The Lancaster Guardian website is reporting that Lancashire County Council is proposing to boost bus journeys through Lancaster by introducing a bus-only lane over Greyhound Bridge when it reopens.
The re-configured bridge would have one of its three traffic lanes reserved for buses heading towards Morecambe. The other two would cater for general traffic towards Morecambe and Skerton respectively. The new priority lane would begin on Cable Street and would give Morecambe-bound buses a clear run from the bus stop at Sainsbury's over the river via Greyhound Bridge as far as Carlisle Bridge, where there is space only for one traffic lane under the railway. Here the buses would merge with the general traffic but would have priority in doing so. The current bus lane on Parliament Street with access for taxis between 10pm and 6am is proposed to be changed to allow 24-hour access for buses, cycles and taxis only.
Lancashire County Council says that establishing a bus lane over Greyhound Bridge has been identified as a measure which could be put in place quickly and at minimal cost to immediately reduce journey times and improve reliability for the more than 20 buses an hour which would use the lane. It also says that traffic modelling has identified that only minimal delays would be caused to other road users. The bus lane would operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Whilst any improvement in facilities for buses and bus passengers is obviously welcome, the Bus Users' Group can't help but wonder whether this is a case of the county council providing bus priority where it is easy to do so and where it won't upset car drivers. The opening of the Bay Gateway has significantly reduced traffic on Morecambe Road anyway, and this has reduced the delays to westbound buses. Nor will the county council have to close the road to create the bus lane as it will be done as part of the bridge repair scheme.
A council spokesman said that "Improving public transport in Lancaster is a key component of long-term plans to transform how traffic is managed in the city centre and ensure that people and goods can continue to travel efficiently as the area grows in future." The Bus Users' Group is looking forward to seeing how those "long-term plans" develop and would like to see further priority measures for buses - even if these would unavoidably impact on journey times for other road users.