Overview
- A recent phase of the station gyratory works on Castle Gates/Castle Foregate removed a traffic lane and added a very short cycle lane with a small pavement and zebra crossing.
- The new bus stop marking sits over the only remaining lane, stopping all traffic whenever a bus pulls in and requiring passengers to cross the cycle lane.
- Business owner Martin Monahan’s Change.org petition calling for the cycle lane to be scrapped and the stop moved surpassed 2,500 signatures over the weekend.
- Critics warn the layout could delay emergency vehicles from the nearby fire station and poses safety risks for cyclists and pedestrians.
- Deputy leader Alex Wagner says the Liberal Democrat administration inherited the Levelling Up–funded scheme, with officers reviewing legalities on stop placement and emergency access while minor tweaks such as altered Smithfield Road signals and guidance to use Chester Street are in place.