Levelling Up Fund - Farnham Road Bus Accessibility

Overview

This consultation is now closed

This consultation was an opportunity for people to have their say on the vision for this proposed scheme and provide some general feedback on how it could be improved, as we had not yet prepared detailed designs.

We asked people to tell us how they currently use this area and its facilities, to list any existing problems that need addressing, and to tell us about improvements they would like to see and any potential issues with our vision.

Their insight, feedback and views are important as they helped us to shape this proposed scheme, decide whether to submit the proposed scheme for our bid in July 2022, and to draw up detailed designs if we did.

We asked people to talk to their neighbours and the local community and get them involved!

Below are the details of the consultationm, which ran from 13 June to 30 June 2022.

This is the separate consultation page for the proposed Farnham Road Bus Accessibility scheme, part of our proposed bid for Round 2 of the government's Levelling Up Fund (LUF2).

For background information on our proposed bid, and how the three proposed schemes in the bid link together, see Levelling Up Fund - Background Information.

Farnham Road has a good daytime bus service, with direct links to various parts of the Borough and neighbouring authorities, but the buses can be delayed by traffic congestion. All buses serving Farnham Road are low floor, providing good access to older and disabled people, including wheelchair users, but access to the bus stops is sometimes blocked by parked vehicles, preventing this.

We want to improve the reliability and journey time of buses on Farnham Road by upgrading and revising the phasing of the traffic signals along the full length of Farnham Road within the Borough. We also want to improve access to the bus stops by adjusting their locations where needed, by introducing parking restrictions to prevent vehicles blocking access, and by improving footways and removing clutter.

Why your views matter

There is currently little bus priority on Farnham Road, with two stretches of southbound bus lane at the southern end of the road - one in operation at peak times only and one in operation at all times, and bus reliability and journey times are still affected by traffic congestion at certain times of the day.

Figure 1: Extent of proposed Farnham Road Bus Accessibility Scheme

[AWAITING IMAGE]

The proposed scheme would include:

• upgrading and revising the phasing of the traffic signals along the full length of Farnham Road within the Borough
• adjusting bus stop locations where needed, filling in laybys if appropriate
• reviewing, and adjusting where needed, traffic calming measures, to reduce the impact on bus journey times and passenger comfort
• reviewing, and upgrading or adding where needed, traffic regulation orders, providing protection from parking and loading to bus stops
• de-cluttering footways and improving footway surfacing, providing better access to, and waiting areas at, bus stops
• upgrading lighting around bus stops
• upgrading bus stops with real time information screens and fixed timetable information
• providing wayfinding totem signs along the road

We don’t propose at this stage to introduce additional stretches of bus lane on Farnham Road but we may be able to amend the existing stretches.

These proposed improvements would complement the proposed improvements to the public realm on Farnham Road (between its junctions with Essex Avenue and Sheffield Road) and at Salt Hill Park for a proposed Western Gateway, and would encourage and support use of the bus to and from the north of the borough and beyond.

We are aware that the bridge over the railway line is a particular ‘pinch point’ which affects journey times for buses and other traffic. However, due to the high cost we are not able to include any changes to the bridge in the proposed scheme.

Further information

If you would like further information to enable you to respond to the survey, or a copy of this information in another format or language, please:

• email us at TransportPlanning@slough.gov.uk, or
• write to us at Transport, Slough Borough Council, Observatory House, 25 Windsor Road, Slough SL1 2EL, or
• call us on 01753 475111 (asking for a message and your contact details to be passed to the Transport team)

Please state "Farnham Road Bus Accessibility Consultation - Enquiry".

Please help us

This consultation is an opportunity for you to have your say on the vision for this proposed scheme and provide some general feedback on how it could be improved, as we have not yet prepared detailed designs .

Please tell us how you currently use this area and its facilities, list any existing problems that need addressing, and tell us about improvements you would like to see and any potential issues with our vision.

Your insight, feedback and views are important as they will help us to shape this proposed scheme, decide whether to submit the three proposed schemes for our bid in July 2022, and to draw up detailed designs if we do.

Please talk to your neighbours and the local community and get them involved!

How to respond

Please, if possible, give your views using the Online Survey form below:

If you are unable to use the online survey form, please instead give your views:

• by email to TransportPlanning@slough.gov.uk, or
• in writing to Transport, Slough Borough Council, Observatory House, 25 Windsor Road, Slough SL1 2EL

Please state "Farnham Road Bus Accessibility Consultation - Response".

Please respond by 23:59 on Thursday 30 June 2022.

What happens next

Thank you for giving us your views. They will be kept anonymous and used to help us to prepare our bid to the Levelling Up Fund Round 2.

To give your views on the other two proposed schemes within the bid please see: 

Farnham Road Public Realm

Salt Hill Park and Western Gateway