Frequently Asked Questions

The transport network in this area is important and well-used by people travelling to schools, work and to access local services, recreation and rail services, but a high proportion of these journeys are currently made by private car which results in congestion. 

There are typically 7 bus services per hour using the busiest sections of The Boulevard which connect the Durrington area with central Worthing and beyond, however these services get held up in traffic congestion at peak times.

The quality of pedestrian facilities in the area is also variable with traffic flows meaning that it can be difficult to cross the road, while there are only limited dedicated cycle facilities. 

These issues limit the attractiveness of using public transport, walking and cycling. As part of our transport strategy for Worthing, the County Council aims to make these more attractive options for short trips and reduce congestion where possible through a series of improvements.

Assessment work carried out as part of the Worthing Local Plan has also identified the need for additional traffic capacity to be provided at the A2032 Littlehampton Road/The Boulevard/Durrington Lane roundabout to meet the needs of new development in the area.

The West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036 (opens in new window) sets out how the County Council is intending to address a number of challenges, including economic growth, climate change, congestion, public health and road safety through improvements to the transport network.

The improvements we are considering are expected to make local bus services more reliable and a more attractive transport choice whilst keeping traffic moving. There are currently typically 7 bus services per hour in each direction using The Boulevard between the Strand Parage and Palatine Road/Terringes Avenue roundabouts, and 5 services per hour between the Palatine Road/Terringes Avenue and A2032 Littlehampton Road/Durrington Lane roundabouts. There are currently approximately 10,400 journeys per week in both directions recorded by Stagecoach along The Boulevard, with potential to increase this number of journeys. The bus lanes are estimated to reduce peak-time bus journey times by 3 minutes each way, based on tracking of existing services.

The improvements are also expected to make walking and cycling safer and more convenient, and improve traffic flow at the A2032 Littlehampton Road/The Boulevard/Durrington Lane roundabout. 

The proposed measures are expected to lead to a reduction in short-distance car journeys.

Initial traffic modelling also indicates that the proposed increase to the capacity of the A2032 Littlehampton Road/The Boulevard/Durrington Lane roundabout is expected to reduce delays on the A2032 Littlehampton Road eastern arm of the roundabout.

Feedback to the 2024 consultation highlighted concerns about: the proposed sections of shared shared path (i.e. pedestrian and cycle) due to conflicts between users; and the impacts of proposals on grass verges and access to driveways. The latest proposals do not involve shared paths and are expected to have minimal impact on grass verges and driveway accesses. 

The latest proposals are to provide bus lanes on The Boulevard which improve journey times and reliability, however this will require parking restrictions along The Boulevard. The proposals also include new zebra crossings and wider paths to improve conditions for pedestrians. Proposals for capacity improvements at the A2032 Littlehampton Road roundabout remain the same as those which were part of the 2024 consultation.

At this early stage a detailed cost estimate has not yet been produced. However, we expect costs to be in line with similar improvements being delivered around the country. Cost estimates will be prepared as part of the design process.

It is currently expected that the improvements would be funded largely using developer contributions and central Government grants that are intended for transport improvement schemes, including for bus and walking and cycling improvements, and which cannot be used for other purposes such as general road maintenance. It will be necessary to demonstrate that the improvements are deliverable and would provide good value for money.

The next steps for the scheme will be informed by the outcomes of this consultation. Further design and procurement would be needed before any schemes could be constructed. Construction would be subject to all relevant statutory processes (e.g. Traffic Regulation Orders) and confirming funding for scheme delivery. It is therefore not possible to confirm a delivery timescale at this stage. 

In order to accommodate bus lanes, on-street parking will need to be restricted on parts of The Boulevard, except for outside the The Boulevard Strand Parade shops where the same number of parking spaces will be provided as there are today. One parking space will also need to be removed from outside the shops on The Strand to accommodate the improved crossing facilities.

Adjacent roads are understood to have sufficient capacity to accommodate the number of vehicles that typically park on-street in the area where the restrictions are proposed. 

We recognise parking changes may affect some people who currently park along The Boulevard who may need to park further away, so we would like to understand views on this issue as part of the consultation.

Bus lanes in the rest of West Sussex have restrictions preventing vehicles driving into or stopping in them, including loading/unloading from delivery vehicles. Views on whether this approach should also be applied to the proposed bus lanes along The Boulevard are welcomed as part of this consultation.

