Dereham Road

What is a travel hub?

The idea of a travel hub is to locate a number of different sustainable travel options together in a central location, making it easier for passengers to transfer between public transport services and other modes of travel, incorporating walking and cycling links to the wider area and access to other modes of sustainable travel such as Beryl bikes and Car Club bays etc. 

Where will the travel hub be situated?

The proposed travel hub will be sited close to the entrance to the existing underpass on the north-east side of the Wendene roundabout, off Dereham Road.

Why do we need new bus lanes?

Prior to the pandemic, bus patronage in Norfolk was bucking national trends and was on the increase. Whilst it hasn't yet fully returned to pre pandemic levels, it is steadily increasing and is currently around 80% - 85%. There are significant levels of housing growth on this corridor, both in Costessey and further out in Easton, along with key retail and employment sites, all of which combine to make this one of the busiest public transport corridors in the city. Patronage along this key route in and out of Norwich is expected to grow significantly in the years ahead, for a number of reasons, including commuting, accessing education and taking part in leisure activities.

Improving bus journey times and journey reliability is a key part in encouraging more people to use public transport. The introduction of bus lanes will further drive this trend and support both local and national strategies to reduce air pollution and tackle climate change. Bus lanes primarily mean that services can run more punctually and reliably, as the varying levels of general traffic don't have such an impact on journey times. These bus lanes will also provide an additional benefit to emergency services vehicles, such as those located at Longwater and can be used by cycles and other permitted vehicles.

This approach of reallocating road space specifically for buses is one of the reasons why the County Council was awarded nearly £50m of additional government investment in our Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and why, following the successful delivery of our wider Transforming Cities Fund programme, which this project forms part of,  First Eastern Counties have pledged an £18m investment in their Norwich bus fleet, including the Red Line services. 

Why 24 hour bus lanes?

24 hour bus lanes ensure journey time consistency for public transport at all times of the day, they mean that it doesn't matter whether passengers are travelling in the middle of the day on a sunny day in July, or in the morning peak on a wet Wednesday in November, the journey time is the same, which helps give people the confidence to use public transport instead of the car. This approach is also consistent with government guidance that bus lanes should be full-time.

Bus lanes are most effective during the morning and evening peaks, when traffic levels are at their highest and the majority of passengers are using the bus. There are still however, large numbers of people using buses for shopping, leisure activities or accessing the doctors outside of peak travel times so it is important for these users to have consistent journey times too. Their constant operation also ensures a clear understanding of the rules and improves the compliance of general traffic. They can also be utilised by emergency services vehicles, cycles and other authorised vehicles too. 

Won't buses get stuck when the lanes merge?

There simply isn't the space to install bus lanes everywhere, so there will be points on the road network where buses have to sit in the same queue as general traffic. The introduction of these bus lanes will allow buses to avoid doing this as much as possible and will still provide improvements to journey times and reliability.

How much time for buses will all these improvements save?

The bus journey time savings these schemes will deliver will vary depending on the levels of general traffic at the time. At quieter times, the difference across all the elements of this scheme may only be several minutes, however, during times of heavy traffic, the difference in journey times could be considerably more. 

When these time savings are combined with the bus network improvements already delivered through our Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) programme and the additional schemes still to be delivered, they will deliver significant collective benefits that will make bus travel even more attractive and encourage further investment in new vehicles, extended operating hours and more frequent services.

Are you removing bus stops?

We are not proposing to remove any bus stops from Dereham Road. In fact, the overall number of bus stops would increase. We are simply proposing to reposition some of them, so they are spaced more appropriately and provide better access to local walking/cycling routes, amenities and other modes of travel.

Are you removing bus laybys?

No bus stops would be removed but some would be slightly relocated. The bus stop layby on the north side of Dereham Road adjacent to Richmond Road is being removed (filled in).

Switching to kerbside stops means that buses can pull away without being delayed by waiting for a gap in the general traffic, which helps to provide faster journey times and increase journey reliability. With payments now being largely contactless or through an app, bus boarding times are much lower and buses are only stationary at bus stops for short periods of time.

The bus layby on the south side of Dereham Road, opposite Richmond Road, will remain in place and be improved with new shelter and passenger information.

The new signals either side of the roundabout will cause delays for general traffic?

The new signals either side of Wendene roundabout will mean traffic is held, but this will only happen when a bus is approaching them heading outbound towards Longwater, or when pedestrians want to cross on the eastern side of the roundabout. Where the traffic signals are triggered by buses, this will be around 8-10 times each hour, depending on the frequency of bus service. 

How long will the lights delay traffic for?

The signals will only hold general traffic long enough to let buses through. There will be early triggers so the signals will allow buses to go through without stopping, meaning the delay should be no more than 30 seconds each time. 

Won't a street level crossing cause delays to general traffic?

The new street level crossing on the eastern side of the roundabout will be activated more often than the signals on the western side, however, this will be limited to the retention of the underpass and the benefits for those walking and cycling make this a far more attractive way of crossing this part of Dereham Road. It also means buses will be able to enter the travel hub without the need for any additional signal changes, whilst the crossing is in use. 

Will the loss of one lane of the dual carriageway cause delays?

