Bus Rapid Transit
To serve the new A4 East Bath Park and Ride and expanded Park and Ride at Newbridge, Bath and North East Somerset Council proposes to invest in a Bus Rapid Transit system running east to west, and vice versa. This will also serve the Bath Western Riverside development that will contain 2,200 homes, and will run through the city centre.
Escaping traffic congestion
Part of the Bath Rapid Transit route between Newbridge Park and Ride and Bath Western Riverside will follow a disused railway line between Brassmill Lane and Windsor Bridge Road. It will have a specially designated route through Bath Western Riverside and will be able to take advantage of bus priority measures in the city centre and on London Road.
Benefits of Bus Rapid Transit
There are significant benefits in developing a specially designated route.
- Journeys will become more reliable because the bus will not encounter congestion clogging-up existing routes used by the current Park and Ride service, particularly on the A4;
- Alongside the bus route a dedicated cycling and pedestrian path will be created to promote these forms of travel;
- Peak journey times to the city centre will be just 6 minutes improving convenience for Park and Ride users;
- The Council is developing extensive plans to improve the local environment in the vicinity of the designated route. This includes tree and shrubbery planting.
More of the benefits are below.
| High-frequency service | 10 minute daytime frequency |
| Dedicated right-of-way | buses are separated from all other traffic for part of the route |
| Intelligent traffic signal priority | preferential treatment for buses at signal controlled intersections ensures reliable timetabling and improved transit times |
| Modern vehicles | investment in state-of-the-art vehicles which utilise cleaner fuels and are quieter |
Off-bus fare collection | a system to collect fares prior to boarding the vehicle will improve running times | Level boarding | boarding platforms at the same level as the bus floors to enhance accessibility and speed boarding |
The Bus Rapid Transit will provide better public transport for those people using the expanded Newbridge Park and Ride, such as residents commuting to Bath from Keynsham and Saltford. The enhanced reliability of the service will encourage more cars off the roads, therefore tackling traffic congestion.
The route will also provide high quality public transport for future residents at Bath Western Riverside who will not have to use their cars to make the short trip to the city centre.
