Cycle lanes and road closures planned for Hove station area
New cycle lanes and a couple of road closures form part of plans to make the roads near Hove railway station safer, Brighton and Hove City Council said this week.
Picture by Simon Ferguson
A car crashed into the station entrance just over a week ago although the driver was understood to have suffered a “medical episode”.
The plans include scrapping the roundabout in Goldstone Villas and closing the end of Clarendon Villas and Eaton Villas.
Brighton and Hove City Council said that the changes would improve safety along the “Hove station corridor”.
The plans – outlined below – will be available for viewing and comment at the Hove Town Hall Customer Service Centre from tomorrow (Monday 4 July) to Friday (8 July).
Project officers will be present from 10am to 4pm each day to answer questions and provide more information.
Consultation on the proposals started on Monday 20 June and ends on Friday 15 July.
The council said: “We’re giving people the chance to have their say on work to improve safety along a key route in and out of Hove railway station.
“Planning is under way for a scheme which would improve the road, pavements and junctions the length of Goldstone Villas, around Station Approach and into the north end of Denmark Villas.
“The area features three of our top ten ‘pedestrian crossing priority sites’ – these are assessed on things like casualty data, improving access for people with mobility issues, walkability and access to public transport.
“Among the improvements being planned are
- New cycle lanes along length of Goldstone Villas between Blatchington Road and Hove Station
- New layout at the junction of Clarendon Villas, Goldstone Villas and Eaton Villas, removing the current mini roundabout, closing motor vehicle access from Goldstone Villas and installing green areas on Clarendon Villas and Eaton Villas to increase biodiversity
- New signalised pedestrian crossing points providing safe movements into / out of Hove Station and east / west across Goldstone Villas.
- Wider pavements on the Blatchington Road / Goldstone Villas junction to reduce crossing distances
- New raised table pedestrian crossing on Denmark Villas
- New ‘Copenhagen Crossing’ on Shirley Street / Goldstone Villas junction
…
After the consultation period, the project team will look to revise the designs, with a view to taking on board the feedback received.
The council added: “A report outlining the consultation feedback and including the final design proposals will be put forward to the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee in November for approval.
“If approval is gained, the scheme would look to be implemented in early 2023.”
Councillor Steve Davis, co-chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said: “It’s great to see that we’re going to be improving three of our top ten pedestrian crossing priority sites in one scheme.
“This is a busy and popular route for people getting to and from Hove station. These improvements will make it a safer and more pleasant journey for the thousands of people who travel through this part of the city.
“I’m especially pleased that we’ll be completely redesigning the Goldstone Villas junction with Clarendon Villas and Eaton Villas.
“We’ve seen a number of collisions and near misses here and these changes will undoubtable make it safer.”
The mini-roundabout in Goldstone Villas is expected to be scrapped
Here’s what the council had to say about some of the changes …
How will vehicles access Clarendon Villas and Eaton Villas?
As part of these proposals vehicular access will be maintained to Clarendon Villas via Goldstone Street and Sackville Road. Access to Eaton Villas will be maintained via Denmark Villas. Allowance has been made for larger vehicles (namely refuge vehicles) to be able to turn-around at the point closures.
Will there be any loss of parking associated with these designs?
These proposals indicate a loss of two parking spaces across the scheme. Proposed relocation of certain features has allowed parking losses to be kept to a minimum.
Will there be any loss of taxi rank capacity associated with these designs?
No, there will be no loss of taxi rank capacity associated with these designs. Both the taxi rank near the medical centre and the one near the station will retain their current capacity, with the medical centre rank gaining an additional four metres of total rank length.
Where will the number 7 bus reroute?
The proposal indicates that the 7 bus will finish its route by continuing to Blatchington Road and then looping via Eaton Gardens, Eaton Villas, and Denmark Villas before returning to stop H via Blatchington Road.
Why is the southbound Livingstone Road bus stop being removed?
This bus stop shows very low usage figures year-on-year, as such the proposed removal of this stop aims to improve bus service reliability and timetable consistency.
Why has a cycle lane been included on Goldstone Villas?
Recent cycle count data indicates that this route is used by enough cyclists to warrant the introduction of mandatory cycle lanes as per guidance laid out by the Department for Transport in Local Transport Note 1/20.
Will the zebra crossings across Clarendon Villas and Eaton Villas have flashing lights (Belisha beacons)?
No, guidance says that the flashing beacons can be omitted if the zebra crossing is across a cycle lane.
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If they close Eaton Villas how will the #7 bus get to the Goldstone Villas terminus stop?
Copenhagen Crossing and signage most needed at Clarendon Road (also be good at Livingstone Rd). Crossing Clarendon Rd at busy times is treacherous because of the Ellen Street rat run traffic. Drivers do not respect the new right of way for pedestrians law and I have seen drivers turning from the Eastern side of Goldstone Villas yelling at people who cross Clarendon Road without giving way to the car.
If traffic cannot get into Vlerndon Villas from Goldstone Villas, will it take one of the roads to the north and then down the side road to it by the church?
Is there any news on the crash yesterday evening between upper beeding and shoreham? It looked pretty horrendous. A car had left the road on the outside of a bend and hit the back of a lorry parked in a layby. I drove past, lots of people had stopped already, but I don’t there was much they could do to help 🙁
Drive carefully everyone.
But it was the Council that installed the roundabout !Before that , the junction was relatively safe . You couldn’t make this up!
typical “biased” click-bait: headline photo shows RTA in Hove Station which then states it had nothing to do this possible road safety improvement.
Reeks of secret Sustrans
Please could we see a map of the current road situation, and a map of the proposed improved cyclist / pedestrian/ car project?
It would help me to visualise this better.
I am a cyclist and would very much like to see this area safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
I am in work daily so cannot attend the Town Hall.
Thanks
That mini roundabout is a nightmare – the number of near accidents i’ve seen while walking past is staggering.
Does closing these roads funnel more traffic north of the tracks, down wilbury avenue, a road with its own difficulties already?
You need to put taxi rank on the left hand of the road as well instead of the middle because its to risky specially for old people and kids
That’s all very well and nice, but unless they sort out the traffic lights at sackvill and blatchington Road and turn that into a roundabout, there will be serious pollution and congestion created. Let’s hope BHCC do the right thing and look at the entire area not just a couple of streets.