02/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/09/2024 08:05
Residents, community groups and businesses are being asked to take part in an online survey to help shape proposals for public transport improvements at the A38 Lime Kiln roundabout near Bristol.
The concept designs, which are now open for comment online, are part of North Somerset Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). Its UK Government-funded BSIP is delivering an ambitious programme of bus priority upgrades along the A38, A369 and A370 - key strategic routes for North Somerset, Bristol and the Southwest - by March 2025.
The A38 Lime Kiln roundabout is a major junction on the outskirts of Bristol. The proposed BSIP scheme would deliver a package of future-proofing infrastructure changes to help secure bus service reliability, frequency and sustainability, as well as general traffic capacity for all road users.
The roundabout is on the route used by the popular A1 Airport Flyer, A4 Air Decker, U2 Unibus, and the Falcon bus routes, which link Lime Kiln and surrounding areas to and from Bristol. The A1 Airport Flyer alone carries more than 100,000 passenger journeys a month, and demand is accelerating.
The online survey on the concept designs is now open from Friday 9 February until Friday 22 March 2024. The feedback received will help to directly shape the infrastructure designs.
Complete the survey online by visiting: https://n-somerset.inconsult.uk/BSIPLimeKiln/consultationHome
The proposed scheme for Lime Kiln roundabout would include:
Cllr Hannah Young, Executive Member for Highways and Transport at North Somerset Council, said: "We want to hear what the community thinks about these proposals for Lime Kiln roundabout, so that their local knowledge and experience can help inform the design process for this bus priority scheme.
"Presently, between 13 and 16 scheduled buses use the Lime Kiln junction every hour of every day, together carrying more than 120,000 passenger journeys, and that demand is only expected to go up.
"The comprehensive package of changes being proposed at this key location on the A38 will help bus services to run faster and more reliably and make the bus a more attractive option for more people, as well as improving capacity for general traffic. In time this will help to relieve pressure on of traffic to the airport."
Read more about North Somerset's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) at https://n-somerset.gov.uk/my-services/parking-travel-roads/transport-travel/bus-travel/bus-service-improvement-plan
Notes to editors
About the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)
The Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) supports our commitment to create a bus transport network that will become faster, more convenient, coordinated and better for the environment and your pocket than running a car.
In 2022 we received over £105 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve bus services by 2025, with £48m set aside for capital improvements in North Somerset and a further £57.5m in revenue funding to be used across North Somerset and the West of England Combined Authority region. This was the second largest grant in the country.
Working in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority, our local BSIP supports our vision to encourage everyone to 'walk or wheel' where possible, helping to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2023. When that's not possible, bus travel is encouraged to be the first choice over car usage, helping ease traffic congestion and creating a greener way to travel. We are delivering this programme by working closely with local bus operators.
The new package of more frequent and reliable services and lower fares has resulted in a 19% increase overall in bus patronage since April 2023, across our local network, with a 24% increase in the inter-urban corridors.