We, the undersigned, call on Birmingham City Council to keep and improve the A38 bus and cycle lane from Selly Oak to Northfield.

The pop up bus and cycle lane and the new 30 mph speed limit on this stretch of the A38 are 6 month pilot measures implemented as part of Birmingham's emergency transport response to the COVID pandemic. We believe the changes should be made permanent, and that further measures to improve the safety of cyclists should be introduced.

By re-prioritising road space on the A38 through Selly Oak and Bournville to Northfield, this bus and cycle lane shows bus passengers, cyclists and pedestrians that they are no longer second class citizens. Every journey by bus, bike or on foot helps reduce air pollution and carbon emissions on the A38.

Bus routes are Birmingham's mass transit system. As the bus network recovers from the pandemic, key bus routes like the A38 must be prioritised to persuade people to get out of their cars for local journeys: the biggest disincentives to bus usage are delays and congestion. 

While the A38 pop-up cycle lane is a welcome improvement, we call upon the council to upgrade it as soon as feasible to a segregated lane to offer cyclists maximum protection.