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Bitterne Road East Pedestrian and Cycle Improvements

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Summary

  • Where: Bitterne Road East
  • When: Autumn 2024
  • What: Improved facilities for people walking, wheeling and cycling along Bitterne Road East
  • Why: To connect local communities with Bitterne Precinct, local schools and services

Project Details

Southampton City Council has secured funding from the Government’s Active Travel Fund to improve the facilities for people walking, wheeling, and cycling along Bitterne Road East between Somerset Avenue and Bitterne Precinct. The scheme aims to provide an active travel option for local communities connecting them with Bitterne Precinct, local schools and services.

Previous survey results can be found through the tile opposite.

November 2024

Since the public consultation last autumn, the council has been updating the proposed designs based on the feedback we received. We are now consulting again on these updated proposals including a Traffic Regulation Order for those aspects that require it. Please view the revised design below. If you would like to comment, please visit the Traffic Regulation Order page here.

Design Summary

A map of the revised proposals for consultation.A map of the proposed design.(Open in a new tab)

  1. Widening of southern side footway up to Bitterne Road East service road.
  2. Widening to existing push button crossing on Bitterne Road East at Commercial Street.
  3. Cycle route now uses Bitterne Road East service road and Keynsham Road as low traffic cycle quietway.
  4. Allow cycle access into Bitterne Road East service road from junction with Bath Road.
  5. The dedicated right turn lane on Bitterne Road East into Bath Road is now retained. The left turn lane on Bitterne Road East into Bath Road is retained with about a 50m reduction in length.
  6. Two-way cycle lane between Keynsham Road and Bitterne Road East.
  7. Protected two-way on road cycle lane between new link from Keynsham Road and a new push button crossing at Somerset Avenue. 
  8. New signalised pedestrian / cycle crossing over Bitterne Road East, close to the junction of Somerset Avenue. This will mean the removal of the dedicated right turn lane into Exleigh Close. The right turn is still permitted.
  9. Widening of northern side footway between new crossing and Somerset Avenue.
  10. 20mph speed limit on Bitterne Road East service road, Milbury Crescent, Keynsham Road, Bath Road and their side roads.

June 2024

In order to inform the future works, we have carried out investigations on the footways and carriageway of Bitterne Road East as well as Milbury Crescent, Bath Road, and Somerset Avenue from Monday 3 June 2024 for a period of 3 weeks. 

More information regarding the scheme will be released in the future. 

February 2024

Last autumn, we asked for your feedback on the plans to improve the facilities for people walking, wheeling, and cycling along Bitterne Road East. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to this consultation. We are in the process of reviewing the feedback received to inform the next stage of design.

The feedback can be reviewed in full here and in summary below.

Consultation summary

Total number of responses: 268

The two proposed measures with the highest level of support were:

  • New signalised pedestrian / cycle crossing over Bitterne Road East, close to the junction of Somerset Avenue (63%)
  • Proposed upgrade to existing signalised crossing to toucan at Commercial Street and continuous crossing across Commercial Street to link to Bitterne Library (59%)

The two proposed measures with the highest level of disagreement were:

  • Changes to the Bath Road junction (52%)
  • Protected two-way on road cycle lane between Somerset Avenue and Bath Road (48%)

60% of respondents told us that the proposals may have a negative impact on motor vehicle journey times.

Over half of respondents (56%) also told us that the proposals may have positive impact on the safety of pedestrians travelling along and crossing roads on Bitterne Road East.

October 2023

The consultation on the proposals outlines below has now closed. We will review all of the feedback received which will help to inform our plans for the area as these are finalised over the coming months.

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  1. Proposed widening of path between Bitterne Road East and Somerset Avenue to make it ‘shared use’ for pedestrians and cycling. 
  2. Proposed new signalised pedestrian / cycle crossing over Bitterne Road East, close to the junction of Somerset Avenue.
  3. Proposed protected two-way on road cycle lane between Somerset Avenue and Bath Road (this will mean the removal of the left turn and right turn lanes into Bath Road). 
  4. Proposed protected two-way off carriageway cycle lane between Bath Road and Bitterne Road East access to Milbury Crescent (this will mean the existing footway along south side of Bitterne Road East will be removed). 
  5. Proposed changes to the Bath Road junction to make it easier for pedestrians to cross Bath Road with a new continuous crossing.
  6. Proposed  improvements to alternative pedestrian route on the Bitterne Road East service road (between Bath Road and Milbury Crescent). 
  7. Proposed upgrade to existing signalised crossing on Bitterne Road East to toucan (for pedestrians and cycles) at Commercial Street and continuous crossing across Commercial Street to link to Bitterne Library. 
  8. Proposed widening of path to shared use to Bitterne Precinct and continuous cycle crossing of Bitterne Road East Service Road.