New Winchester bus routes in operation from next week
Buses will be taking a new route in Winchester from next week as the new bus station opens for business.
- Buses will no longer exit the bus station onto the Broadway and move on to the lower High Street and Middle Brook Street
- Buses will instead enter the bus station from the Broadway and exit onto Friarsgate, then turn into Tanner Street and continue onto St Georges Street
- A new bus stop has been put into St Georges Street, outside M&S, to replace the existing bus stop in Middle Brook Street which will be removed once the new route is in operation
- Middle Brook Street will become a cycle only zone at all times and the high street will become a cycle only zone between 10am and 4pm
Winchester City Council has updated the site of the old bus station, demolishing a disused building to allow buses a more straightforward route through the site. The changes have allowed re-routing of the buses off the high street making the area safer for pedestrians.
Cllr Caroline Horrill, Leader of Winchester City Council commented:
About three million people use the buses each year and this has been about improving the facilities available to them, increasing the availability of real time travel information and increase pedestrian safety in the area around this bus station.
Cllr Jan Warwick Portfolio Holder for Environment added,
This is about ensuring that improved public transport options are offered to benefit the huge number of local bus users. Not only is offering alternatives to the private car important for the environment, another big plus of this move is that we can make the area look more appealing.