Proposals designed to encourage commuters to get out of their cars and use the bus instead are being submitted to Swansea Council’s Cabinet later this week.
Infrastructure improvements planned for three key routes into the city would help improve bus journey times and punctuality and would encourage motorists to use public services instead.
If the report is approved, detailed design work will get started on the following schemes:
- The Carmarthen to Swansea route between Fforestfach and the city centre.
- The route between Llandarcy and the city centre.
- The route between Pontardawe and the city centre via Clydach and Swansea Enterprise Park.
John Hague, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said he hoped the new initiatives would help reduce congestion in the city centre and reduce pollution and other environmental impacts of the daily commute into work.
Cllr Hague said: “These are important bus routes into the city centre. If approved by Cabinet these projects aim to improve journey times for bus passengers and encourage people to forego using their cars on the commuter runs into the city. Smoother and more punctual bus journeys into the city would offer a significant and user-friendly alternative to the car.
“It’s important to recognise that these ideas are at the design stage and there will be full consultation before any work is started on the roads affected.”
The Welsh Assembly Government has offered a grant of £125,000 through the SWWITCH partnership for the design work.
Among the proposals is a plan to create a park and share service at Pontardawe which will offer commuters the chance to park their cars for free and catch a fast and direct bus into the city.
There are also proposals to improve traffic flow at the Fforestfach retail centre by increasing the length of the turn-right filter lane on the southbound section of the A483 in that area.
On top of that the design project will look at creating a new bus service between Swansea Enterprise Park and the city centre and will work to give priority to buses at the junction of Carmarthen Road and Kingsway. There will also be improvements for buses and passengers on Fabian Way at the junctions with Elba Crescent and Langdon Road.
