Sprint Phase 2 consultation

Feedback updated 29 Apr 2024

We asked

Between 24 February and 24 March 2023, we ran a consultation on proposed interventions along the A45 and A34. The proposed interventions on the A34 were for junction improvements at Trinity Road and New Town Row. On the A45 we consulted on proposals to extend the bus lanes installed in Phase 1, between Bordesley Circus and Swan Island, and to install new bus lanes. There were also two proposed bus stop moves: on the A34 at Old Walsall Road southbound, and on the A45 at the Wheatsheaf southbound.

You said

We received 64 responses to the online survey. We also spoke with local residents at the 4 public consultation drop-in events that were held at various venues along the A45 and A34. We received a mix of responses.

For the A45 proposals, 45% of respondents expressed negative sentiments, 24% expressed positive sentiments, and 29% were neutral.

For the A38 proposals, 31% of respondents expressed negative sentiments, 13% expressed positive sentiments, and 54% were neutral.

The main areas of concern raised from the consultation were around:

Increased congestion due to the reduction in lanes for general traffic
The proposed move of the Walsall Road southbound stop
Pedestrian safety
Rat runs created on side roads

We did

We are now in the process of reviewing consultation feedback, whilst continuing with the planning for Birmingham Sprint phase 2 and the upcoming city centre consultation.

Results updated 29 Apr 2024

The A45 Phase Two scheme includes changes to the road layout between Wagon Lane and Gilberstone Avenue (towards Birmingham) where one of the traffic lanes will be reallocated to a bus lane.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will be carrying out a trial to recreate the proposed Sprint layout for the A45 Coventry Road by closing one of the lanes off at this location using traffic management including barriers, cones and signs. This will allow them to better understand how the Sprint scheme will change traffic movements in the area and test the impact of the proposals.

The trial will run for 2 weeks from 7 May and 20 May 2024. TfWM be using a range of surveys to assess the impact on the road network before, during and after the trial has been completed. This will include traffic counts, queue surveys and journey time information from satellite navigation.

You can find out more about the traffic trial on the Commonplace website.

Any questions requiring a response should be directed to TfWM’s Customer Service Team, contact details are below:

Call: 0345 303 6760
Email: sprintenquiries@tfwm.org.uk
Web: tfwm.org.uk/sprint

Please let TfWM know if you require any of this information to be provided in an alternative format or in a different language.

Overview

Sprint is a new, modern, high quality public transport service. It runs on the road, with dedicated bus lanes and priority through areas of congestion, which will make the journey times much more reliable.

With Phase 1 now complete we’re moving on to the second phase. This will complete the Sprint corridor to Walsall and Solihull with work expected to begin in 2024. This consultation is in Birmingham only. We will begin engaging local residents and stakeholders in Solihull and Walsall once all designs in these areas are completed.

Further bus lane extensions along the A45 will complete continuous bus priority measure from Sheldon to Birmingham city centre, and we propose to make junction improvements at Trinity Road and Newtown Middleway on the A34.

We plan to install a further nine shelters along the Sprint route in Birmingham as part of the second phase and we propose moving the stops at the eastbound Wheatsheaf junction in Sheldon and Old Walsall Road southbound in Perry Barr.

An extensive consultation with residents, businesses and community groups was carried out in 2018 as part of the original design process for the Sprint project. Feedback from these key groups was taken on board and revisions to the original designs were made for Phase 1 which has now been completed.

As it’s now over four years since this original consultation took place and some of the proposals for phase 2 have changed, Birmingham City Council is keen to consult on these specific changes.

These proposed changes include:

A45 Coventry Road