Horsham Transport Improvements

Horsham Transport Improvements

We are working to improve the transport network across West Sussex so our community can access the things they need. By making it safer, easier and more convenient to walk, cycle and use public transport, we can help to create more pleasant places in which to live, work and do business.

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

Our transport plan identifies small-scale highway improvements, including bus priority at junctions and active travel infrastructure (e.g. cycle tracks and crossings) as priorities for investment in Horsham. Improvements are now being developed as part of our Strategic Transport Investment Programme (STIP).

Engagement and consultation

We are now inviting stakeholders to tell us about current issues, raising awareness about a range of improvements we are considering for two main roads and one junction in Horsham and seeking initial feedback.

• Rusper Road between Mowbray (North Horsham development) and Horsham town centre via Kings Road and North Street
• A281 Guildford Road between Broadbridge Heath and Horsham town centre via Bishopric.
• B2237 North Parade junction with Wimblehurst Road

The comments we receive will help identify key constraints, issues, and opportunities that will be used to develop our designs and enable us to seek future funding opportunities.

Subject to the feedback we receive during this initial engagement period, we will carry out a further consultation in 2025, where we will present plans of our proposals.

We would like to hear your views on the improvements that we are considering, so please complete the survey and provide your comments on the interactive map.

The initial engagement period will close on Tuesday 14 January 2025 at 11:55pm.

Why we need improvements

We want to improve these roads because they are important for accessing education, jobs and services. They also connect the growing communities in Broadbridge Heath and Mowbray (North Horsham development) with Horsham town centre.

These roads are currently used by high volumes of traffic during peak times, resulting in congestion, which also impacts the reliability of bus services. Safety is also a problem, with some junctions having a high number of collisions, some of which have involved pedestrians and cyclists. Facilities for walking and cycling are limited and there is lots of on-road parking that narrows the space for other users, particularly near Littlehaven station.

We want as many people as possible to be able to travel by walking, cycling and public transport whilst keeping traffic moving.

The improvements being considered

The improvements being considered are intended to make local bus services more reliable and a more attractive transport choice, as well as make walking and cycling a more realistic, attractive, and safe option for journeys along these roads.

The types of improvements that we are considering include:

• Two-way segregated cycle tracks.
• Smaller sections of shared use (i.e. for walking and cycling) path where space is limited.
• Raised tables at side roads near the junctions to reduce vehicle speeds.
• Improved and new signal-controlled crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Bus priority measures at signal controlled junctions to improve bus journey time reliability.
• Junction improvements, such as traffic signal optimisation and/or widening of exit lanes to assist with turning movements of larger vehicles to improve safety for all users and reduce congestion.

The proposals are at an early stage of development and are likely to depend on securing government grant funding and developer contributions, so it is expected to be several years before construction could commence.

Have your say

We would like to hear your views on the improvements we are considering by completing our survey (opens in new window). The engagement period is open until 11:55pm on Tuesday 14 January 2025.

Your feedback is important to us and will help shape the designs moving forward. We invite you to provide your comments on the interactive maps for Rusper Road (opens in new window), A281 Guildford Road (opens in new window) and B2237 North Parade/Wimblehurst Road junction (opens in new window).

Please also take this opportunity to let us know what you think by completing the survey which, should only take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Alternative formats and accessibility

If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please contact us via email at LTP@westsussex.gov.uk or by telephone on 01243 642105 and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 642105.

For more information about the accessibility of this website, please see our Accessibility tab (opens in new window) at the foot of the page.