A bus lane near Long Ashton, Bristol, has led to faster journeys for both public transport users and overall traffic, a report from North Somerset Council has found.
The Long Ashton Bypass priority scheme coincided with a 4.7% increase in bus speeds and a 75% hike in patronage in the two years after it was completed in May 2023, according to the council’s final monitoring report.
The data, which features analysis from before implementation, as well as after six months, one year and two years, also showed a 1.3% improvement in general traffic speed over the same period.
The scheme saw conversion of a high-occupancy vehicle lane to a bus-only lane on the A370 northbound carriageway towards Bristol from Weston-super-Mare.
North Somerset Council concludes the bus lane delivers faster as well as more reliable journeys on the First Bus X1 service, which runs up to three times per hour, seven days a week.
The report revealed the mean bus journey time for the section of just over two miles, including boarding at stops, was seven minutes 50 seconds before the conversion.
At six months and one year post-monitoring, it had improved to 7:34, with a further improvement to 7:28 after two years.
Reliability also improved, with the interquartile range, which illustrates variance, moving from 1:26 to 1:19 over the whole period. On-time performance was boosted from 69% to 79%.
That appeared to have an effect on patronage as single passenger journeys for the whole route on all services using it increased by 75%, although the council also credits enhancements such as bus shelters, reduced fares and “more modern transport”.
General traffic times along the route, despite an initial temporary increase, also decreased – from 6:33 beforehand to 6:28 after two years.
Public satisfaction was measured at 69% before implementation as against 86% after one year and 79% after two years.
The other data collected related to passenger satisfaction, which decreased from 80% after six months to 78% after two years. This was not recorded before implementation.
The work was completed with the aid of Bus Service Improvement Plan funds.
Cllr Hugh Malyan, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at North Somerset Council, says: “This scheme shows exactly what good bus priority can achieve.
“By giving buses a reliable route into Bristol, we’ve made journeys quicker, more punctual and more attractive for thousands of people who rely on them every day.
“The sustained increase in passenger numbers is clear evidence that, when we invest in better infrastructure for services, people choose to use them. This is an important step in creating a stronger, more sustainable transport network for North Somerset.”
