Work on city centre bus gates now complete as part of project to boost green transport use

A bus gate has been created at Unicorn Road junction feeding into both ends of Cascades Approach as part of a new layout for buses and taxis, which also includes new footways and cycleways.

The gate links Cascades Approach with Unicorn Road and is accompanied by a new tiger crossing — a type of crossing allowing pedestrians and cyclists to cross safely together.  

Buses travelling out of the city centre can then follow the new layout to the second bus gate, which only buses and bicycles can use, between Charlotte Street and Commercial Road North, east of Eden Street.  

This layout has replaced the previous pedestrian-only zone in Charlotte Street, with the addition of designated footways and a new pedestrian crossing opposite the NCP car park. A new bus land has also been created at the entrance of Unicorn Road from the Cascades Approach.

The Portsmouth City Council project, done in partnership with contractors, Alun Griffiths, is designed to prevent buses from getting caught in traffic, reducing their contribution to congestion.  It also forms part of a series of measures to create safer crossing points and quicker journeys for all road users, including bus passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians - part of the South East Hampshire Rapid Transit (SEHRT) project. 

Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport at Portsmouth City Council, said: "These changes will improve travel in the city centre for everyone, reducing journey times and getting people even closer to the city centre shops, faster and more easily.  

"More people are also now choosing different and more sustainable ways to travel, and it’s important that our city evolves to reflect this positive shift." 

The latest data from the Department for Transport (DfT) shows that buses in Portsmouth have seen a 22.3 per cent increase in passengers over the course of the last year with Portsmouth rated as the number one city for bringing passengers back to the bus. 

It said that further enhancements are planned for the October planting season, with landscaping improvements set to make the area between Cascades and St Agatha's Church greener and more welcoming for all visitors. 

The completion of the measures also coincides with the return of free bus travel every weekend this month (September) to encourage more people to try the bus. Currently a single bus journey in the city costs £2.

For more information on all SEHRT schemes, please visit www.sehrt.org.uk