Buses, bicycles and emergency vehicles will be permitted to use the bus lanes.

The County Council is exploring the use of new powers recently introduced which enable the enforcement of moving traffic conventions under civil law, although no final decision has yet been taken to use these powers. These powers form Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, which allows highway authorities outside of London to use approved camera devices to enforce moving traffic contraventions, including in relation to bus lanes. Please see further information about moving traffic enforcement in West Sussex (opens in new window).

The West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036 (opens in new window) identifies the need for improvements to highways, public transport and active travel facilities to tackle congestion.  

The proposals include improvements to public transport, pedestrian and cycling facilities through the area to make them more attractive options, including for some people who currently drive. The proposals also include improvements at the A2032 Littlehampton Road/Durrington Lane/The Boulevard roundabout that will increase traffic capacity to reduce delays at this key junction and help to accommodate planned development in Worthing. Initial traffic modelling indicates that this is expected to reduce delays on the A2032 Littlehampton Road eastern arm of the roundabout.

The improvements would help to provide better connections to a number of key destinations including schools, shops, and Durrington-on-Sea railway station, and serve the wider Durrington area for people travelling into and through the area of proposed improvements.

On The Boulevard specifically, the current on-street parking restricts the capacity of the road for vehicles, so reallocating one of the lanes for bus priority is not expected to significantly increase congestion. 

We are undertaking surveys to inform a demand assessment of the proposed zebra crossings and to review the traffic impacts of the proposals. We want journeys by public transport, walking and cycling to be as attractive as possible, but also ensure that the road network can operate efficiently for people who have no choice but to drive. 

We would like to understand local views on the proposals as part of this consultation, so that these can be taken into account alongside other technical information before deciding next steps for the scheme.

The proposed zebra crossings near the roundabouts on The Boulevard are intended to reduce traffic speeds, improve safety and make it easier for pedestrians to cross the road, in particular children walking to schools, and people accessing shops, bus stops, and Durrington-on-Sea railway station.

The provision of zebra type crossings close to roundabouts are an increasingly common approach to improving conditions for walking and cycling, and reducing traffic speeds at roundabouts. As part of the design process a Road Safety Audit will be carried out to assess potential safety risks to all road users and ensure that the scheme will operate safely.

Cyclists will be permitted to use the proposed bus lanes.

Separate to this consultation, we are investigating the feasibility of introducing an additional bus layby at the southbound Durrington Tesco stop on Romany Road to address congestion issues in this area. This is subject to an ongoing assessment of utilities under the highway verge to understand if this intervention is deliverable.

As part of the West Sussex Bus Service Improvement Programme (BSIP) we are continuing to deliver a programme of bus stop improvements in partnership with Worthing Borough Council, including real time passenger information display and bus shelter replacement and refurbishments throughout Durrington and the wider Worthing area. You can view the programme of improvements on the West Sussex County Council BSIP map (opens in new window).

Information about the county council’s approach to road maintenance is available on the West Sussex Better Roads webpage (opens in new window).

It is currently expected that the proposed improvements will be largely funded using central Government grants and developer funding that cannot be used for road maintenance.

Yes, existing access to driveways will be maintained via dropped kerbs. Access to properties will be permitted across the proposed bus lanes.

It is anticipated that works can take place within the existing highway boundary or on land owned by West Sussex County Council, so no third party land will be required.

There is the potential for localised impacts by the scheme on small areas of grass verge. These impacts will be assessed in further detail at the next design stage, through the necessary technical assessments.

This is unknown at this stage. Before any construction could start, a Construction Management Plan will be developed to minimise the impact on the local community as much as possible. This will detail any necessary road closures or changes to access for pedestrians and cyclists as well as diversion routes during construction. Further details of construction impacts will be made available at a future time.

We will carefully consider all comments received during the consultation. Feedback received will be used to inform the detailed design phase and the next steps for the proposals and will help to build the case for funding the scheme. We will document the process and publish the results in a consultation report.

Subject to the outcomes of this consultation, different scheme elements may be progressed in phases.

A formal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation would take place in future as part of implementation of the bus lanes and associated parking restrictions. The need for any additional consultation on other elements of the scheme will be reviewed depending on the feedback received through this consultation.

You can either email any comments or questions to the team at LTP@westsussex.gov.uk or you can telephone 01243 642105. If you are deaf and have the NGT app installed on your PC, laptop, or mobile phone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 642105.