A trial of the much-debated part-time bus, taxi, and cycle-only restriction on Portswood Road between the St Denys Road spur and Westridge Road is finally set to start on Monday (Jan 27).
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It will operate from 7–10am and 4–7pm, Mondays to Saturdays, with Southampton City Council (SCC) stating that the system, along with new Active Travel Zones in nearby streets, will run “on a trial basis for at least six months.”
“By restricting through traffic, the project aims to improve bus journey times and reliability, improve road safety and encourage people to spend more time and money in the District Centre,” says the council.
Flashback to posters in Portswood shop windows a year ago
One of the key points of contention throughout the debate has been whether reducing traffic will support or harm local businesses. While some have blamed the plan for recent business closures or announcements of closures, others have praised it as a way to encourage more people to spend time and money in the district centre – a position supported by research such as Pedestrian Pound, which highlights the economic benefits of pedestrian-friendly initiatives.
However, with the plans now reworked in an apparent attempt to address concerns from all sides, some say there’s a risk that the council may end up satisfying no one.
New features in Portswood
SCC is keen to stress that the public car park on Westridge Road, as well as private car parks including Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, will still be accessible to drivers – although it’s just been revealed that the authority is considering scrapping free parking in 17 district sites, including Portswood’s Westridge Road car park.
Speaking about the trial, Cllr Eamonn Keogh, SCC’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We appreciate that [it] represents a significant change for the local community, and we will be monitoring its effectiveness throughout. The project is expected to deliver significant benefits, including shorter journey times for buses, safer roads for people walking, wheeling and cycling and improvements to air quality and the overall environment for people who live, work or shop on Portswood Road.”
Bluestar bus boss Andrew Wickham welcomed the scheme, and said he hoped it would speed up journeys on Bluestar 2, 20 and Unilink U6, while hoping “it will deter inconsiderate parking of cars at key bus stops.”