Safe, active and sustainable travel for the A259

Ambitious plans for a new seafront cycle lane and public realm improvements that will support and promote active and sustainable travel in Brighton & Hove will be presented to councillors next week.

At the first meeting of the council’s new cabinet, members will be shown a vision for walking and cycling along the seafront from the Marina to the city’s western boundary. 

The interconnected route will include a two-way cycle lane on the southern side of the A259 between Fourth Avenue in Hove and the city’s western boundary.

As part of this wider strategy, cabinet will be shown initial designs for the section between Fourth Avenue and Wharf Road which also include improvements to pavements, roads, junctions, and public transport infrastructure.

Cabinet members will be asked to approve a recommendation that initial designs are developed and put out for full public consultation with the feedback collected used to draw up more detailed plans.

The designs

Subject to public consultation and transport modelling, the Fourth Avenue to Wharf Road design would provide a safe and direct two-way cycle lane, separated from traffic and pedestrians. 

The design is split into two sections.

  • Between Fourth Avenue and Hove Street: Converting space from one of the traffic lanes to install a two-way cycle lane while widening shopfront pavements and loading capacity for local businesses. 
  • Between Hove Street to Wharf Road: Converting space from the existing shared pavement/cycle lane into a new two-way cycle lane and pavement. This would keep both traffic lanes.

The designs would also focus heavily on accessible travel for all, particularly pavements, crossings and bus stops.

Read more and see the plans.

Funding the improvements

The Fourth Avenue to Wharf Road section of the improvements would be funded by:

  • £500,000 awarded to the scheme by Active Travel England.
  • £1.2 million reallocated from the Marine Parade cycle lane scheme, subject to Active Travel England approval.
  • £2.6 million from the council’s Local Transport Plan funding.

While funding from the Marine Parade scheme would be reallocated, Marine Parade remains a priority area and would be delivered as part of the wider plans for a high-quality cycle route along the entire seafront.

Background

The A259 is one of the key areas of the city identified for active travel improvements by the council’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). It’s also part of the National Cycle Network (NCN route 2).

The council was awarded funding by Active Travel England to make improvements along the road to support active travel.

This included half a million pounds for the section between Fourth Avenue and Wharf Road and £3 million for the section between Wharf Road and the city’s western boundary.

Last summer, councillors asked for a redesign of the Fourth Avenue to Wharf Road section so that:

  • there was better use of the available space, 
  • the east and westbound cycle lanes would be next to each other,
  • the scheme reduced the need to remove traffic lanes wherever possible and
  • that it should be direct and avoid diversions.