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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:
- Bus lanes on the A38 approaches to the roundabout to allow buses to bypass queuing traffic
- New bus gates at the ends of the new bus lanes to give buses priority when joining the roundabout
- The possibility of installing toucan crossings for pedestrians and cyclists on the Colliters Way arm and the A38 Bristol Airport arm of the roundabout.
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.
- Our BSIP has already funded new bus lanes on the Long Ashton Bypass and the A38 at Barrow Gurney to ease traffic to and from Bristol International Airport and on the A369 at Beggar Bush Lane where smart traffic lights have also been installed to detect and prioritise buses.
- A new bus stop has been installed at Worle National Rail Station for the A3, with links to the West Coast main line.
- The X5 has been re-routed to serve Congresbury, Yatton and Kenn on-route to Clevedon and Portishead, reconnecting the residents to these key areas.
- The X4 now runs every 20 minutes, up from 30, due to a BSIP subsidy of £380,000 a year (until March 2025).
- X1 now runs every 15 minutes Monday to Friday and every 20 minutes on Saturday evening and services on Sundays are still running every 30 minutes.
- The £2 bus fare cap for all passengers continues until December 2024.
- Launched free travel offers including the Birthday Bus fare offer in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority.
- Launched a trial WESTLink service – an innovative demand-responsive transport trial designed to take passengers from areas less well served by buses and connect them to key bus corridors.
- Infrastructure improvements that reduce journey times will make buses more reliable, frequent and attractive for customers, helping to reduce the number of cars on our roads and their impact on our environment. New and upgraded transport hubs, modern bus shelters, rapid electric vehicle charging, and better cycling and pedestrian facilities, are also planned for key areas in North Somerset under BSIP.