1:24pm Thursday 16th July 2009
A BUS lane could be put along Desborough Avenue, High Wycombe in a bid to take congestion away from Marlow Hill.
It would run from the junction with Lancaster Road to Suffield Road towards the town, with smaller sections southbound.
This could see on-street parking removed and the park and ride facility re-routed down the road, instead of Marlow Hill.
John Kemplen, team leader for transport, planning and modelling at Buckinghamshire County Council, told a public meeting this week: “We think it is do-able.
“We are hoping to go along a continuous length of Desborough Avenue which would make it a lot more effective.”
But ward councillor Mahboob Hussain said: “I think it would be awful. I am quite concerned about safety.
Cllr Hussain, of Wycombe District Council, said: “Our roads are bad enough already. People are parking cars all over the place.”
And traders gave a mixed response to the news.
Simon Windfield, owner of Cycle Care, said: “I wouldn’t have thought there was enough room. It could really clog up the area. I’d like to see the plans.”
Mohammed Rashid, of Computer Gallery, said: “Putting the bus lane there would mean more congestion, other people wouldn’t be able to use the bus lane.”
The council is looking at Marlow Hill as another option for the bus lane but this is unlikely to go ahead, given its affect on traffic, said Dave Roberts, BCC team leader for public transport development.
The move comes as bus travel rocketed in the town by a fifth. The recession and UK-wide free bus travel for the over 60s is thought to be driving the numbers (see link, bottom of story).
Steve Burns, managing director of Carousel Buses, said: “It is a marvellous idea.
“The more bus priority measures we have in High Wycombe, the more free running all the traffic in the town will become because people will use buses more.
“I think people in High Wycombe are realising buses are a viable alternative to cars.”
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