![\"Shrewsbury](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/floating-bus-stop-outside-shrewsbury-railway-station-photo-buttermarket-facebook.jpg\" "\\"Shrewsbury")
Shrewsbury floating bus stop (credit: The Buttermarket\/Facebook)<\/p>\nA Shropshire Council committee have agreed to launch a \u201crapid task and finish group\u201d after backlash over a protected cycle lane and\u00a0\u2018floating\u2019 bus stop were\u00a0built in the place of a two-lane road.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The concerns centre on the bus stop island apparently being too narrow, and accusations the overall layout has created\u00a0congestion that has been slowing down emergency vehicles.\u00a0However, the floating bus stops prevent cyclists from having to overtake stationary buses, and the protected cycle lane is designed to\u00a0make the route safer for people on bikes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shrewsbury floating bus stop (credit: The Buttermarket\/Facebook)<\/p>\n
The chairman of Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority, Cllr David Minnery, told a scrutiny meeting that fire engines have been \u201cusing the cycle lane\u201d to get past traffic jams.<\/p>\n
Cllr Minnery said that this is \u201cnot a solution\u201d and could be a risk to cyclists who are hard of hearing or wearing headphones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is putting lives and property at risk, and solutions need to be found,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are very disappointed at the lack of consultation on this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The committee also heard that there was a video on social media of a fire engine \u201cembedded in traffic\u201d and \u201cunable to proceed\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Council leader Heather Kidd said \u201cI have never known the traffic as bad as it was on Monday and Tuesday of this week. It was far worse than I have ever seen it. In the early morning it was horrendous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been taking me on hour and ten minutes to do a trip supposed to be 40 minutes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
>\u00a0Bike lanes crucial to preventing cycling near misses, major new study suggests<\/a><\/p>\n However, a road.cc reader got in touch and told us, \u201cAs a Shrewsbury local, I can help clarify, this so-called ‘cycle lane\u201d is nothing but a tick in the box exercise for the council to say they have added cycling infrastructure. The lane itself is 100 yds long at most and adds no benefit to the previous share path.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShrewsbury town centre itself is a permanent traffic jam, this new infrastructure is aimed at reducing this encouraging people out of their cars, all well intentioned.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Another road.cc reader said, \u201cIt\u2019s not the greatest of designs, but outcry of \u2018the floating bus stop goes straight onto the bike lane\u2019 ignores the fact that for years the bus stop was actually on the shared usage path anyway with no island.\u201d<\/p>\n The scrutiny meeting followed a petition with over 6,000 signatures, set up by local live music venue\u00a0The Buttermarket.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a post on Facebook,<\/a> they jokingly invited former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to \u201cofficially open AND close the new cycle lane.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe committee meeting is a real opportunity for accountability and change \u2013 and rest assured, the people of Shrewsbury are watching. Let\u2019s hope common sense finally prevails and safer, more practical solutions are recommended,\u201d the post continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the petition<\/a>, they call for the \u2018floating bus stop\u2019 to be removed, and instead designate the \u201cleft-hand lane exclusively for cyclists, taxis, and buses\u00a0\u00a0(and critically important access for the EMERGENCY services)\u00a0\u00a0\u2014 as it already operates along Castle Gates and Castle Street.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The petition also said, \u201cThe bus stop could then be sensibly relocated to its previous position, right outside the station, where it naturally serves passengers best.”<\/p>\n As well as the position of the bus stop, there has also been criticism about its width.\u00a0<\/p>\n >\u00a0Leaked documents suggest “low risk” of cyclist collisions at “floating bus stops”, as blindness campaigners urge safety action on design<\/a><\/p>\n Whilst \u2018floating bus stops\u2019 allow cyclists to cycle past buses\u00a0without having to move into the middle of the road, the one built in the case is narrower than the size recommended by the Department for Transport\u2019s guidance, issued in 2020.<\/p>\n The guidance suggests\u00a0it should be between 1.5m and 2m; however, when the BBC measured the buffer area between the road and cycle lane, it was only 1.1m wide<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Disability campaigners and wheelchair users have criticised this, explaining that the narrow island is dangerously small.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The BBC contacted WSP, the authority\u2019s transport consultant, but they previously said that the island ended up smaller than planned because workers found unexpected underground utilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs a councillor, to some extent you have to trust what paid professionals are telling you about a site,\u201d said Councillor Alex Wagner.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe treat the WSP with quite high regard for getting design, quick design in particular, that we might need all around the county.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n >\u00a0Pedestrian safety fears raised over floating bus stops on new cycle lane in Bath<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Shrewsbury](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/56832002212331093955282185331703243643054764n.jpg\" "\\"Shrewsbury")
Shrewsbury floating bus stop petitioner Martin Monahan (credit: The Buttermarket\/Facebook)<\/p>\n