Opinion: What can we do about Russell Road?

Filed under: Cycle Lane Proposal / LTNs / Opinions

The problem

Russell Road in Moseley is a dangerous and unpleasant road, despite its 20mph speed limit. It is choked with traffic during rush hour and suffers from speeding outside of it. Drivers adhering to the speed limit are regularly tailgated and overtaken. Cyclists must endure a litany of illegally close passes. Even the pedestrian experience is unpleasant, narrow pavements putting you uncomfortably close to passing vehicles.

It is therefore understandable that residents have been campaigning for something to be done for 25 years.

It is an unnumbered classified road, making it part of the strategic road network, but it needn’t be. Both Alcester and Pershore Roads are better suited to carrying traffic between town and Kings Heath & Moseley and are not much further away. Furthermore, I contend that declassifying it would be in keeping with the principles set out in the Birmingham Transport Plan and the Road Harm Reduction Strategy, increasing provision for active travel and moving towards Vision Zero.

What has been attempted so far?

In 2022, the council attempted to address resident’s concerns with a consultation containing 3 options. I thought all three options were either unlikely to achieve anything, made cycling more dangerous, cost too much, or all three.

Belatedly, the council has come to the same conclusion, and has paused the scheme, much to the understandable frustration of residents.

The question is, how do we move forward from here?

How to improve Russell Road?

For me, the aim of any change to the area should be to significantly reduce traffic levels and speeding. Additionally, it has to fit it into the bigger picture and be a starting point to improve active travel for the wider area.

I believe this is achievable. If you’ve read any of my other plans or follow me on twitter, you won’t be surprised to hear that I think the answer involves modal filters!

Why another modal filter?

Want to reduce the volume of traffic on a road? Remove through traffic.

Want to reduce speeding on a road? Most speeding is perpetrated by through-traffic, not residents, so remove it.

And what’s the easiest way to remove through traffic? Modal filters.

Why not traffic calming measures

At this point, someone is saying “Speed bumps”. There was a time when speed bumps worked, though they worked too well, making it difficult for emergency service vehicles and cycles. So, narrower speed pillows were introduced. These, too, worked for a time.

But many cars are now as wide as ambulances used to be. Around half of all new cars sold are SUVs which are literally designed to smooth out bumpy roads. Whilst they still reduce the top speed people can reach, they don’t stop people going significantly above the speed limit. Speed bumps just don’t do much to stop speeding these days.

The council is aware of growing evidence showing that what minor reduction in speeding achieved is offset by the increased speeding once drivers get out of the traffic-calmed area. This makes them even poorer value for money (and they cost a lot more than you’d think). As such, the council are not planning to use these traditional traffic-calming measures going forward.

This leaves you with the option to put in a modal filter and stop through-traffic.

It is true that it’s currently a very popular route between the city centre and Kings Heath and Moseley. Once Phase 2 of the LTN goes in, however, the Springfield Road/Valentine Road rat-run will be closed. This should reduce the amount of commuter traffic on Russell Road somewhat, though I doubt it will be enough to make the road safe enough to use as a main cycle route.

Where to place the modal filter

There are two main options for the placement of modal filters (the green circles on these maps):

Option 1 Reddings Road ends of the roads

This option has modal filters at the Reddings Road ends of Russell Road, Moorcroft Road, Goodby Road, and Amesbury Road.

Option 2 At the city end of the roads

This has a modal filter at the Russell Road junction with Edgbaston Road, and one on Amesbury.

Of these, option 2 is the better one. The roundabout with Edgbaston Road is a bit of a crash hot spot, removing one of its exits will reduce the level of danger. Closing that roundabout exit would also significantly improve the new cycle route that is currently being built up to Moseley, removing the need for the route to cross a traffic-filled Russell Road. Furthermore, it requires two less modal filters, making it cheaper to install.

As well as a modal filter on Russell Road, one will be needed on Amesbury Road, otherwise the through-traffic would just use that road instead. This will reduce the danger associated with its current junction with Salisbury Road.

Funding

The beauty of small schemes such as this is that the cost is small enough for the local councillors’ road safety fund to cover it, in conjunction with the Brum Breathes fund if need be. This means that it doesn’t have to fight for funding against other proposals. It can also move through the planning system quicker. This obviously requires the backing of the two councillors for the ward, Izzy Knowles and Kerry Jenkins.

