Bus Priority on Moseley Road and Alcester Road

Closed 22 Nov 2019

Opened 4 Oct 2019

Feedback updated 20 Sep 2021

We asked

In October 2019, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), in partnership with Birmingham City Council, consulted on proposals to improve bus journeys by introducing new bus lanes and making improvements to existing bus lanes on Highgate Middleway, Moseley Road and Alcester Road, particularly through Balsall Heath.

You said

We received 862 responses to the consultation with 71% broadly supportive of the proposals for the bus priority measures.

We did

Following the public consultation, a review of the scheme was initiated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TfWM and Birmingham City Council worked together to review the impact on potential reduced space for pedestrians through parts of the scheme, to ensure support for bus improvements and people who make journeys by bus. Following this review, several proposals were removed which are outlined below.

  • The new 24hr segregated 3m bus lane in Highgate Middleway central reserve from New Moseley Road to Moseley Road has been removed 
  • The new AM peak northbound bus on A435 from Cromer Road to Lime Grove has been removed 
  • Road widening of the A435 (Cromer Rd/Brighton Rd), A435/Park Rd and the A435 (Moseley) have all been removed 
  • The public realm mitigation has been part-removed. It is no longer required in full as widening is not proposed, so existing trees are to be retained and no paving. The proposed pocket park remains; with replaceement bus shelters and additional seating/cycle parking.

Please contact customerservices@tfwm.org.uk with any questions.

Overview

Birmingham is on a journey to cleaner air. In 2020, a Clean Air Zone will be introduced in the city centre (within the A4540 Middleway ring road), improving air quality and meaning more people, especially children, live healthier lives.

Buses have huge part to play in helping the city be Clean Air Zone ready. Transport for West Midlands and Birmingham City Council are working together to improve the bus network in Birmingham, helping to make bus travel more attractive by reducing journey times, improving reliability and making bus travel safer. More people travelling by bus means less congestion and better air quality for everybody.

The A435 Alcester Road is used by nearly 7 million bus passengers every year – more than any other road in the West Midlands. In the morning rush hours, more people travel by bus on the Alcester Road to the city centre than travel by car. The route is, however, one of the most congested corridors into and out of the city, particularly through Balsall Heath.

We want to speed up bus journeys by introducing new bus lanes and making improvements to existing bus lanes on Highgate Middleway, Moseley Road and Alcester Road, particularly through Balsall Heath.

Most of the bus lanes would be part time. This means that on-street parking will remain available through Balsall Heath during the day, but buses will have priority when the traffic is busiest. We also propose to build a new bus only road along Highgate Middleway so buses can bypass any queuing and delay during afternoon rush hour periods.

As part of the scheme we will ensure regular enforcement of the parking restrictions. We will also monitor the bus lane and consider introducing camera enforcement if vehicles are regularly being driven in the lanes during operational hours.

Information about proposed changes

The links below will describe the changes and display maps of those sections. A full set of maps can also be downloaded as a single PDF.

You can also download Computer generated pictures of what the proposed scheme might look like.

Section 1 - Highgate Middleway (New Moseley Road – Moseley Road)

  • A new outbound (away from city centre) bus only lane will be created, operating all day, every day. This 3.5m wide lane will be in the current grassed central reserve, where three mature trees will need to be removed. There will be a kerb between the bus lane and the general traffic lanes.
  • New traffic lights at Moseley Road will allow buses to cross the general traffic lanes to turn left into Moseley Road. This is called a bus gate.
  • The footway on the south side of Highgate Middleway, between John Kempe Way and Moseley Road will become shared use for pedestrians and cyclists (width 3m).

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing.Please download the PDF.

Section 2 - Moseley Road (Highgate Middleway – A435)

  • Most of Moseley Road currently operates with one wide lane of general traffic in each direction, and on-street parking allowed on some sections. The road will be changed to three lanes (width a minimum of 3m) to allow general traffic to run in both directions and bus lanes to be added. The bus lane will be on different sides of the road in different places, to best allow buses to avoid congestion.
  • The outbound (away from city centre) sections of bus lane will be in operation Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 6.45pm. These will be between Highgate Place and Montpellier Street and between Haden Street and St Pauls Road.
  • The inbound (towards city centre) sections of bus lane will be in operation Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 10am. These will be between Haden Street and Belgrave Middleway.
  • Only buses, taxis, motorcycles and pedal cycles will be allowed to use the bus lanes during their operational hours.
  • On the inbound (towards city centre) side of the road, the parking bay between Highgate Square and Upper Conybere Street (space for approximately four vehicles) will be removed. All other inbound parking will remain, with restrictions* changed to allow for bus lane operation.
  • On the outbound (away from city centre) side of the road, the parking bays between Highgate Road and Ombersley Road (space for approximately five vehicles) will be removed. All other outbound parking will remain, with restrictions* changed to allow for bus lane operation.
  • The inbound (towards city centre) bus stop and shelter at St Pauls Road will be moved a few metres nearer to A435.

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing.Please download the PDF.

