Nine-month scheme to improve bus journeys could begin in September
A nine-month scheme to improve bus journeys on a city centre street could begin in September if it is approved by Council bosses next week.
The £1 million bus hotspot scheme will see new bus lanes, improved pedestrian crossings and new cycling facilities introduced on a stretch of Westgate.
It will also involve the closure of a road – a proposal that was criticised during a public consultation into the plans.
The aim is to improve the reliability of bus journeys, reduce congestion and enhance road safety on one of Bradford’s busiest roads.
Funding for the scheme was approved by West Yorkshire Combined Authority last year, and a public consultation on the plans held shortly after.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Bradford Council’s Reform Executive will decide whether to push ahead with the plans.
If approved, construction is expected to start in September 2026 and complete by May 2027.
The works involve
- The installation of camera enforced bus lanes, including an inbound stretch next to Infirmary Fields and both sides of Westgate near the former Oastler Centre.
- Changes to a key junction and traffic signals
- Closure of St Thomas’s Road at its junction with Westgate
- Improved pedestrian crossing facilities
- Better provision for cyclists
Existing access to car parks along the road will remain.
The works will coincide with work to build Phase One of the proposed City Village development, which will see family homes build either side of Westgate.
A report to the Executive says while the majority of people who took part in last year’s consultation supported the plans, there were “some concerns.”
It continues: “The most significant concern related to the proposed closure of St Thomas’s Road.
“The proposed closure of St Thomas’s Road at its junction with Westgate is a key element of the scheme. Between 2018 and 2024, five injury collisions were recorded at the junction, including two serious incidents involving a pedestrian and a cyclist.
“Closing the road would remove this crossing point, reducing vehicle conflict movements at this junction. This change is intended to improve road safety while enabling a simpler and more efficient junction layout.
“Although this proposal generated concern during consultation, particularly in relation to access, it is considered an essential part of achieving the wider benefits of the scheme in terms of safety, traffic flow and bus reliability.”
As a compromise, the report says the closure will initially be a temporary one. It adds: “The proposed closure of St Thomas’s Road will be introduced initially through an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order.
“This approach allows the Council to put the change in place on a trial basis so that it can be monitored in practice before a final decision is made on whether it should become permanent.”
The Executive meets at 10.30am in City Hall on Tuesday.