City centre road to close to traffic
Work to close a city centre road to traffic is set to begin today (Monday)
A small section of Portland Terrace is being turned into a bus/taxi/cycle only road.
The stretch of road between Spa Road, to the rear of Boots, and Castle Way Car Park will become bus/taxi/cycle from 13 November.
The city council hopes it will improve bus journey times to the new Albion Place bus hub, which is planned for construction early next year.
The Albion Place bus hub, also funded by the Department for Transport, will feature waiting facilities and travel information and improved lighting and CCTV.
Councillor Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport comments:
“We are listening to residents and in a recent survey 64% said they support transforming this area. The council has a long-term vision for the city centre, which is set out in our Local Transport Plan (LTP); We want to create a better-connected transport network and to offer people more travel options, whether that is driving, taking the bus, cycling, scooting, or walking. When you consider a single full double decker bus has the potential to take up to 75 cars off the road and that 17.4 million bus passenger journeys are made per year in Southampton, we need to support a better bus provision for both residents and visitors, as well as a choice of transport options, so that journeys will become easier for all road users. Portland Terrace, along with other Government funded schemes, will ensure that we meet these long-term objectives.”