Plans to change the layout of Royal Parade to improve bus services as part of Plymouth’s ambition to encourage people to make greener travel choices as the city grows have been further developed.
The Royal Parade bus improvement scheme has been designed to reduce congestion and improve the reliability of bus services to and from the city centre by increasing the number of bus stops on the eastbound side.
There are over 100 buses every hour – making it the city’s busiest bus interchange – with over nine million passenger journeys from or to Royal Parade every year – either arriving to work in the city centre, to shop, stay or visit, or to head onto to destinations across the city e.g. the hospital, Plymstock or the Dockyard.
The scheme also aims to reduce delays at this key point by cutting the queues and double stacking of buses, making services more reliable and helping to make going by bus a more attractive option than the private car.
It is essential that bus services are improved to make it easier for everyone to get to work, school, shops and businesses, friends or family. This is particularly important as nearly 25 per cent of households in Plymouth do not have a car. With the city’s population expected to grow, improving sustainable travel choices is vital to keeping the city moving.
Earlier scheme proposals were unveiled in a public consultation in 2021 and the Council has further developed the designs, taking into consideration issues the public and other stakeholders wanted addressed.
The developed plans focus on the eastbound side of Royal Parade between Derry’s Cross and St. Andrew’s Cross and include:
- Redesigning the road with a shallow saw-tooth layout to increase the number of bus stops from 12 to 15, to prevent double stacking, unnecessary idling and improve air quality. This will improve bus manoeuvrability and safety by reducing the need for buses to reverse out and ensure passengers can get on and off from the pavement.
- Clearer and easier information about where and what bus to get in the new shelters and upgraded Real Time Passenger Information displays.
- New, bigger shelters to make it easier for people with pushchairs or wheelchairs to use them. They will have living roofs to support biodiversity.
- An upgraded toucan crossing at Armada Way for both pedestrians and cyclists.
- Average speed camera system to replace existing static cameras, supporting a safe environment for pedestrians.
This scheme will work alongside bus infrastructure upgrades on Mayflower Street, which were finished last year and offer an alternative city centre location for buses, to further reduce congestion on Royal Parade.
As part of progressing these plans, the Council now wants to share the developed designs and the construction and traffic management proposals, particularly with city centre traders, to make sure any access needs are taken into account before the plans are finalised.
To view the developed plans, fill in a short questionnaire, please visit the Council webpage.
The deadline to give your views is Wednesday 2 October 2024.
The work is expected to take around six months and is pencilled in to start in January 2025, once the Old Town Street/New George Street works are completed. However, the Armada Way scheme will be underway and the project teams are liaising closely to ensure as little disruption as possible.
The improvements earmarked for Royal Parade will make the city centre a more attractive place to be. With major regeneration happening across the wider city centre, it is expected there will be new businesses and more residential properties in the years ahead. This means the right infrastructure needs to be in place to ensure an increased number of people can move around the city.
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport:
“We need to change our travelling habits if we are to tackle climate change. Transport accounts for 30 per cent of the city’s carbon emissions. We have committed to encouraging people to consider alternatives to the private car. To do that, we need to improve our public transport offer.”
“We get that people are understandably frustrated with the number of construction projects in the city centre, but we are seeing real progress, with Civic Square finished and New George Street and Old Town Street are really coming along.
“We have carefully considered the timing and on balance, think that if we waited for all schemes to be completed, we would only extend the period of disruption.”
Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus Ltd, said:
“I am proud to emphasise the pivotal role Royal Parade plays in our city’s bus network. With around 7.5 million passengers boarding and alighting annually, its significance in our operations cannot be overstated.
“The forthcoming improvements are set to greatly benefit all passengers, particularly those with mobility challenges and wheelchair users. The redesigned layout will enhance pedestrian access and significantly improve road safety through the introduction of drive-on, drive-off bus bays. These advancements will serve the people of Plymouth for generations to come."
Peter Knight, Managing Director of Stagecoach, added:
"We welcome this investment in Royal Parade to provide a modern, inclusive and safe environment in what is the main bus interchange and focal point in the city centre. This will literally benefit hundreds of thousands of bus passengers every year, together with all users of the city centre. We know the short-term inconvenience will be worthwhile in the long term."
The east bound side of Royal Parade will be reduced to one lane during construction so that there is enough space for people to walk and visit shops, as well as create a safe working space for the contractors.
There will be some disruption for bus passengers, with stops moved to temporary locations. More details will be confirmed nearer the start of the scheme.
For more information, please visit: Royal Parade improvement scheme