A435 Alcester Road South Bus Priority
Feedback updated 14 Apr 2023
We asked
Birmingham City Council and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) asked for your comments on proposed bus priority measures on the A435 Alcester Road South between the Maypole island, Druids Heath and Featherstone Road, Kings Heath as part of the Cross City Bus Priority Programme.
The consultation was held between 17 October and 25 November 2022 via an online survey on the TfWM and Birmingham Be Heard websites, on-street surveys within the area, paper surveys available in local libraries (Kings Heath and Druids Heath), drop-in sessions and other feedback (e.g. social media, letters and email).
You said
A total of 1114 responses were received to the consultation with an additional 50 responses via email.
Proposals were presented in four sections:
- Section 1 Proposed bus lanes northbound (into city) from Idmiston Croft to Millpool Gardens
- Section 2 Proposed bus lanes southbound (out of city) from Sladepool Farm Road to Stot Fold Road
- Section 3 Amendments around the A435 Alcester Road South/Broad Lane Junction
- Section 4 Northbound (into city) bus lane from Appian Close to Featherstone Road
Section 1: Proposed bus lanes northbound from Idmiston Croft to Millpool Gardens
52% of respondents supported or strongly supported the proposals with 24% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Section 2: Proposed bus lanes southbound from Sladepool Farm Road to Stot Fold Road
55% of respondents supported or strongly supported these proposals with 21% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Section 3: Amendments around the A435 Alcester Rd South/Broad Lane Junction
61% of respondents supported or strongly supported these proposals with 24% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Section 4: Northbound bus lane from Appian Close to Featherstone Road
15% of respondents supported or strongly supported these proposals with 74% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Examining the comments from respondents, most people were concerned with the removal of turning movements (in particular, the right turn into Wheelers Lane) and the effect that the scheme would have on traffic using side roads including Howard Road, Howard Road East, Taylor Road and Woodthorpe Road.
We did
We have analysed the consultation results and have decided to continue development of proposals for Sections 1, 2 and 3 (Idmiston Croft to Millpool Gardens, Sladepool Farm Road to Stot Fold Road and Broad Lane) of the scheme, considering comments raised in the consultation. These proposals will be developed and delivered, subject to final approvals and any statutory processes.
Section 4 (northbound bus lane from Appian Close to Featherstone Road) of the proposals was clearly the most controversial. We will:
- remove the proposed right turn ban at Wheelers Lane from our proposals;
- remove the proposed left turn bans at Livingstone Road and Featherstone Road;
- assess the impact of removing the proposed right turn bans in a southerly (out of city) direction from Alcester Rd South into Livingstone Road and Featherstone Road including consideration of design amendments to include right turn pockets at these junctions; and
- reassess the benefits we can deliver from this section of the scheme, and we will then re-engage with local residents on the revised proposals for this section, prior to inclusion in the wider scheme.
Consultation Summary
Section 1: Proposed bus lanes northbound from Idmiston Croft to Millpool Gardens
52% of respondents supported or strongly supported the proposals with 24% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Top comments in relation to this section were:
|
Comment |
Responses |
% |
|
Positive - Need better flowing public transport |
114 |
15% |
|
Positive – Support this initiative/good idea |
105 |
14% |
|
Positive – Proposals will Improve traffic flow in the area |
102 |
14% |
|
Negative – Will increase congestion |
71 |
10% |
|
Negative – No need/no issue here |
66 |
9% |
|
Neutral – Don’t use the area/Don’t know the area/Won’t affect me |
47 |
6% |
|
Negative – Trees and nature needs to be preserved |
40 |
5% |
|
Negative – Concerns about impact of this change on top of LTN/Changes in Kings Heath |
29 |
4% |
|
Negative – Too costly/waste of money |
27 |
4% |
|
Negative – Will increase pollution |
26 |
4% |
Section 2: Proposed bus lanes southbound from Sladepool Farm Road to Stot Fold Road
55% of respondents supported or strongly supported these proposals with 21% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Top comments in relation to this section were:
|
Comment |
Responses |
% |
|
Positive – Good suggestion/much needed/why not |
112 |
16 |
|
Positive – Safer footpath is good |