The inside lane is a designated left turn lane into Gurney Road, so other than a short stretch of dual carriageway immediately after exiting the roundabout, traffic heading towards the city gets into the outside lane as quickly as possible

Traffic surveys show by the time vehicles reach the middle point of this section (between the roundabout and the Gurney Road junction), over 75% were already in the outside lane and by Gurney Road over 85%. It is therefore anticipated that any impact on general traffic would be minimal, and the proposed new layout ensures that the vast majority of general traffic is in the most appropriate lane for onward travel towards the city at the earliest opportunity.

What about people who want to turn left into Costessey up Gurney Road?

The proposed new section of inbound bus lane will not prevent people turning left into Gurney Road at its junction with Dereham Road as the bus lane will stop before the junction and the filter lane will still be in place, albeit much shorter.

Won't the inbound bus lane delay people wanting to turn left into Costessey up Gurney Road?

For the majority of the time, no it won't impact on people's ability to use this junction. There may be times when traffic is at its heaviest where general traffic has to queue to make the turn, but the overall benefits of having the bus lane in place will benefit far more people.

Won't the outbound bus lane delay people wanting to head out towards Longwater?

Traffic heading out of the city along this stretch of dual carriageway rarely queues back from the roundabout, so the impact of converting the outside lane to be a bus lane will have almost no impact on general traffic.  It will also help reduce issues with speeding along this stretch of Dereham Road as general traffic is confined to a single lane.

How long will the bus priority signals be in use for?

The signals will only hold general traffic long enough to let buses through. There will be early triggers so the signals will allow buses to go through without stopping, meaning the delay should be no more than 30 seconds each time. As the lights will only be triggered by outbound buses, this will, on average happen around 8-10 times each hour.

Why reduce the speed limit, when you want buses to be quicker? Won't this affect general traffic too?

The reduction in the speed limit along Dereham Road between Longwater Lane and Norwich Road, will bring it in line with the remainder of this corridor. Buses have to slow down for stops along the route. They very rarely travel at the current maximum speed limit, so it won't impact bus times. Apart from the safety benefits from a reduction in the speed limit, it will also help control the flow of traffic heading in and out of the city along this section.

Why do we need a cycle track next to a 'bus and cycle' lane?

Where it is possible and where there is space, we will always look to provide separate facilities for cycling and buses. Confident cyclists can use the shared use bus and cycle lanes. However less confident cyclists, including children that may be using bikes to travel to and from Ormiston Victory Academy, will benefit from the dedicated separate cycling lanes being proposed.

Won't the street level crossing be more dangerous than using the subway?

The existing subway arrangement can cause conflict between people walking and cycling, is poorly lit and can attract antisocial behaviour. Many people do not feel safe using it, resulting in some attempting to cross Dereham Road at street level across multiple lanes of traffic. The new crossing will provide a viable alternative.

What are the changes in the highway code referred to in the consultation?

The Highway Code was recently updated to give greater priority to those walking or cycling in the hierarchy of road users.

Shared use areas cause conflict between those walking and cycling and shouldn't be used?

The Department for Transport's cycle infrastructure design guidance does state that shared use areas should be avoided where possible. However, it accepts that in constrained environments they will still be necessary. We have sought to minimise shared use throughout the design of both proposed schemes on Dereham Road. We've proposed extensive segregated provision for both those on foot or cycle. We've also worked closely with the newly formed Active Travel England to ensure proposals meet expected government standards.

Any remaining areas of shared use are unavoidable and require all users to be aware of their environment and act in a responsible and considerate manner.

Why can't cycles use the outbound bus lane approaching the roundabout?

It is proposed this lane is dedicated to bus movements only as it wouldn't be possible for cycles to safely cross the lane of oncoming traffic when they reach the end of the bus lane. A two way cycle track is proposed along the northern side of Dereham Road, providing a safe off carriageway cycle link between Gurney Road and the travel hub.

Why are trees being removed?

Some loss of trees and vegetation is required in order to facilitate these proposals. The accompanying plans show all areas which may be affected. Many areas will see new green space and landscape areas created and we will seek to avoid tree loss wherever possible. The plans highlight all trees that are potentially at risk but only a relatively small number would likely be removed. Many will simply require trimming back or special treatment to take care around roots etc. Full mitigation plans for all trees in the proposal area will be provided before the scheme design is finalised based on tree survey data and feedback from the local community.

How many trees are affected?

The exact number of trees affected would depend on the results of the tree surveys, position of any tree roots, public feedback and the final scheme design proposed for construction. Any impact on some of the trees currently highlighted could be avoided altogether through special engineering detail or local changes to the design. We work closely with qualified arboriculturists to assess the quality of each tree and any appropriate measures required. Full mitigation plans would be included with the final proposals put forward.

What will you do to mitigate tree loss?

We work closely with qualified arboriculturists to assess the quality of each tree and any appropriate measures required. Full mitigation plans would be included with the final proposals put forward.

What are the cycle markings on Richmond Road - are you proposing a cycle lane?

These markings do not mean the road is designated as a cycleway but act as a traffic calming measure by warning motorists to be aware of cycles. This has been proposed in response to local concerns regarding vehicle speeds on this main access route to the local high school.

What happens for cars wishing to turn right onto Dereham Road (from Richmond Road)?

Under these proposals cars wishing to turn right from Richmond Road would need to turn left and use the roundabout or take an alternative route.

Are any other schemes being proposed in the area?

In addition to the proposals for Mayfly Way, our Transforming Cities Fund programme also includes proposed improvements at Larkman/Marlpit Lane and the Old Palace Road junctions with Dereham Road. The Old Palace Road scheme is still in an early stage of development.