It is out belief that these measures are:

1, Unwarranted given the lack of bus services and cyclist using the new layout.

2, Presenting a greater danger to all road users.

3, Present as a catastrophic waste of taxpayer money.

4, Being driven with complete disregard for the community of Costessey.

 

It is our request that the council urgently looks into the traffic management action which is being undertaken and looks take the following remedial action to earn the trust of the community:

1, Seek to rectify the new road layout measures to remove needless changes to the existing layout.

2, Carry out a full review of the viability of the existing Dereham Road bus land (from Larkman Lane to Guardian Road Roundabout) to see whether it is still fit for purpose given the increased car traffic and the reduction in public transport.

3, Provide reassurance that the bus lane will not be extended further down Dereham Road towards Longwater.

4, Carry out an internal review of the bias consultation which has dismissed the views of the community.

 

Background:

The Dereham Road is a key arterial route into Norwich from the Southern Bypass (A47). The road runs from the Longwater industrial site all the way to the inner ring road. Historically the bus lane has started on the city bound carriageway from the junction with Gurney Road. The bus lane continues from this junction all the way through to the Guardian Road junction.

 

This is the part of the road where there is commonly a bottleneck of traffic, particularly at rush hour. At all other times the traffic flow is sufficient to cause minimal delay.

 

In the recent months roadworks have been carried out to resurface the road. The works have caused significant stress on local residents with poor diversion and traffic management.

 

The new traffic layout has needlessly removed the duel carriageway section of the Dereham Road as it passes the FDC (Footbal Development Centre). On the city bound carriageway a number of trees have been taken down and the road has been inexplicably reduced to one lane. On the county bound carriageway the second land has been turned into a bus only right hand turn onto Breckland Road – despite their being a roundabout less that 100m up the road offering the same route. In addition their has been an introduction of a crossing even though there is an underpass completely removing the need for pedestrians to cross the road. The FDC has a large number of children, teenagers and young adults who will now be forced to cross the main road rather than take the underpass, putting them at risk.

 

Further down the road there has been an introduction of an extended cycle only lane on the pavement from Richmond Road to the Clock Tower Roundabout, offering less that 100m of cycle lane. There has also been an introduction of a county bound bus lane from Horseshoe Close to the Roundwell narrowing the existing main road.

 

Bus lanes can unintentionally increase road danger for several reasons. One major issue is the unpredictability they introduce to traffic flow. As regular vehicles are prohibited from using bus lanes, they may attempt sudden lane changes to avoid entering restricted areas, leading to potential collisions. Studies have shown that sudden lane changes and merging manoeuvres significantly contribute to traffic accidents, particularly in urban settings .

Moreover, bus lanes may reduce the overall available road space for other vehicles, increasing congestion in non-bus lanes. This can cause frustration among drivers, leading to aggressive behaviours like speeding or tailgating, which are associated with a higher risk of accidents. Bus lanes, particularly those without physical barriers, can also pose a danger to cyclists and pedestrians. A study by Transport for London found that bus lanes can increase the likelihood of pedestrian accidents, particularly when pedestrians cross without realising the lane's function .

 

Point 1. Not justified given the lack of public transport.

According to the first bus website there are less that 3 busses and hour operating on the section of the road where the new bus lanes were introduced. In total there are only a maximum of 6 running on the existing sections. There are no park and ride or other services operating down the Dereham Road.

 

None of the road sections “improved” were regularly affected by traffic congestion prior to the implementation of the bus lanes and busses, along with other traffic, would not experience any noticeable delays. Therefore the amendments being made are offering no tangible improvement to the bus service and there are no published plans to increase bus services. Therefore one can only draw the conclusion that these measures are being introduced to frustrate car users.

 

Whilst cyclists do use the road, the previous layout had significant width on both lanes allowing cars to overtake cyclists with ease putting neither party at risk. I am not aware of any significant injury to a cyclist on this road within recent times which would justify a change.

 

Point 2. Carry out a review of the existing bus lane on Dereham Road.

With the decrease of bus services to Costessey as well as the increase in car usage, it is only appropriate to question whether the existing bus lane from Guerney Road to Guardian Road is required. It is at the site where the bus lane starts that there are regular delays and traffic congestion, and this continues all the way to Guardian Road – the length of the road.

 

The increased congestion leads to greater level of pollution which effects the road users and local community. The bus lane could be removed, producing two lanes of traffic to ease congestion or create a wider road offering greater safety to all road users.

 

Since the bus lane was introduced the busses in Costessey have reduced. Bus services used to be every 10 minutes and the road was shared by the Bowthrope service as well as the Costessey Park and Ride. Both these services have not been switched to the Earlham Road and the number of busses has fallen to 3 per hour at peak times.

 

Point 3. Future worries that the bus lane will be extended to Longwater.

With the extension of the bus lanes to Roundwell it is only natural to wonder whether the plan will be to extend them all the way down the new duel carriage way section to Longwater.

 

The new duel carriageway has eased congestion and, for the first time in years, traffic can flow with ease to Longwater. If the bus lane were increased further then there would be a significant build up of traffic which would likely stetch back to the Roundwell, causing further danger and pollution which will be primarily born by the residents of Costessey.

 

Point 4. The dismissal of community concerns.

There are daily complaints about the layout of the road and the implementation of the bus lane, crossings and narrowing of the road. There was a consultation with the community however the representatives present were reported to be dismissive of objections and had personal interest in increasing the cycle lane. The local councillors have also expressed concerns that they are powerless to have any effect on the layout and decisions.

 

Ultimately the changes being made are going to negatively effect the flow of the ordinary members of the public and designed to offer a minimal benefit to cyclist and bus passengers. The cost to the community, as well as the public tax payer is not proportionate given the few benefits the scheme offers. The views of the local community have been dismissed with the belief that Norfolk County Council are pushing a radical anti-car agenda.