Anger over plans for new bus lane as tram line extended Plans will mean congestion, claims petition
BIRMINGHAM city centre residents are raising a petition over plans to turn part of their street into a bus-only zone.
People living in apartments along Sheepcote Street, off Broad Street, are angry at the changes being introduced ahead of the construction of the Midland Metro tram line along Broad Street.
With work due to start within weeks, warning signs are already in place.
They claim it will divert traffic and increase congestion on side roads like St Vincent Street and Browning Street, adding to existing problems, and have launched a petition against the plan.
The city council announced earlier this year that it was planning to re-route buses around Broad Street and surrounding areas this summer as work on the Broad Street Metro line is due to start in September.
The plans include installing a bus-only gate and lane on Sheepcote Street near to the entrance of the Arena Birmingham car park.
Dozens have signed the petition, started by resident Jaccy Gasgoyne, which states: “If traffic is diverted away from Sheepcote Street, passing instead down St Vincent Street, this will greatly increase the vol- ume of traffic Browning Street.
“Browning Street is a residential road, with cars parked at every opportunity, a handful of give way areas, and a significant bend, which cars tend to drive round at speed.
“Local residents have already been involved in a number of collisions, as well as near misses, along this road, and increasing the volume of traffic utilising this road will only exacerbate this problem.”
A series of changes to bus routes passing down around the city centre were unveiled in March, designed to keep buses moving during the Metro tram construction work.
At the time Laura Shoaf, managing director of Transport for West Midlands said: “The Midland Metro extension along Broad Street is going to transform public transport in this part of Birmingham, but while construction takes place we need to make sure buses can continue to operate.”