City traffic warning amid road works

Published Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Motorists travelling in Belfast are being warned to give themselves extra travel time as pupils return to school due to ongoing work to bus lanes.

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The Department of Regional Development has been improving the public transport network over the summer to give increased priority to bus users, pedestrians and cyclists.

However work on the Belfast on the Move initiative is not quite finished and motorists are being warned about delays, particularly at peak times.

It comes as pupils across Northern Ireland prepare to go back to school after the holidays.

"As we enjoy the last few weeks of summer, road users are reminded that, traditionally, traffic levels increase in the autumn," a statement said.

"Drivers visiting Belfast should be especially aware of the current road improvement works in the city centre. About 60% of traffic currently using the streets at the front and back of City Hall is through traffic with no destination within the city centre.

"Roads Service urges drivers who do not need to travel via the city centre to use alternative routes such as the M3, Westlink and the Outer Ring Road (A55.)"

New bus lanes are operating in Oxford Street and East Bridge Street - with more planned for May Street, Donegall Square South and Howard Street over the next month.

Meanwhile road resurfacing on May Street, Donegall Square South and Howard Street is due to begin on Sunday 2 September, and will last for around two weeks.

The DRD said around 30,000 vehicles per day travel through the city centre on the roads in front and behind the City Hall.

Its statement continued: "Motorists in the city centre should take extra care while they familiarise themselves with the new traffic management arrangements.

"Electronic signing at key points will advise of the works and possible delays."

Comments

3 Comments

Tomc in Belfast wrote (268 days ago):

All this will serve to do is increase the congestion in central Belfast intead of decrease it. Well done the clowns in BCC! Lets not add a bus lane or two, lets remove already congested lanes and squeeze that congestion into fewer lanes. There are reasons people don't want or like to take public transport - deal with those issues rather than create more problems.

Jan Cole in Holywood wrote (268 days ago):

I am a driver in and out of the City Centre each day and was extremely disappointed that only 3 mins was given on the news on Tue night to this subject. A couple of people were interviewed but seemed no regular City Drivers were asked for the views. Very very disappointed in this whole bus lane setup. I pay my road tax and insurance as per the law but am being penalised. Why should someone on a bus get to their work and home again quicker than me. My colleagues discuss this everyday and no-one has ever seen a bus in the lane in Oxford Street. I wonder who carried out their survey and how they did it. Did they actually stop drivers to ask them if they were actually passing through the City or did they follow them to see where they went. Its madness. I have to use my car in and out of work as I am registered disabled and cannot walk any length of distance. Would be good to have this issue raised again.

Frankie Lenaghan in Belfast wrote (268 days ago):

A disaster waiting to happen with these new bus lanes , this city is not big enought for the amount of bus lanes it has . has the council learned nothing from the £1 million white elephant park n ride on the saintfield road ? people WILL NOT use public transport in this city to the extent that they want and never will ' the new lane on may street means traffic comimng over the albert bridge and going into the city centre has just one lane to filter all cars using it with the other lane going up victoria street and the other a bus lane , (madness) and the lane in oxford street just appearing in the middle of the road (which joker thought that one up) it means the inside lane goes into the city centre and 50% of the cars using it cut over and up onto east bridge street at the last minute causing all the traffic to back up and thats a nightmare , and all this and the schools have'nt even started back yet... these decisions will turn the city centre into another dublin or central london style system with cars going nowhere fast and it stinks of someone who has never driven in this city and does not know anything about it....