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Public Consultation on Cardiff’s Plan to Enhance Key Bus Routes
09/12/24
Residents and commuters in Cardiff are invited to share their views on a new initiative to enhance six major bus routes into the city centre.
Residents and commuters in Cardiff are invited to share their views on a new initiative to enhance six major bus routes into the city centre.
The public consultation will
begin on December 9th and run for seven weeks until January 27th,
and everyone who lives or travels into Cardiff is encouraged to read about the
strategy and complete the short survey here - https://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/Your-Council/Have-your-say/Live-Consultations/Bus-priority-strategy/Pages/default.aspx
Cllr Dan De’Ath, Cabinet
Member for Strategic Planning, Climate Change, and Transport, stated: “The ‘Bus
Priority Infrastructure Plan’ aims to establish a ‘Core Bus Network’ of six key
corridors into the city. This will improve bus travel for 80% of passengers,
integrating bus travel with rail, light rail, cycling, and walking, and
creating a stronger foundation for future transport funding bids. The council
has received funding from Welsh Government for the concept designs of the bus
corridors, but further funding would be required for the construction.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic,
bus travel in Cardiff has decreased and has not fully recovered, with current
estimates showing bus patronage is 10-20% lower than pre-pandemic levels. The
plan aims to reverse this trend by making bus travel quicker and more reliable
through various interventions. It’s important to note that we are not proposing
dedicated bus lanes along the entire length of these routes, but rather
targeted interventions to make bus travel more attractive for residents and
visitors.”
The Six Proposed Bus
Corridors:
- Ely to the City Centre:
Connecting Ely, Trelai, Canton, and Riverside with the city centre. Due to
narrow highways, dedicated bus lanes are not feasible, but priority lanes
and traffic restrictions will be assessed. Potential interventions
include:
o Kerbside
controls to prevent pavement parking and bus stop obstructions.
o Reorganising
bus stops for safer pedestrian crossings.
o Installing
technology at junctions to prioritise buses.
- University Hospital for Wales to the
International Sports Village: Ensuring vital
connections to the University Hospital of Wales, Grangetown, the
International Sports Village, and the Vale of Glamorgan. Interventions may
include:
o Kerbside
controls to prevent obstructions.
o Improvements
at key junctions (Albany Road/City Road/Richmond Road/Crwys Road and Newport
Road/City Road).
o Technology
to prioritise buses and enhance bus stops.
o Potential
bus lanes towards the International Sports Village.
- City Centre to Newport Road, Cardiff
Parkway, and Newport: Serving Pentwyn, Pontprennau,
Rumney, and St Mellons. Potential interventions include:
o Bus
lanes in specific sections.
o Technology
to prioritise buses.
o Junction
improvements (Newport Road/Wentloog Road, Newport Road/City Road, Newport
Road/Westgrove).
o Kerbside
controls to prevent obstructions.
o Relocating
bus stops for safer pedestrian crossings.
- City Centre to Cardiff Bay:
Future-proofing routes to support new developments and existing railway
routes. Interventions may include various measures to prioritise bus
travel.
- City Centre to North Cardiff, RCT, and
Caerphilly: Connecting North Cardiff through Gabalfa
Roundabout to the city centre, with routes to RCT and Caerphilly.
Potential interventions include:
o Assessing
Gabalfa Roundabout for bus priority.
o Technology
to prioritise buses at junctions.
o Reorganising
bus stops.
o Improvements
at the Merthyr Road/Caerphilly Road junction.
- City Centre to Plasnewydd and Northeast
Cardiff: Connecting Plasnewydd and Penylan,
providing access to key educational facilities. Potential interventions
include:
o Kerbside
controls to prevent obstructions.
o Relocating
bus stops for safer pedestrian crossings.
o Technology
at junctions to prioritise buses.
o Junction
improvements (Albany Road/City Road/Richmond Road/Crwys Road and Newport
Road/Westgrove).
This plan, developed in
consultation with Cardiff Bus, Transport for Wales, and other operators,
outlines improvements to make bus travel quicker and more reliable.
Cllr Dan De’Ath added,
“Investing in public transport and active travel provides a credible
alternative to private car use, offering significant benefits. This includes
reducing congestion, improving air quality, and making Cardiff a better place
to live and visit. The plan proposes six key bus routes connecting with major
interchange points, including the new Bus Interchange, Waungron Station,
University Hospital for Wales, and future park & ride sites.”
