Safer, Better Streets associated projects delivered to date/in progress
Funding via a range of programmes will be combined under the SBS programme in future years. Schemes associated with SBS that have been recently delivered or are currently being delivered at listed below at Table 1, with more information on these schemes detailed below:
Table 1. Safer, Better Streets associated projects delivered to date/in progress
|
Scheme name |
Associated scheme programme |
Expected |
|
delivery year |
||
|
A293 Roundabout (South Arm) |
SBS / Pedestrian Crossing Programme 2023/2024 |
N/A |
|
Hove Park Road/Shirley Drive |
SBS / High-Risk Sites |
2023/4 (delivered) |
|
Surrenden Road at the junction with Harrington Road and Bates Road |
SBS / Pedestrian Crossing Programme 2023/2024 |
2023/4 (delivered) |
|
Coldean Lane |
S278 works |
2023/4 (delivered) |
|
Whitehawk Road / Roedean Road / Bristol Gardens / Arundel Road |
SBS / Pedestrian Crossing Programme 2023/2024 |
2023/4 |
|
Blackman Street / Trafalgar Street |
SBS / High-Risk Sites |
2023/4 |
|
Dyke Road Drive junction with A23 London Road |
SBS / High-Risk Sites / A23 Active Travel Scheme Phase 1 |
2023/4 |
|
The Droveway and Shirley Drive |
SBS / S106 |
2023/4 |
|
Withdean Stadium pedestrian crossing |
SBS / S106 |
2023/4 |
|
Clock Tower, North Street |
SBS / High-Risk Sites |
2024/5 |
|
The Avenue junction with Lewes Road |
SBS / S106 |
2024/5 |
|
Old Shoreham Road adjacent to Hove Park and Goldstone Retail Park |
SBS / S106 |
2024/5 |
|
Fox Way between Foredown Road and Chalky Road |
SBS / S106 |
2024/5/6 |
|
Various signalised crossing upgrades – 92/103 in city upgraded in recent years with remaining 11 to be upgraded in upcoming years |
SBS / Signalised crossing upgrades |
2024/5/6 |
|
North Road / Queens Road junction |
SBS / Road Safety Fund |
2025/6 |
As part of the 2023/2024 Pedestrian Crossing Programme design works were progressed at A293 Roundabout (South Arm), Surrenden Road at the junction with Harrington Road and Bates Road and Whitehawk Road / Roedean Road / Bristol Gardens / Arundel Road. Updates on individual sites are summarised below:
a) A293 Roundabout (South Arm): designs works were progressed at this site however after costing the scheme officers advised not to progress the scheme further as the scheme costing exceeded the available funding. The scheme is paused until future funding can be allocated.
b) Surrenden Road at the junction with Harrington Road and Bates Road: design work progressed successfully and construction work was substantially completed on site in November 2023.
c) Whitehawk Road / Roedean Road / Bristol Gardens / Arundel Road: design works progressed successfully and non-statutory consultation took place in Summer 2023 for 6 weeks; this received overwhelming support for improving the safety of this location. The associated Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) was advertised for 21 days in October and November 2023 and construction work is expected to commence in early 2024.
High-Risk Sites
Locations across the city are identified as high-risk sites based on recorded collision data[1]. Improvements are being progressed at numerous locations; updates are summarised below:
a) Clock Tower, North Street: Changes to the junction will be made through the ongoing Western Road project which aims to make the junction safer. The plans for the project, including this junction, were previously approved by the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee. The changes include reducing the waiting time for pedestrians. This is intended to reduce instances of people crossing unsafely which is a common cause of reported accidents. The quicker crossing times for pedestrians will be achieved by simplifying the junction at Dyke Road so this is no longer signalised. Crossings will still be provided for pedestrians. Work is expected to be completed on this part of the project in summer 2024.
b) Hove Park Road/Shirley Drive: construction work has been completed at Hove Park Road with the installation of two raised entries at the junction with Shirley Drive and tightening the radius of the kerbs to reduce speeds into and out of the junctions. Alongside this work, a new illuminated give way sign in a more visible location was provided on the westbound junction.
c) Blackman Street / Trafalgar Street: it is planned to close Blackman Street at its junction with Trafalgar Street following several collisions, including some involving cyclists. By closing this junction to motorised vehicles they will be diverted to a more suitable redesigned junction at Whitecross Street. This was approved in March 2023 by the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee. Construction work is expected to commence in January 2024 and be completed by the end of 2024.
d) Dyke Road Drive junction with A23 London Road: This location is being addressed via the A23 Active Travel Phase 1 scheme. The junction will be raised with pedestrians and cyclists given priority across the junction and lining, signing, surfacing colouring, improved sight lines and a reduction to a single vehicle lane on A23 London Road all being implemented to improve safety at this junction. Design work is complete and construction work is expected to comment in Spring 2024.