94 |
14 |
|
Positive – Making it easier for pedestrians/cyclists |
60 |
9 |
|
Positive – Will improve public transport/better for the buses |
59 |
9 |
|
Negative – Will cause more congestion |
59 |
9 |
|
Positive – Will help with traffic flow |
45 |
7 |
|
Negative – Stop cutting trees/vegetation down |
45 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
Section 3: Amendments around the A435 Alcester Rd South/Broad Lane Junction
61% of respondents supported or strongly supported these proposals with 24% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Top comments in relation to this section were:
|
Comment |
Responses |
% |
|
Positive – Support this initiative/good idea |
169 |
21 |
|
Negative – Most issues are concerned with turning right out of Broad Lane |
124 |
15 |
|
Positive – Proposals will improve traffic flow in the area |
121 |
15 |
|
Positive – Will improve safety |
61 |
8 |
|
Negative – Either an island or box junction/traffic lights would improve flow/Current design will make it difficult for cars to turn |
54 |
7 |
|
Positive – Filter Lane/turning pocket is good |
54 |
7 |
|
Positive – Currently, buses and traffic are impeded by cars turning into Broad Lane/Difficult to turn into Broad Lane |
47 |
6 |
|
Neutral – Doesn’t impact me/Don't use the area/Don’t drive |
47 |
6 |
|
Negative – Concerned for trees and hedgerows that might be destroyed |
43 |
5 |
|
Negative – Could make congestion worse/Makes it harder to get around/Creates a bottleneck |
40 |
5 |
Section 4: Northbound bus lane from Appian Close to Featherstone Road
15% of respondents supported or strongly supported these proposals with 74% opposing or strongly opposing the proposals.
Top comments in relation to this section were:
|
Comment |
Responses |
% |
|
Negative – Will cause/increase congestion |
335 |
33 |
|
Negative – Plans aren’t thought out/will make the issues worse/Don’t agree with proposals |
238 |
24 |
|
Negative – These plans will push traffic onto the quieter/narrower roads |
213 |
21 |
|
Negative – Right turn on to Wheelers Lane/ on to other roads should be allowed |
184 |
18 |
|
Negative – Concerns about the impact of this change on top of LTN/Changes in Kings Heath |
177 |
18 |
|
Negative – Will make it hard to get out/in |
95 |
9 |
|
Negative – Will increase air pollution/noise pollution |
92 |
9 |
|
Neutral – Don’t live in the area/won’t affect me/don’t care/don’t know |
73 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
Overview
We have added an online event where you can find out more about the scheme proposals and ask any questions you may have. More details regarding the event can be found in the 'Events' section at the bottom of this page.
To combat increasing delays caused by congestion we need to make sure that public transport is constantly improving to make journeys quicker, easier and more reliable. This scheme is part of a wider package of measures being delivered across the West Midlands aimed at providing greater bus priority.
Buses have a huge part to play in helping achieve these visions. Transport for West Midlands, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority, and Birmingham City Council, are working together to improve the network in Birmingham, helping to make bus travel more attractive by reducing journey times and improving reliability. This scheme will enhance bus priority through the city centre, supporting the wider delivery of cross-city bus routes.
The A435 Alcester Road South is one of the most congested corridors into and out of the city. We want to speed up bus journeys and make bus journey times more reliable by extending the current bus lanes and making junction improvements along Alcester Road South between Kings Heath and Maypole Island at Druids Heath.
The Proposal
The scheme comprises four interventions located between Maypole Lane in Druids Heath and Featherstone Road in Kings Heath. These are:
Idmiston Croft to Millpool Gardens:
There is an existing northbound (into city) bus lane on Alcester Road South which currently terminates at Idmiston Croft. This scheme proposes to widen the carriageway to extend this bus lane, and tie into the existing bus lane at Millpool Gardens, creating a continuous section of bus priority.
- The bus lane will operate Monday – Saturday 7am-7pm in line with the existing bus lanes.
- The existing no loading restrictions north of Idmiston Croft will be revised to Monday – Saturday 7am-7pm to prevent loading vehicles obstructing the bus lane during hours of operation.
Sladepool Farm Road to Stot Fold Road:
It is proposed to widen the carriageway to extend the existing southbound (out of city) bus lane, starting at Sladepool Farm Road and connecting with the short section of existing bus lane at Stot Fold Road.
