Brighton & Hove Council is committing more than £23 million to making Brighton and Hove’s roads better and safer over the next year.

The council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration committee looks set to approve a local Transport Plan (LTP) for 2024/25 when it meets on Thursday 14 March.

The committee will be presented with a report on the LTP as well as an update of the wider Capital Transport Programme for the next financial year.

The £4.5 million LTP budget will be spent on things like maintenance of its roads and pavements, improving safety and accessibility, promoting active and sustainable travel, investing in new technologies, tackling climate change and improving air quality, said the council.

More than £18 million from other funding sources will be used to develop major projects across the city, including phase three of Valley Gardens and improvements to the A23 – both scheduled to begin this year.

Councillor Trevor Muten, chair of the Transport and Sustainability committee said: “Fixing, maintaining and improving our roads and pavements is key to making sure we keep Brighton & Hove moving.

“Unfortunately, the money we receive from the government to help us do this has fallen year on year, making it much harder for us to keep up with demand.

“Our Local Transport Plan will see us prioritise the busiest routes most in need of improvement, repairing roads and pavements across the city.

“Traffic flow and junction improvements will improve air quality and make our streets safer for all.

“We’re going to be investing in the future of transport in our city. Road improvements, smart technology and better walking and cycling facilities will make Brighton & Hove more accessible and increase the options for active and sustainable travel. Our commitment to  pothole repairs will make streets safer for vehicle drivers and cyclists.

“Delivery of our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, our continued commitment to School Streets and improving public rights of way will encourage and enable more people to choose active travel.

“We’re also leading the region in installing hundreds of on-street electric vehicle charging points for residents and visitors, bringing substantial improvements in air quality and helping to reach our city’s Net Zero ambition.”

The council is responsible for maintaining around 390 miles of roads and cycle lanes and more than 750 miles of pavements and footpaths. It also looks after more than 22,000 drain gullies and other structures.

The LTP proposes spending £1.455 million on repairing damaged roads, streets and other essential maintenance. This will be supported by another £2.232 million from the government’s Pothole Fund and other maintenance grants, including £413,000 from the Network North fund.

However, the amount of money given to Brighton & Hove and other local authorities to maintain and improve its roads isn’t sufficient to meet demand and standards. Nationally, this has resulted in a £14 billion maintenance backlog and the ongoing deterioration of the city’s transport network, according to the council.

This means the council has to prioritise safety and repairing damage to key routes heavily impacted by high volumes of traffic and the effect of winter weather.

Safe, accessible, sustainable

More than £3 million is proposed to be spent on projects designed to make travelling around the city safer, more accessible, sustainable, and healthy.

• £800,000 will be invested into ‘smart’ technology. This includes upgrading its Real Time Bus Passenger Information systems and improving efficiency at junctions and pedestrian crossings.
• £850,000 will be spent on helping to deliver the council’ Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). Along with government funding, this will help us to deliver active travel schemes on the A23 and A259.
• The LTP will continue to invest in schemes designed to make the roads and streets safer. £300,000 is being allocated to the council’s Safer, Better Streets programme to improve areas for vulnerable road users.
• £50,000 will be spent on improving access to public Rights of Way (RoW).
• Supporting the city’s growing number of School Streets schemes, £15,000 is being allocated to school travel planning to encourage sustainable travel to local young people.