Section 3 - Junction of Moseley Road and A435

  • A new outbound (away from city centre) bus lane will be created, operating all day, every day. The lane will run through the junction from Moseley Road onto the A435, joining with the existing bus lane on A435 to Lime Grove (in operation Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 6.45pm) meaning that buses do not have to wait or give way to make the left turn. To create the 3.5m wide lane, the road will need to be widened into the current footway, and the footway moved back.
  • Only buses, taxis, motorcycles and pedal cycles will be allowed to use the bus lane.
  • The section of Old Moseley Road giving access to businesses on the east side of the junction will be closed off at the A435 end, with access maintained from the north end only.

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing.Please download the PDF.

Section 4 - Balsall Heath local centre (junction of Moseley Road and A435 to Cromer Road/Brighton Road)

  • The A435 through Balsall Heath currently has three lanes; two lanes for general traffic, and a bus lane (outbound from the city centre) in operation every day 4.30pm to 6.45pm and on-street parking.
  • The road will be widened to four lanes to add inbound (towards city centre) bus lanes and extend the outbound bus lane towards Brighton Road.
  • The outbound sections of bus lane will be in operation Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 6.45pm.
  • The inbound sections of bus lane will be in operation Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 10am.
  • Only buses, taxis, motorcycles and pedal cycles will be allowed to use the bus lanes during their operational hours.
  • Parking restrictions* in both directions will change to allow for bus lane operation but on-street parking will be maintained during the busiest parts of the day.
  • The footways will be narrowed but enhanced with resurfacing, de-cluttering and other improvements to enhance the environment of the local centre. A suggested scheme has been developed but we are looking for the community to help us shape these proposals further.
  • Four mature trees which are damaging the footway will be removed and replaced with new street trees where possible.

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing.Please download the PDF.

Section 5 - Cromer Road/Brighton Road to Park Road

  • The inbound (towards city centre) bus lane will be widened.
  • The inbound (towards city centre) bus stop and shelter between Edgbaston Road East and Cromer Road will be moved a few metres closer to Cromer Road.
  • Parking restrictions* in both directions will change to allow for bus lane operation.
  • Parking bays on the eastern side on Alcester Road, north of Park Road will be removed. Parking surveys indicate that parking demand on this side of the road is low.

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing.Please download the PDF.

Section 6 - Moseley North (St Mary’s Row to Reddings Road)

  • The inbound (towards city centre) bus lane will be widened. To allow for this, a traffic island on the northern arm of the junction of Alcester Road, Salisbury Road and St Mary’s Row is removed.

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing.Please download the PDF.

*Parking

To allow for operation of the bus lanes, parking restrictions will be changed to the following:

  • All inbound (towards city centre) bays north of junction of A435 and Moseley Road:
    • No parking: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-1pm, 4.30pm-6.45pm
    • No loading: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-10am, 4.30pm-6.45pm
    • Parking: Monday-Friday, 1pm-4.30pm, 1 hour, No return within 1 hour
  • All inbound (towards city centre) bays south of junction of A435 and Moseley Road and north of St Mary’s Row:
    • No parking: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-10am, 4.30pm-6.45pm
    • No loading: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-10am, 4.30pm-6.45pm
    • Parking: Monday-Friday, 10am-4.30pm
  • All inbound (towards city centre) bays south of St Mary’s Row:
    • No parking: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-10am, 4.30pm-6.45pm
    • No loading: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-10am, 4.30pm-6.45pm
    • Parking: Monday-Friday, 10am-4.30pm, 1 hour, no return within 1 hour
  • All outbound (away from city centre) bays:
    • No parking: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-10am, 1pm-6.45pm
    • No loading: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-10am, 4.30pm-6.45pm
    • Parking: Monday-Friday, 10am-1pm. 1 hour, no return within 1 hour

Environmental improvements

Between the junctions of Cromer Road/Brighton Road to Moseley Road, it will be necessary to widen the carriageway meaning the footways on both sides of the road will need to be reduced. To compensate for this, we propose to bring forward a range of improvements through Balsall Heath to improve the environment for pedestrians, including new footway surfacing, extensive de-cluttering of street furniture, new trees, better crossing facilities and new bus stops. We believe this will deliver a significant improvement to Balsall Heath for the local community, supporting the objectives of the Balsall Heath Neighborhood Plan - but we want the community to help us shape these environmental improvements further.

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing.Please download the PDF.

Events

  • Drop in session at Chamberlain Health & Fitness

    From 15 Oct 2019 at 17:30 to 15 Oct 2019 at 19:00

    See larger versions of the plans and chat with members of the project team at Chamberlain Health & Fitness Centre, 1 Belgrave Road, B12 9FF.

  • Drop in session at Balsall Heath Library

    From 24 Oct 2019 at 14:00 to 24 Oct 2019 at 17:00

    See larger versions of the plans and chat with members of the project team at Balsall Heath Library, 497 Moseley Road, B12 9BX.

Areas

  • Balsall Heath West
  • Bordesley & Highgate
  • Moseley
  • Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East

Audiences

  • All residents
  • Visitors/tourists
  • Local Residents
  • Public Sector Bodies
  • Businesses
  • Faith groups
  • Community groups
  • Voluntary Organisations
  • Staff
  • Service user groups

Interests

  • Transport (Including Walking)
  • Travel