Road Safety Fund North Road / Queens Road junction
The council’s initial bid to the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Fund concentrated on the junction of Queens Road/North Road. Planned improvements included re-designing the junction to provide additional space for pedestrians currently at risk from over-running vehicles. Since the initial bid, officers have been working to expand the scope of improvements along the A2010 corridor. In early 2024 improvements are planned for the junction of Russell Road /West Street, which include replacing the existing Pelican crossing with a Puffin Crossing, enlargement of pedestrian waiting areas and changes to the centre island to encourage pedestrians to cross in one movement. The scope of the scheme has also been expanded further to include West Street/ North Street; at the heart of the city’s commercial district this junction is one of the busiest in the city. Large numbers of pedestrians traverse this junction, but daily site observations have indicated that many become frustrated with the long gaps between pedestrian phases. Plans are being developed to modernise and upgrade the signals, which will create opportunities to maximise pedestrian movement through the junction, reducing the number of pedestrians crossing outside of their allocated pedestrian crossing phase.
Section 106 (S106) Sites
Several additional locations have been able to be prioritised as developer S106 contributions are available within the vicinity. These locations would not necessarily be the highest ranked based on collision data or the Safer Better Streets assessment alone however, where funding is available it is possible to deliver these sites sooner. Updates on individual sites are summarized below:
a) The Droveway and Shirley Drive: This location has received several requests with some recorded collisions. It is intended to complement the recent changes at Hove Park by introducing measures to calm traffic and improve pedestrian crossings. Work is currently at the design stage and, subject to further assessment, it expected that improvements will be completed in early 2024.
b) The Avenue junction with Lewes Road: Design work has been commissioned to make minor modifications to the exit arm of the junction. These changes will be intended to improve visibility for vehicles exiting which has resulted in collisions. It is planned that these improvements will be introduced in 2024 to coincide with resurfacing.
c) Fox Way between Foredown Road and Chalky Road: Officers are currently reviewing options for road safety in the area using developer contributions and plan to engage with ward members and the local community on this in due course.
d) Old Shoreham Road adjacent to Hove Park and Goldstone Retail Park: A new pedestrian crossing is proposed adjacent to the park entrance and Goldstone Retail Park, this will compliment current infrastructure. Work is currently at the design stage and, subject to further assessment, it expected that improvements will be completed in early 2024.
e) Newtown Road at the junction with Fonthill Road: This location has received several requests for improvements to safety at the junction. The design is being progressed and proposes to raise up the entire junction and better align pavement buildouts to traffic calm and improve crossing facilities. Work is currently at the design stage and, subject to further assessment, it expected that improvements will be completed in early 2024.
f) Withdean Stadium: officers have commenced the design process and once this is complete the design will be sent off for a Road Safety Audit. Pending no major issues being identified, construction works will start in 2024.
Signalised crossing upgrades
There are current 103 stand-alone signal crossings (not part of a junction) in the city. These crossings are refurbished over a maintenance cycle of approximately 20 years and in recent years these refurbishments have included converting the crossings from old style pelicans to up to date puffins. At the end of this year’s maintenance programme there will be only 11 pelican crossings remaining in the city. Puffins (Pedestrian User-Friendly Intelligent) crossings have been designed to reduce delays to vehicles and improve pedestrians’ feelings of safety while crossing the road.
The benefit of the upgraded crossings according to research shows that standalone puffing crossings are safer than pelican crossings with a mean reduction in accident frequency of 17% (Transport research laboratory, Mar 2011)[2] a further study by Transport for London showed that 6 puffing crossings that had previously been pelican crossings experienced a 39% reduction in pedestrian collisions (Transport for London, 2006)[3].
Coldean Lane – S278 works
As part of the new Bluebell Heights development associated Section 278 works have been undertaken by the development, independent from the SBS team. These works have introduced a new pedestrian refuge island to enable crossing from the Bluebell Heights development across Coldean Lane to the footpath on the western side. There are currently no further works planned at this location.