Brighton & Hove City Council leader Jason Kitcat on the Lewes Road scheme

Residents, community groups and campaigners came together recently to celebrate the launch of the new Lewes Road scheme. Before the changes, the majority of those using the road were travelling by bus, bike or foot. However the road didn’t help these thousands of residents travel smoothly, and in many cases not very safely either.

Many city businesses and organisations are on this vital route, including our football club and two universities. Most of them are growing, the only way they can get growing numbers of staff, visitors, students and fans up and down the route is by sustainable transport.

So we’ve just finished part of a scheme to help the majority who travel on the Lewes Road by bus, bike or on foot get about quicker and more safely. The majority of the cost of the scheme was awarded to us from the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, which is aimed at creating growth and reducing carbon emissions.

While there will be some initial disruption now that much of the scheme is in place, the better reliability of buses and increased safety of other modes of transport will mean that more residents will be able to choose them to get to work, school or town rather than car. This will reduce congestion and improve air quality on the road. The scheme is similar to the one introduced on the A259 coastal road a few years ago, which has seen a reduction in general traffic of around 10%, and an increase in bus patronage of approximately 25%.

The Lewes Road is one of the major schemes that will make our streets safer for everyone, and help our city continue to grow for years to come.