New walking and cycling changes announced for The Avenue and Bassett Avenue
Plans include a newly permanent section of cycle lanes and 'quietway' cycle routes
The Avenue is set to undergo further improvements to enhance walking and cycling provision and support safer, more sustainable journeys in the local area. The plans will see the current temporary cycle lanes along The Avenue made permanent between Winn Road and the subway underpass on The Common, finalising another key section of the Southampton Cycle Network (SCN). New ‘quietways’ are being explored that aim to link cycle routes on side roads running parallel to The Avenue, while communities to the east and west of Bassett Avenue could also see new measures to improve the safety of walking and cycling in residential areas.
The announcement comes as other ongoing works to enhance access for people walking and cycling along The Avenue between Westwood Road and Highfield Road are also due to complete in the first week of September.
Work will then commence to make the existing on-road cycle lanes permanent between Winn Road and the subway. This will be achieved using orcas, a type of light segregation (see below image). The pop-up lanes were introduced in May last year to support social distancing and active travel as part of the council’s Covid-19 response, while also providing an opportunity to trial cycle facilities on this major route. Following this 15-month trial, the lanes are now set to become a permanent feature of the SCN5 cycle route connecting Southampton city centre to Chandler’s Ford.
The scheme joins other successful trials on Dale Road, Portswood Road and the southern section of Hill Lane, where existing pop-up cycle lanes are also set to be made permanent. This translates into a total of four new permanent schemes for the city, all resulting from the trials launched in 2020. This is in addition to nine ongoing ‘School Streets’ trials also launched last year in response to Covid-19, with a tenth scheme shortly to be launched at Cantell School in September.
Also on the corridor, new cycle routes are being considered to the north of the subway along the side roads to both the east and west of The Avenue. These ‘quietways’ would replace the current temporary cycle lanes between the subway and Winchester Road roundabout, which are to be removed both northbound and southbound with overnight works starting on Tuesday 17th August. The right turn at Burgess Road, which is currently banned, will also be reinstated as part of the changes. The existing shared use facility along Bassett Avenue will be retained.
The temporary cycle lanes along The Avenue and Bassett Avenue were installed during significantly lower traffic levels as a result of the national Covid-19 lockdowns. With traffic levels now 67% higher than in April 2020 during the first lockdown, and the potential for traffic to increase following the final easing of national restrictions last month, the council has decided this is an appropriate time to withdraw a section of the scheme. Together with a wider investment in walking and cycling facilities along the corridor, this will ensure that all road users’ needs are balanced appropriately and will support the council’s commitment to keeping the city’s major routes and bus services moving efficiently.
In the coming weeks, the council’s Planning team is expecting to formally reconsult and determine on amended plans associated with the development of Lovers Walk. If approved, the council would then need to apply for Section 38 consent to work on Common land. This work would include widening and improving the surface of existing paths that suffer from erosion to ensure they are suitable for people walking and cycling.
This would further support plans for the quietway being explored for the eastern side of The Avenue, while funding biodiversity improvements elsewhere locally to Southampton Common. Together with a new ‘Code of Conduct’ being developed by the council to encourage people to ‘share with care’ in shared spaces, the changes would also improve access and safety for people walking and cycling along this popular shared route. The plans follow an extensive consultation about the proposals for Lovers Walk in early 2020.
In other plans, the council will also be engaging in the autumn with communities in both the east and west of Bassett Avenue to identify improvements for the creation of an Active Travel Zone; where measures are put in place to make walking and cycling in the local area safer and more attractive. Perception surveys will go live in September, inviting residents to share their feedback on issues in their local area and potential solutions to these. This will include exploring opportunities to make the existing cycle lanes on Winchester Road safer for people cycling. Also in the autumn the council will start work on designs for road safety improvements in the nearby Flowers Estate.
Councillor Moulton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth, says:
“I’m excited to announce this comprehensive package of improvements for walking and cycling, both on The Avenue and in the surrounding communities. This supports our commitment to investing in sustainable travel, while ensuring that we keep our major routes flowing and get Southampton moving as we emerge from the pandemic. This is a balanced approach which represents a real win-win for local residents and all road users travelling along this major route in to and out of the city.”
For more information, including full details of the removal works starting on Tuesday 17 August, please visit our transport website.
