Introduction to bus stops
Bus stops should be easily accessible. All buildings should be located within 400 metres from a bus stop. The routes to the bus stops should be safe, direct, convenient and accessible for people of all abilities.
Development sites should be served by frequent and reliable bus services which provide connections between the development and key destinations.
When providing routes to bus stops, the routes should be along footpaths and footways that are a minimum of 2 metres wide. Footpaths and footways should have limited pinch points of no less than 1.5 metres wide.
The routes should have a smooth, step-free service and have seating at regular intervals.
The bus stops should be located so that they have natural surveillance from surrounding buildings. They should provide a pleasant environment with adequate shelter, seating and lighting, with the provision of real-time passenger information.
The bus stops must provide raised bus boarders or specialist kerbs to enable wheeled access on to buses.
Cyclists should be protected from buses, with interactions between pedestrians and cyclists being low-level. Well-designed bus stop bypasses help to reduce conflicts between cyclists, buses and moving traffic.
At bus stop bypasses, pedestrians are required to cross the cycle track to reach the bus stop, which is on an island between the cycle track and the carriageway. This has the potential to introduce conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists. These conflicts can be better understood through early engagement with relevant groups, particularly those representing disabled people.
To minimise potential conflicts, the layout of a bus stop bypass must also various design details including signage, highway markings, sufficient visibility, widths, tactile paving and other features. These elements help to slow cyclists down and improve legibility, enabling all users to navigate the space while maintaining separation between the pavement and the bus stop waiting area.
Where the cycle track is at carriageway level, it can be raised to footway level at pedestrian crossing points. This helps to reduce cycle speed, maintain level pedestrian access and emphasise pedestrian priority. Crossing points can be controlled where cycle traffic speed and flow are high.
The island is usually 2.5 metres wide to provide space for people waiting for the bus including accommodation for parents and buggies, visually impaired people with a guide dog or wheelchair users, ensuring enough room for a bus wheelchair ramp to be deployed.
