TfL consults on Brixton Hill bus lane changes

Transport for London is consulting on proposed changes on Brixton Hill and St Matthew’s Road to improve bus journey times and reliability.

TfL says that during peak periods about 3,500 bus passengers an hour use northbound buses on Brixton Hill.

The buses involved are the 109; 118; 133; 250; 333; and 45.

The proposals include:

• Widening the carriageway along significant stretches of Brixton Hill to provide wider bus and general traffic lanes. Space would come from narrowing sections of the footway by up to 1 metre. The remaining footway would be at least 2.6 metres wide (and in most cases wider).
• Providing a central bus lane on St Matthew’s Road to improve movement of buses onto Brixton Hill. This would require the reduction of right turn general traffic lanes from two to one as well as the removal of a cycle feeder lane which currently leads cyclists into the traffic island when the lights are green. Cyclists would be able to use the new bus lane.
• Narrowing a section of the wide footway on Brixton Hill at the junction with Baytree Road to provide a continuous northbound bus lane along Brixton Hill. The bus lane currently stops before the junction and restarts after the junction, resulting in long delays for bus passengers when there is queueing in the general traffic lanes. The remaining footway at this junction would still be at least 3.5 metres wide
• Extending the northbound bus lane on Brixton Hill from south of the junction with Lambert Road to south of the junction with Trent Road. This would reduce the number of general traffic lanes from two to one on this section of road. On the northbound approach to the junction with Trent Road, the nearside lane would only be available for use by vehicles turning left and bus lane users
• Relocating parking/loading bays on the southbound carriageway of Brixton Hill between the junctions with Josephine Avenue and Arodene Road into the footway as inset bays
• Moving parking/loading bays on the northbound side of Brixton Hill between the junctions with St Saviours Road and Blenheim Gardens so that they are no longer on the main carriageway but are changed to on footway bays. This will mean that pedestrians would be able to use these spaces when they are not in use as loading/parking bays
• On the northbound approach to the junction with New Park Road, the nearside lane would only be available for use by vehicles turning left and bus lane users
• Providing a new northbound bus lane from the junction with Streatham Place to the junction with New Park Road. This would be achieved through widening the carriageway and would not result in a decrease in the number of general traffic lanes
• Relocating cycle parking (16 metres south) and a bus stop (10 metres north) on the northbound carriageway of Brixton Hill between the junctions with St Saviours Road and Blenheim Gardens.

TfL said that the proposals would reduce journey times and improve the reliability for bus passengers on Brixton Hill and St Matthew’s Road and that cyclists would also benefit from the improved continuity of bus lanes and consistency of lane widths. For northbound general traffic there would also be slight reductions in journey times, although there could be slight increases south and westbound at busy times.

Online consultation on the changes will continue until 14 September this year.

You can also email consultations@tfl.gov.uk,  or write to FREEPOST TFL CONSULTATIONS.

Download large-scale plans of the proposed changes,