Alternatively, it has been suggested that this could be included in the works to extend the cycle lane from Edgbaston Road to Park Hill Road. If possible, this would be ideal, especially as that work is going to start soon.

Potential Issues

Whenever a rat run is closed, traffic initially increases on alternative routes. However, traffic evaporation as a concept, where people drive less when road space is reallocated to walking, cycling and public transportation, has been an accepted truth for decades. Furthermore, studies repeatedly show that over time, traffic drops back to previous levels, as people choose different routes or modes of travel. I am confident, therefore, that whilst there will be an initial increase in traffic on Salisbury Road and Alcester Road, this will drop back after a matter of months.

There’s also the reality that the only way to reduce traffic on boundary roads is to reduce the number of car journeys undertaken. Providing safe walking and cycling routes by closing some roads is the only way to do that.

I do not see temporary traffic displacement as a reason to not implement schemes such as this. We need those who can make fewer journeys by car, as that will clear the roads for buses and those who genuinely have no alternative but to drive. By expanding the number of roads that are safe for pedestrians and cyclists to use, schemes such as this offer more people the opportunity to eschew the car and use alternative transportation.

There are likely to be residents who will have to travel longer distances for some drives, if they are not able, or choose not, to use alternative means of transportation. For some, I’d hope that the massive daily improvement to the road they live on will compensate for that. For those with no choice but to drive, the ultimate answer again is that they need the people who can stop using the car for short journeys, reducing traffic on the roads, and making necessary journeys quicker than they are now.

There is also the potential that some boy racers will view the loop of Russell Road and Moorcroft Road as a race track. I would hope that this is unlikely, if only because there is so much on-street parking on Moorcroft Road that it is difficult to speed on it. However, this should be monitored, though I believe that it is ultimately an issue for the police.

As a group, Better Streets for Birmingham have been pushing the Mayor, the Police & Crime Commissioner, and Birmingham City Council for the last year for urgent action on the rampant speeding on our cities roads, and we have no intention of backing off until we reach Vision Zero.

The bigger picture

I mentioned earlier in this article this scheme should fit into the bigger picture of improving road safety and active travel in Birmingham. I’ve been very critical of the lack of any effort to join the Kings Heath LTN to the cycling network. As well as providing safe liveable streets, LTNs are a crucial part of the cycling network. They provide safe cycling routes on roads that cannot have protected cycle lanes. By having isolated LTNs, you are not optimising the schemes for success.

In Kings Heath, all we’ve had is LTNs. There are no designs for protected cycle lanes, and, as far as I’m aware, no plans to produce any. Putting a modal filter on Russell Road would instantly extend the (admittedly poor) cycle lane on Edgbaston Road, and, by extension, the A38 cycle lane.

But how could making Russell Road a safe cycling route be built upon?

Put a cycle lane on Queensbridge Road

A natural next step would be to make Queensbridge Road one-way towards Kings Heath after the T-junction with Moor Green Lane. Put a protected cycle lane in the freed-up lane, finally taking the cycling network up to the boundary of Kings Heath. As this is where the new train station is located, it would also provide a safe cycling route for residents to get to the train station. I believe that Queensbridge Road from Moor Green Lane to Russell Road is wide enough to accommodate a protected cycle lane without requiring any land from the cricket ground. If there isn’t enough space, then making Queensbridge one-way along its entire length is an option.

This would require a modal filter on Yew Tree Lane, additionally stopping its use as a rat run. The junction should also be narrowed and squared off, as it is currently approximately 6 times the width of the carriageway, making it unpleasant to cross. As this is a route to schools, this is unacceptable.

I would also recommend making the entrance to Reddings Road from Alcester Road one-way to reduce traffic on it. It would possibly require a set of traffic lights, to allow the right-turn filter lane to be removed and free up space for a protected cycle lane on Alcester Road between Moseley and Kings Heath.

You would ideally put a modal filter at the Moor Green Lane junction with Alcester Road. I feel it is safer to minimise the number of sections where vehicles need to cross a cycle lane. However, if the entirety of Queensbridge is made one-way, then this junction would also need to be made one-way from Alcester Road. Otherwise Moor Green Lane would get significant volumes of rat running.

I am aware that this would require careful consultation with the special educational needs schools that are on that side of Queensbridge Road. As the concept of crossing a cycle lane to access properties is well-established, this shouldn’t be a blocking issue.

