proposals consisted of:

• Changes to the Vogue Gyratory near Sainsbury’s to make it safer and easier to use for all, including a continuous on-road two metre wide cycle lane in both directions.
• Wide bus and cycle lanes in each direction between the Amex stadium and Sainsbury’s.
• Enhanced cycle network to the north giving access to the Amex stadium and universities.
• Extending the 30mph speed limit northwards to near the Amex stadium.

The full results can be found in our consultation report (PDF 82kb) with the key points as follows:

• 65% of respondents supported the proposed changes to the Vogue Gyratory. Of these, 79% indicated that they were ‘local residents’.
• 63% supported the introduction of a bus and cycle lane, 79% again being local residents.
• 81% of those who supported the bus and cycle lane stated a preference for separate cycle and bus lanes as opposed to a combined facility.
• The original plans showed that all parking would be removed on Lewes Road south of Natal Road. These have now been adjusted to accommodate some short term parking to serve the local shops, together with disabled parking and a loading facility south of Coombe Road. A taxi rank would also be retained.

The results of the consultation were considered by councillors at Transport Committee on 2 October 2012, at which the cross-party group of councillors granted approval for the scheme. You can see the details on page 135 of the full Committee Report (PDF 29mb), please note this is a large file so may take some time to download.

Following the decision by the Transport Committee, certain aspects, such as the bus lane, are subject to a formal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process. Work on other elements of the project such as junction improvements commenced autumn 2012. Subject to the approval of TROs, work on the wider scheme would commence in December 2012 and is estimated to take a year to complete.

In response to detailed modelling undertaken at the Vogue Gyratory, some minor changes will be required to ensure a reasonable traffic flow can be maintained. Once this work is complete, a further TRO for the Vogue Gyratory will be advertised.

Initial consultation

A number of public exhibitions were held in the Lewes Road area in November and December 2011. Information gathered at these road shows will be used to help inform the nature of the works carried out in the area. A questionnaire was available for attendees to complete at the exhibitions and also made available online.

Public exhibitions were held at ten locations within the area. Officers also attended several Local Action Team and other community group meetings as part of the consultation.

Over 550 responses were received. Most people said their journey along Lewes Road is predominantly poor or very poor (44.1%), whereas only 23.9% felt it is good or very good.

The most common transport problems in the area are traffic congestion, inconsiderately parked vehicles and a perception that it is unsafe to cycle. The most commonly requested transport improvements were cycling improvements and improved traffic flow.

The full results from the initial consultation (PDF 89KB) have been published. Detailed responses (PDF 774kb) are also available, including a response from Bricycles (PDF 1mb).

Contact Us

For more information or any queries about the improvements, contact the Transport Projects Team.