ZIP Bus Priority Corridor
Clanfield - Waterlooville - Portsmouth

The route for the future

FAQs : Your questions answered

Questions

Answers

Q. Why have the approaches to the Causeway junction been reduced from two lanes to one?

A. This measure has been necessary to ensure the safety of both the personnel working on the junction and motorists using this section of road.

The central island on the existing roundabout has also been enlarged to accommodate a peripheral area which is protected with barriers to stop vehicles entering the work zone in the centre. This enables only one vehicle to use the roundabout gyratory at one time, as well as having the effect of slowing down traffic speeds.

Q. Why are there so many refuge islands along Portsmouth Road between the Causeway junction and Havant Road?

A. At the public consultation in June 2005, residents requested that the speed limit be reduced from 40 to 30mph. The police require new speed limits to be self-enforcing. The provision of refuge islands not only provides safer crossing points for pedestrians but is proven to slow through traffic. Once the scheme is complete and the bus stop positions adjusted, overtaking with care will be possible if required. However until the works are completed cones and barriers do pinch the road to discourage overtaking.

As part of the works, high-level illuminated signs are to be installed on the islands, and once this work has been done we will be able to remove the cones and traffic barriers that are currently around them.

We are aware that at present some of the existing bus stop locations clash with the positioning of the new traffic islands. This will be addressed with the repositioning of bus stop locations - final locations will be agreed in September.

Public exhibitions will be held on 4th December in Morrisons' car park and on 5th December at the Clanfield Co-op, where more information will be available on the final bus stop locations and the closure of Dell Piece.

Q. Who is permitted to use the bus lanes?

A. There will be permitted access by the general public as follows:

  • To enable a vehicle to cross the bus lane while proceeding to or from any side road or premises adjacent to the bus lane
  • To enable a person to board or alight from the vehicle
  • To avoid an accident
  • To enable a vehicle (if it cannot be conveniently used for such purpose in any other road) to be used in conjunction with building or demolition operations
  • To enable the vehicle to wait at or near any premises situated on or adjacent to the sides of the road for as long as it is reasonably necessary, in conjunction with weddings, funerals, etc.

The Police and bus operators appreciate that some domestic deliveries are large, and roadside delivery is required. Providing such deliveries are not a regular occurrence the Police will be tolerant. Similarly, the Police accept that household removal vehicles will need to load/unload from the side of the road, and ask that advanced notification is given to the local Police station.

Q. How will work on the A3 Bus Corridor benefit the cyclist?

A. When developing the design for the A3 corridor, special attention was paid to the needs of both experienced and the more vulnerable cyclists. On road, the highest priority is to minimise the problems cyclists experience at pinch points, refuges and other obstructions such as gullies. In order to maximise the lengths of bus and cycle lanes, a lane width of 3.65m was agreed in conjunction with a reduced speed limit of 30mph and drainage gullies being replaced with a kerb drainage system to provide additional usable space for cyclists.

A minimum running lane of 3.4m was provided for remaining traffic in sections without a bus lane. It has also been essential to provide additional refuges to aid pedestrians. We have kept the length of these as small as possible - in the region of 7m - and have retained a 3.4m width at the refuges on the downhill side. When a longer refuge is required, there is a minimum lane width of 4.5m.

At the larger, busier junctions, or where there is the demand for better protection for the more vulnerable cyclists such as schoolchildren, off-road routes have been provided. On these routes, depending on location, number of driveways, and the width of footway available, cyclists and pedestrians will either share the footway (near bus stops and junctions) or are segregated from one another (across driveways or where there is a high number of pedestrians) by a raised 6mm high white line.

At key junctions and crossing points, the cyclists share dedicated crossing times with pedestrians, either at new traffic signal junctions or at a 'toucan' crossing. Elsewhere cyclists and pedestrians must give way to other vehicles, crossing only when safe to do so.

In Sections 4 and 5 an off-road segregated cycle route gives cyclists access to Waterlooville, Cowplain, Horndean, the Hazleton Estate, Horndean Community School and Morrisons. In Horndean there is also a short off-road route between Havant Road and Five Heads Road. The on-road sections of the corridor remain cycle-friendly: pinch points are removed, a constant 30mph limit is provided, street lighting improved and cyclists can use bus lanes. Cycle parking is provided in Waterlooville, Cowplain and Horndean.

Your questions answered

Q. Is it really necessary to remove the Causeway roundabout?

A. The current tidal nature of traffic flows at this junction results in significant queues at the roundabout for northbound traffic during the morning peak and the evening peak, on the approach from the A3(M), where queues can extend back onto the interchange slip road. With the prospect of the situation worsening due to traffic growth, changing the roundabout to a signal-controlled junction enables the uneven traffic flows to be managed, as well as having the following benefits:

  • Meeting the project's objectives of reducing delays to buses
  • Improving provisions for pedestrians and cyclists on a route used by schoolchildren
  • Addressing the primary cause of accidents at the Hazleton Way junction.

A number of alternative options were considered for the junction, but full signalisation, incorporating the Hazleton Way junction, is the only solution that meets all the requirements.

The full signalisation option has the following features:

  • Road widening on the northern approach will reduce delays to buses during the morning peak by providing a separate lane for traffic turning right towards the A3(M)
  • Road widening on the southbound approach will provide a bus lane with a signal controlled 'gate' giving priority to buses
  • Signal control at the Hazleton Way junction will reduce risks due to vehicle crossing conflicts
  • Controlled crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists on all four arms of the Causeway junction and linking to adjacent cycle routes.

Q. Won't removing the Causeway roundabout increase traffic queues in Catherington Lane?

A. By the year 2010 traffic volume is expected to rise by around 10% above the base traffic flow data collected in 2004. The dominant flows in Portsmouth Road with a roundabout will have priority over traffic in Catherington Lane and the queue, using predicted traffic flow, will be almost twice the length of a queue to the proposed traffic lights.

Q. Who is permitted to use the bus lanes?

A. There will be permitted access by the general public as follows:

  • To enable a vehicle to cross the bus lane while proceeding to or from any side road or premises adjacent to the bus lane
  • To enable a person to board or alight from the vehicle
  • To avoid an accident
  • To enable a vehicle (if it cannot be conveniently used for such purpose in any other road) to be used in conjunction with building or demolition operations
  • To enable the vehicle to wait at or near any premises situated on or adjacent to the sides of the road for as long as it is reasonably necessary, in conjunction with weddings, funerals, etc.

The Police and bus operators appreciate that some domestic deliveries are large, and roadside delivery is required. Providing such deliveries are not a regular occurrence the Police will be tolerant. Similarly, the Police accept that household removal vehicles will need to load/unload from the side of the road, and ask that advanced notification is given to the local Police station.

Q. Why allow cyclists to share the footway with pedestrians?

A. At the larger, busier junctions, or where there is a demand for better protection for the more vulnerable cyclists such as schoolchildren, off-road routes have been provided. On these routes, depending on location, number of driveways, and the width of footway available, cyclists and pedestrians will either share the footway (near bus stops and junctions) or are segregated from one another (across driveways or where there is a high number of pedestrians) by a raised 6mm high white line.