South Gloucestershire Council has announced that it has scrapped plans for a bus priority scheme on the A38 Aztec West roundabout, saying that the work is “no longer viable” after First Group made changes to the route of its 73 bus service.
The earlier proposals have now been abandoned in favour of a northbound bus lane on the A38 Gloucester Road between the Little Stoke junction and the Aztec West Roundabout.
Consultants working for the Council say that traffic studies suggest that the new scheme could save buses an average of 10 minutes at peak times.
The original scheme also included a number of improvements on the section of Bradley Stoke Way between the Aztec West Roundabout and Woodlands Lane. The status of that part of the scheme is currently unknown.
The Council has opened a public consultation on the new scheme, which runs until 17th October.
An exhibition of the new plans will take place at the Aztec West Business Centre between Monday 28th September and Friday 2nd October.
A poster for the exhibition summarises the proposed changes as follows:
- New northbound bus lane between the Little Stoke junction and Aztec West Roundabout.
- The existing pedestrian crossing point near the roundabout will be upgraded to allow cyclists to use it.
- A southbound on-carriageway cycle lane will be provided from Aztec West Roundabout to The Common.
- An additional lane will be provided on the roundabout to assist the vehicles heading right toward Woodlands Lane via Bradley Stoke Way.
- The bus stop on A38 northbound on the approach to the roundabout will be relocated adjacent to the
pedestrian access to the business park.
The 73 bus service previously made a loop around the Aztec West Business Park during the morning and evening peak periods, but First Group decided to cut the diversion in an effort to improve journey times between Cribbs Causeway and Bradley Stoke.
Cutting out the diversion through Aztec West in the 73 is one of the best things that First has done, cutting out the MOD a close second. Well done!
Unfortunately, it does leave workers on the far side of Aztec West without any public transport links close by. Fine if you work near the A38, not so fine for those working up by Cap-Gemini who are now nearly a mile from the bus stop!
There was a plan to open up the link to Consiton Road from Aztec West so that buses could enter Aztec and pass out into Patchway before going back down the A38. Does anyone know what happened to this? Did it get canned along with this plan?