A38 Birmingham to Longbridge bike lane: cyclists over the moon with scheme to cut car use

The city council wants to extend the current route on the A38 from Selly Oak to Longbridge, creating a ‘connected corridor’ from central Birmingham.

The council hopes the project will cut dependency on cars and increase active travel while providing a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

It said the proposal would support Birmingham’s commitment to becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030.

Martin Price, co-chair of campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham, said they were “incredibly pleased” to see the proposals being brought forward.

“They will bring meaningful improvements to all users of the Bristol Road – whether they’re cycling to school, work or the park, walking to the shops, crossing the road to catch the bus, or driving to one of our many park and rides,” he said.

“This scheme, along with cross-city bus proposals, will enable many more reliable and safe journeys along the A38.

“This is in stark contrast to today’s provision where people walking have to share the pavement with cyclists, where cyclists are sometimes crammed into a corner of the lane, and where buses lack journey time reliability.”

Mr Price said redesigning Brum’s streets was “one powerful way” the council could address the city’s road safety emergency.

“We encourage everyone to have a look at the proposals,” he said. “We look forward to submitting our formal response over the coming weeks.”

A public consultation on the proposals can be found here, along with details of drop-in sessions.

“Following the consultation period, we will review all responses and make any necessary changes to the plans,” the council said.

“We will then develop detailed final designs for construction.”