Latest News
13 February 2025 - January monitoring assessment
As part of our monitoring and evaluation programme for the trial, we promised to publish a monthly assessment of the readily available traffic data and the summary for January, comprising Monday 27 to Friday 31 January, is now available. We have also added a new navigation tile opposite so that future reports can be easily accessed in one place.
We are regularly reviewing the comments we receive alongside the traffic data, and visiting local roads, to assess where adjustments may be required. For instance, following concerns raised by local people, alterations have been made to parking on Brookvale Road near the junction with Highfield Lane to help ease congestion and improve road safety around the junction. We will also be carrying out extra monitoring on Brookvale Road and a review of the signage along Portswood Road.
In addition, an independent Road Safety Audit will be carried out at the junction of Brookvale Road and Blenheim Avenue after half-term to assess the changes made and consider whether further adjustments are required.
6 February 2025 - Camera enforcement of the bus/taxi/cycle only section
Camera enforcement of the bus/taxi/cycle only section on Portswood Road will begin on Monday 10 February 2025 as part of the Portswood Project trial.
We are thoroughly monitoring the trial and the first of our monthly traffic data reports will be released shortly. So far, the monitoring has shown that the number of cars using Portswood Road has fallen since the bus/taxi/cycle only restriction was implemented, compared to the previous week.
While many drivers are complying with the new restriction, the council has made the decision to introduce enforcement measures for the bus/taxi/cycle only section, as the monitoring has shown some continue to pass through during the restricted hours.
Once the camera enforcement on Portswood Road starts on Monday 10 February, other than authorised vehicles, people who drive through the restriction will receive a Warning Notice, and on their second contravention they will receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days).
Warning Letters and PCN’s will be sent through the post to the Registered Keeper of the vehicle. To allow enough time between a Warning Notice being processed and received by the driver, there will be period of approximately two weeks after a Warning Notice being activated and a PCN being issued. All money received from Penalty Charge Notices will be used to pay for the upkeep and running of the camera system and any surplus funds are reinvested into Southampton’s transport network as set out in national legislation.
Following concerns raised from local residents, adjustments will also be made to parking on Brookvale Road near the junction with Highfield Lane as part of a stepped approach to addressing areas of concern. This will help ease congestion and improve road safety around the junction. Additional monitoring of Brookvale Road will be carried out as part of the trial process.
29 January 2025
The trial of the part-time bus/taxi/cycle-only section of Portswood Road, Active Travel Zones and 20mph signage in neighbouring streets began on Monday 27 January 2025 and will continue for at least six months.
We are carefully monitoring the Broadway and surrounding areas. Traffic (and other metrics) are being thoroughly monitored throughout the trial and together with the feedback we receive we will be able to understand any impacts on the Broadway and local roads. The impact of all measures cannot be fully known in advance, so delivering the scheme initially as a trial allows this to be tested. Depending on the results, measures could be removed, amended or added if required. As with any new scheme, there are likely to be traffic flow changes throughout the first days, weeks and months as people get used to the new measures and adjust their travel habits.
If you would like to record any comments as part of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) consultation, please complete the form at transport.southampton.gov.uk/tro.
23 January 2025
We are ready to begin the trial of the part-time bus/taxi/cycle-only section of Portswood Road, Active Travel Zones and 20mph signage in neighbouring streets. The trial will begin on Monday 27 January 2025 and will continue for at least six months.
The part-time bus/taxi/cycle-only section of Portswood Road is located between St Denys Road spur and Westridge Road and the restriction will apply at peak times; between 7am and 10am in the morning and between 4pm and 7pm in the evening. Access will be maintained northbound through the bus gate for large vehicles over 7.5t, with a new loading bay on St Denys Road spur.
While the restriction is in operation only authorised vehicles are allowed, including:
- Buses
- Taxis (Taxis that are not locally licenced by Southampton City Council cannot use the bus gate - 09:30 - 10:00 and 18:30 - 19:00).
- Cyclists, legal E-scooters and E-bikes (not motorcycles/mopeds)
- Emergency vehicles
- Any other service vehicle, carrying out a statutory duty e.g. gritting, refuse collection, that cannot use another route for their purpose and require constant use of the vehicle.
The scheme is also introducing the following improvements, which have the option to be retained after the trial is complete:
- New, larger bus shelters
- Two new parklets; offering seating, planting and cycle parking
- Contraflow cycle lane on St Denys Road spur
- 20-mph limit for the area
- New buildouts with cycle bypasses on Brookvale Road and Belmont Road
- Traffic filter on Russell Place at its junction with Abbotts Way
The map below shows the new restrictions, and access routes by car for the wider area.
(Please click here to open in a new window)
As part of the trial, the level of achievement of each of the following objectives for the Portswood Project will be measured:
- To regenerate and make Portswood District Centre a more attractive, accessible, vibrant and competitive economic destination so people spend more time and money here;
- To improve the air quality, environment and biodiversity;
- To provide more space for people walking and wheeling with improved connectivity and road safety;
- To improve the choices of transport modes for people to use;
- To improve bus reliability and journey times and create better bus stops;
- To enhance quality of life for all who live, work or shop in the area;
- To reduce the amount of through route traffic on local roads;
- To reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
These will be assessed by an independent consultant in the 3-month and 6-month reports. A series of different data including traffic and movement, economic, community and contextual data will be collected at key points before and during the trial, and after the trial should the scheme be made permanent. A baseline report has already been produced which provides the pre-trial data. The report is available to view here.
During the trial, a monthly interim assessment will be undertaken utilising readily available traffic data to understand the impacts of the Portswood Project. A summary will be made available to the public on the project website. The first assessment will be published in early February 2025.
We plan to continue working with local residents’ associations, retailers, traders and other representatives from the community through the Portswood Project Steering Group to monitor the implementation, progress and outcome of the trial.
17 January 2025
The Portswood Project Steering Group had its fourth meeting on Wednesday 15 January. The group noted the written updates provided on construction progress and the timeline/process for enforcement of the bus gate and bus stops. The group commented on the monitoring plan and timeline for decision-making. The finalised baseline report will be shared with the group in around a week; members may decide to reconvene to discuss.
The next meeting of the group will be on 26 March.
25 October 2024
Legal consultation on the Portswood Project
To introduce the scheme, the Council has to undertake a number of formal legal processes.
The Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) for the bus-gate and ATZs were made on 23rd October and will come into force on 27th January 2025. The Council will be considering in due course whether or not to make these ETROs permanent. Any person may object to, or make any other comment on, the ETROs being made permanent within six months of them coming into force (or within six months of any modification to ETRO coming into force, whichever is later). Please note that comments made on the ETROs before they come into force will be recorded but will only be considered along with all other responses to the ETROs following the end of the six-month consultation period.
The consultation on the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and other regulatory notices will run from 25 October 2024 to 15 November 2024. During this time, we encourage you to comment. This can be done online at: Traffic Regulation Order Consultations or in writing to the Highways Legal Team at Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY. Alternatively, staff at Portswood Library can help you to use the online feedback form. Once the consultation period closes, we will consider all the feedback before making a decision on how to proceed.
The scheme plans and all other documents can be viewed online at: Traffic Regulation Order Consultations . Alternatively, hard copies can be viewed at:
- October Books,189 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton, SO17 2NF
- Portswood Library, Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton, SO17 2NG
- Gateway in the Civic Centre, Southampton SO14 7LY