Portswood bus gate caused upsurge in local traffic
The scheme was trialled by Southampton City Council but later scrapped
Last updated 28th May 2025
The scrapped Portswood bus gate trial saw traffic in a surrounding residential road surge by as much as 228% during a peak time period.
Southampton City Council leaders suspended the controversial scheme, which was designed to limit traffic on a busy high street, earlier this month.
The restrictions in Portswood Road meant only buses, taxis and cyclists were permitted to travel along sections of the road between 7.00am and 10.00am, and 4.00pm and 7.00pm Monday to Saturday.
A monitoring report three months after the scheme went live compared figures collected last summer from automatic traffic counters to data obtained in late March and early April when the bus gate was in force.
The report by consultants WSP found the road with the largest increase in traffic was Abbotts Way between Russell Place and Brookvale Road, where northbound weekday traffic increased 228% between 7.00am and 10.00am and 130% between 4.00pm and 7.00pm.
There were also increases in southbound traffic in this section of Abbots Way of 95% in the peak morning period and 61% in the afternoon peak.
Nearby Brookvale Road was at the centre of many of the concerns and objections related to the bus gate’s impact.
The monitoring report found traffic in both directions combined in Brookvale Road was up 66% between 7.00am to 10.00am on weekdays and 76%between 4.00pm and 7.00pm.
Vehicle numbers were also up in Westridge Road, Belmont Road South and Winn Road.
WSP carried out monitoring in four locations along Portswood Road and traffic was down on all of these counters during the trial, with the biggest drop at 67 per cent in the morning heading northbound in the area around Farmfoods.
When the trial was live, traffic in Russell Place was significantly lower (89% morning peak and 80% afternoon peak), while there was a smaller drop in Westwood Road, Abbotts Way between Highfield Lane and Russell Place, and Bevois Hill.
When the announcement was made that the bus gate would be suspended, cabinet member for environment and transport Cllr Eamonn Keogh said the local authority’s approach had always been rooted in evidence and safety.
“The data shows that while the intended benefits are emerging, we must address unintended effects on surrounding roads,” Cllr Keogh said.
He added: “We are acting decisively to relieve that pressure while continuing to explore long-term improvements.
“The council will work closely with residents in the coming months to understand why expected traffic patterns, such as use of Thomas Lewis Way, have not materialised.
“This engagement will help shape the next phase of the project, including possible new measures to protect residential roads and improve overall traffic flow.”
A large protest against the scheme took place in Portswood in March, while a petition calling for it to be scrapped attracted thousands of signatures.