Newcastle’s Quayside is set for a major redesign that would turn the riverfront into a new event space.
Plans have been revealed to axe the bus lane which runs along a section of the Quayside, up from the vacant Plot 12 site past the Millennium Bridge to outside Newcastle Crown Court.
The route would then be left as a bigger riverside plaza for pedestrians and cyclists, which Newcastle City Council says it wants to use to host events and activities.
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Buses that currently use the route would instead have to travel down the main road, with transport chiefs planning to create a new westbound bus lane there as a replacement.
The changes are due to be introduced as a 12-month experiment, before a decision is made on whether they could work practically as a permanent reimagining of the Quayside.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “Working with NE1, we are seeking to create a larger space on the Quayside that could be used to host events and activities.
“Therefore we are planning to re-route buses from the bus lane that runs along that section of the Quayside onto the main road, with a westbound bus lane created to replace the existing one.
“We will monitor how this works to see whether this could become a permanent change that would continue to provide a reliable bus route in this part of the city.”
The changes will be the latest in a series of measures designed to remove traffic from popular sections of the city centre.
Under £50m transformation plans to reduce pollution and make the city safer and more attractive, the council is proposing to pedestrianise the entirety of Grey Street.
The Blackett Street bus route is also due to be closed to traffic, though it is expected that opposition to those plans could lead to a public inquiry to decide whether they can go ahead.
On the Quayside, the council says that a new bus lane to replace the existing one will be needed to help make the changes “viable” without creating major congestion for public transport services.
It means that a section of the main Quayside road heading towards the city centre will be made into a bus lane, for a 125m section starting after the junction with Sandgate.
A council report states: “The bus lane will be implemented under an experimental traffic regulation order, which allows us to introduce the bus lane for a period of 12 months while the effects of the experimental traffic regulation order are monitored and assessed before a decision is taken whether or not to continue to the experimental traffic regulation order on a permanent basis.
“All impacts of the experimental traffic regulation order will be assessed including ensuring that buses are not delayed while using this new bus lane.
“Objections to the scheme can be made at any time during the first six months of the experimental order and would be taken into consideration before any final decision is made.”
