More than 250 people have signed a petition because buses are to be diverted along Upper North Street and Montpelier Terrace while work is carried out in Western Road, Brighton.
Work on the revamp of Western Road is expected to take up to two years and involves resurfacing the road and pavements, creating a “central strip” and more crossings.
While work is under way, buses will continue to travel westbound along Western Road, but eastbound traffic will be diverted up Montpelier Road and along Upper North Street to Regent Hill.
Retired doctor Gillian Durham started the petition – “Stop half a million buses on Brighton’s Upper North Street and Montpelier Terrace” – on Change.org on Sunday (18 December).
It raised concerns about air quality and the increased volume of traffic along the narrow road.
Dr Durham said:
“I believe the council’s decision on this diversion is wholly unreasonable given the substantial health and safety issues that will arise from the street traffic and the potential for damage to heritage homes which are currently protected by a 7.5-tonne weight limit.
“The original consultation on the Western Road improvement project was clearly defective as it did not include how the council intended to implement the works.
“Those who responded to the consultation would have assumed that two-way traffic was to be managed in Western Road using temporary traffic lights.”
The public consultation took place early last year and members of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee approved the project in July last year.
Dr Durham said that she searched Brighton and Hove City Council’s consultation leaflet about improvements to Western Road and found no reference to “diversion” or “Upper North Street”.
She also found a map from the leaflet, which she shared on the petition, and which does not show Upper North Street or Montpelier Terrace.
Mobile vehicle-activated signs are being installed in Montpelier Terrace and Upper North Street to alert drivers if they exceed the speed limit and collect traffic and speed data.
People commenting on the petition have raised concerns about the increased number of large vehicles in the Montpelier and Clifton Hill Conservation Area.
Work has already started on the Western Road project, with bus diversions due to start on Monday 9 January.
The council’s website said that each side junction was expected to close for three to four weeks while work was carried out – and residents would be contacted beforehand.
The multimillion-pound revamp is being funded by government grants, including £2 million from the “Active Travel Fund” and £1.5 million from the “Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund”.
The council will also use a portion of the £27.9 million grant from the Department for Transport for the “Bus Service Improvement Plan” to help fund the revamp.
The Bus Service Improvement Plan aims to reduce journey times and bus fares and provide a “more comprehensive” service across Brighton and Hove.
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