A total of 116 schemes expected by April this year across 17 London boroughs
A £200m investment is being made in new bus priority schemes in London.
More than 100 of the schemes are expected to be in place by April this year.
The Capital’s roads are seeing an increase in congestion due to a construction boom and a significant growth in population, so Transport for London (TfL) is investing heavily in helping keep the roads moving through a range of means. Part of this programme is designed to help buses get through congested areas more quickly and reliably.
The new bus priority schemes include changes to road layouts and junctions, enabling small changes to routes so that buses can avoid traffic hotspots.
As an example, the most recently completed scheme, in Battersea, allows route 156 buses to make a right turn from northbound on Queenstown Road to eastbound on Battersea Park Road, which should reduce average journey times by around a minute and a half in each direction in the morning and evening peaks.
Around 50 bus priority schemes were delivered across the capital in 2015 and a total of 116 will be in place by the end of April, benefiting passengers in 17 London boroughs.
Bus Priority Schemes to be completed this year include:
- A scheme on North End Road in Erith, enabling buses to turn across a dual carriageway rather than driving an extra kilometre to turn around at a roundabout;
- Route 274 buses will be able to turn right near Camden Road Station, reducing the distance buses have to travel;
- A bus-only slip road for route 206 buses is being created on Brentfield Road enabling buses to take a more direct route that aims to save roughly five minutes journey time; and
- A new 500m bus lane in Plumstead, Greenwich.
Mike Weston, TfL’s Director of Buses, said: “London’s continued success means that it is a very busy city with a huge range of construction projects underway, particularly in central London, and this is having an effect on traffic.
“To ensure that the bus network remains reliable and efficient, we are investing £200m in modernising roads across the capital so that bus passengers can avoid potential delays to their journeys.”
Bus Priority Schemes are TfL-funded but delivered in partnership with local boroughs.
