A consultation on proposed Sprint Bus works in Birmingham is now being carried out
Image of a Sprint Bus shelter. PIC: Transport for West Midlands
A raft of changes are set to be carried out in Birmingham city centre as part of a major new bus scheme.
A consultation exercise is under way asking members of the public for their views on works to be carried out as part of Sprint Bus Phase Two, which will link Walsall, Birmingham and Solihull.
Among the proposed changes in Birmingham are new Sprint shelters, bus priority measures and improvements to roads and paths aimed at tackling congestion and making it safer to walk.
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People are asked to give their opinions on various works planned to take place and have until May 2 to take part.
The Sprint corridor will provide a mixture of dedicated bus lanes and priority at road junctions and traffic lights.
It aims to improve travel for passengers and make journeys quicker and more reliable as well as enhancing connectivity and improving the environment.
When Sprint was first announced back in 2018, it was set to be completed and delivered in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham but was hit with delays.
Phase 1, concentrated along the A45 and A34 in Birmingham, was completed in June 2022.
If the consultation phase is approved, the proposed works are expected to begin later this year.
Work is currently ongoing on the Solihull leg of Phase Two and is expected to be completed later this year.
If this consultation phase is approved, proposed works in Birmingham are expected to begin later this year.
Once work on both those sections are completed, work on the Walsall leg will then get under way.
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The first set of proposed works in Birmingham people are being consulted on is Corporation Street, James Watt Queensway and Steelhouse Lane.
This will see a new sprint shelter on James Watt Queensway (southbound into the city centre) and a new bus gate at the junction of Steelhouse Lane and James Watt Queensway to give bus only access to James Watt Queensway.
Highways improvements in Corporation Street will include a widened path and new pedestrian crossing, on street parking to be replaced with a loading zone and disabled parking between Newton Street and Ryder Street to enable the path to be widened.
There will also be a new taxi rank opposite Ryder Street and no waiting or loading outside the magistrates court.
On James Watt Queensway, improvements for pedestrians crossing including one lane traffic reduction towards Lancaster Circus.
The second set of changes concerns the A34 Lancaster Street, Lancaster Circus and Price Street.
Two new sprint shelters will go on Lancaster Street (both northbound and southbound), bus only access through Lancaster Circus underpass in both directions and improvements for pedestrians crossing the road to get to bus stops.
The third area for discussion is Moor Street Queensway and The Priory Queensway.
A new Sprint shelter, northbound into the city, on Moor Street Queensway, a new bus gate from Moor Street Queensway to Priory Queensway and a central island bus stop with widened footway.
Over in Park Street (Bullring Shopping Centre), a new Sprint shelter will be installed on Park Street – northbound into the city.
And the final section to be consulted will be Coventry Road which will see one new Sprint shelter southbound by Bordesley Railway Station and a bus stop totem displaying passenger information on the northbound section.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the works and take part in the consultation can visit https://sprintphase2.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/birmingham/step1