[This is a submission to Bournefree where the links and images were removed for publication. BourneFree article . It makes more sense when they are included ]
This is a plea for the authorities, who propose new traffic schemes, to more robustly support them. Today, yet another piece in the Main Stream Media, about those who are against the ‘short bus lane’ on Station Parade in Eastbourne. So I thought I would look again at the 2025 Committee notes, to remind myself of the claimed ‘benefits’ of the scheme
My recollection, and borne out by re-reading, BSIP Eastbourne StationTRO Presentation.pdf was the following
Firstly, in the presentation, there is mention of double yellow lines or similar restrictions for the length of Station Parade and vehicles are not allowed to stop there even for loading . So regardless, of any comments from local businesses, the bus lane would not change this. Currently this roundabout, at the end of Station Parade and Grove Road, is often a bottleneck. At peak times it is gridlocked, as traffic cannot squeeze through. Both the schemes by both East Sussex County Council (ESCC) and the Enterprise Centre ( who designed an alternative solution) propose some form of extension of the existing bus stop and making more space.
Note how the Enterprise Centre proposal above describes a “Bus stop extension at Eastbourne Railway station”. This has to go behind the current one, near where the tree is. The ESCC solution of a bus lane removes the problem by taking this space up regardless .
In the table below, for overall traffic flow, what is clear is that both the Enterprise’s and ESCC provide a better solution than ‘‘Do Nothing (DN)‘. You can ignore TR01, that was dropped, but examine GTA ( Enterprise Centre) and ESCC’s TR02 later solution. Lower numbers mean less time in that section of road and faster times compared to DN
What is always disappointing to me, is that East Sussex Council do not seem, in such ‘newspaper’ articles to defend their proposals robustly and it appears that it is left to members of the public to do so.
So my appeal, is for those who propose such schemes, to come out and defend them.
Paul Humphreys