The existing footway is overhung by vegetation which reduces the effective width of the footway. New proposals will include a new footway away from the carriageway, providing improvements for pedestrians in this section.
- The bus lane will operate as existing Monday – Saturday 7am-7pm.
Broad Lane:
It is proposed to install a right-turn pocket* for vehicles turning into Broad Lane and for vehicles turning into Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre to improve the flow of traffic. This will be done through localised carriageway widening.
The northbound and southbound bus stops will be relocated further north towards Cocks Moors Wood Leisure Centre and will be upgraded with a new shelter and Real Time Information.
* A right turn pocket is an area in which vehicles turning right are separated from those travelling ahead at a faster speed. Right turners complete their turn in two parts in a controlled way - move into the right turn pocket and then when there is a gap, turn into the side road.
Appian Close to Featherstone Road:
It is proposed to extend the existing northbound (into city) bus lane that currently begins at Featherstone Road, to a starting point at Appian Close.
- The bus lane will operate Monday – Saturday 7am-10am with a ‘no waiting, no loading’ restriction in the northbound direction during this time.
- The loading restriction for the southbound kerb will be revised to 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm to prevent parked vehicles obstructing the buses.
Alongside the extension of the bus lane, the following turning movements will also become restricted:
- No left or right turn from Alcester Road South into Livingstone Road. Livingstone Road will become one-way southbound from Fernwood Close to Alcester Road South;
- No right turn from Alcester Road South into Wheelers Lane; and
- No left or right turn from Alcester Road South into Tenbury Road / Featherstone Road, which will become a modal filter* for cycles.
* A modal filter is a feature used to restrict certain types of vehicles. This could be a bollard or a planter strategically placed in the carriageway which allows pedestrians and cyclists to pass, but restricts larger vehicles including cars.
This scheme will complement the proposed bus priority measures, being delivered separately by Transport for West Midlands, along the same corridor between Moseley and Birmingham city centre that was consulted on in June 2022.
Idmiston Croft to Millpool Gardens and Sladepool Farm Road to Stot Fold Road Proposals Sheet 1 (opens in a new browser tab)
Idmiston Croft to Millpool Gardens Proposals Sheet 2 (opens in a new browser tab)
Broad Lane Proposals (opens in a new browser tab)
Appian Close to Featherstone Road Proposals (opens in a new browser tab)
Events
-
Public drop-in event - Kings Heath Cricket & Sports Club
From 1 Nov 2022 at 15:00 to 1 Nov 2022 at 18:30Come along to chat with members of the team, ask questions and give us your feedback. No need to book, just turn up at any time.
Location: Kings Heath Cricket & Sports Club, 247 Alcester Rd South, Birmingham, B14 6DT -
Teams Live Event - Online
From 17 Nov 2022 at 18:00 to 17 Nov 2022 at 19:30We will be hosting an online Teams event which will involve a presentation about the proposals followed by a Q&A session. To attend, please paste the link below into your browser.
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_Mzc1NWI4M2MtMWRhYy00ZjZkLTg4OGQtNjE1MTMzZGU4ZTBm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7B%22Tid%22%3A%22699ace67-d2e4-4bcd-b303-d2bbe2b9bbf1%22%2C%22Oid%22%3A%22bb850643-4527-4b07-bd87-480b8742e344%22%2C%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3Atrue%2C%22role%22%3A%22a%22%7D&btype=a&role=a -
Public drop-in event - Druids Heath library
From 19 Nov 2022 at 10:00 to 19 Nov 2022 at 13:00Come along to chat with members of the team, ask questions and give us your feedback. No need to book, just turn up at any time.
Location: Druids Heath Library, Idmiston Croft, Birmingham, B14 5NJ
Areas
- Druids Heath & Monyhull
- MOSELEY AND KINGS HEATH
Audiences
- All residents
- Visitors/tourists
- Cyclists
- Motor Vehicle Drivers
- Pedestrians
- Local Residents
- Public Sector Bodies
- Businesses
- Faith groups
- Community groups
- Voluntary Organisations
- Staff
- Service user groups
Interests
- cycling
- Transport (Including Walking)
- Travel
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