Alternatively, the cycle lane could be put on the other side of the road. However I like the idea of cyclists being able to keep moving onto a further extension of the cycle lane onto Kings Heath High Street (at least up to Grange Road initially) when the traffic lights go green for traffic on Queensbridge Road. This would only be possible if the cycle lane is put on the current Edgbaston-bound lane.

These measures will massively improve the safety of school children walking from Kings Heath to the schools on Queensbridge Road. We’ve previously monitored traffic speeds outside Queensbridge Secondary at the close of the school day, and over 90% of vehicles were above the 20 mph speed limit. That junction is dangerous, and it feels like a matter of time before a school child is hit by a car there. For once, it would be nice to act before that happens.

Remove the Reddings Road roundabout

With the reduction in traffic using the route, the roundabout with Reddings Road could be removed. Give priority to the Russell Road > Moor Green Lane > Queensbridge Road route to prioritise the cycle route. As Reddings Road > Moor Green Lane would still be a rat run (and a much harder one to deal with), the junction could consist of T-junctions at Reddings Road and at the Stirchley-bound Moor Green Lane. I would strongly recommend that this be a raised table junction, possibly in conjunction with a zebra crossing.

Remove the rat run on Willow Road

Blocking Russell Road to through-traffic should reduce traffic using Willow Road as a rat run to either the A435 in Balsall Heath or to the inner ring road. As a further improvement, a bus gate could be installed at the Willow Road exit of the roundabout, and a modal filter on Cannon Hill Road. This would remove all through-traffic from Willow Road and Cannon Hill Road, creating a Low Traffic Neighbourhood. This would improve the safety of the whole area north of Edgbaston Road.

Replace the Edgbaston Road roundabout with single-direction traffic lights

I would like to see Birmingham move to a system of traffic lights that go green in one direction at a time only. This would allow the removal of filter turn lanes, freeing up space for protected cycle lanes and making roads easier for pedestrians to cross. In this instance, it would allow buses to turn right onto Willows Road. You could also make the lights a pedestrian scramble crossing, massively improving the pedestrian experience.

Remove right turns on Edgbaston Road

Replacing the Edgbaston Road roundabout with traffic lights would allow Moseley-bound traffic to make U-turns. As the road is nearly four lanes wide at the roundabout, it should have space for lorries to perform u-turns to get to Aldi and the MAC.

This would allow the current traffic light-controlled right turn sections on Edgbaston Road to be closed and the traffic lights removed on the Moseley-bound carriageway. Traffic for The MAC and The Ashes would instead continue on to the Willow Road traffic lights, and perform a u-turn there.

Allow u-turns at the Pershore Road junction

In a similar way to the traffic lights with Willow Road, allow Edgbaston-bound traffic to perform u-turns at the Pershore Road traffic lights. This would also require the lights to change to be green in a single direction at a time.

This would allow the removal of right turns from The Ashes and The MAC.

Put Edgbaston Road on a lane diet

Without the need to turn up Russell Road, there is no need for the right-turn lane on Edgbaston Road. This frees up space for a protected cycle lane on the Edgbaston-bound carriageway to join up to the existing one on Edgbaston Road.

With no need to turn right off Edgbaston Road, or right out of The Ashes and The MAC, there is no need for the gaps in the central reservation, so remove them.

There would also no longer be a need to have two/three lanes on the Moseley-bound carriageway. Most of it could be reduced to one lane in each direction. As I mentioned in my appraisal of the poor cycle lane on Edgbaston Road, the Edgbaston-bound carriageway could have left-turn filter lanes into The Ashes and The MAC, to improve the safety and speed of the cycle lane, but the rest of the carriageway should be a single lane.

At this point, you could either move the entire road so that the two carriageways are on a single stretch of tarmac, or else you could massively expand the central reservation and completely green it up.

There is also the option to introduce a bus lane on Edgbaston Road on the run-up to the junction with Pershore Road.

This would reduce the capacity of the junction of Moseley-bound Priory Road with Pershore Road. However, this should be at least partly counterbalanced by the removal of two sets of traffic lights on Edgbaston Road.

Option 2 At the city end of the roads

Conclusion

I hope I’ve made a convincing case that something needs to be done about the situation on Russell Road, and that something should be a couple of modal filters. It would make a massive difference to the area, fits into the bigger picture of expanding the network of streets that are safe and pleasant for walking and cycling, and has an obvious funding mechanism.

The bigger question for me is why wouldn’t we implement this plan? We have to start tackling the serious issue of road danger, lack of safe cycling provision, and the levels of congestion our city suffers from.