Later this month a number of changes will be be made to bus routes around Liverpool city centre with a particular impact on services to the city’s commercial district. Tony McDonough reports

Changes to Liverpool city centre bus routes and stops will come into force later this month with those serving the commercial district the most affected.

From Sunday, January 4, a number of bus services will see changes to some routes, particularly to those serving the commercial district. The majority of bus services in the city centre will remain unchanged with more still being retained during morning peak travel times.

Boarding and alighting points for most services will generally be focused in or around Queen Square and Liverpool ONE bus stations, with a frequent cross-city provision running between both bus stations for those who need it.

The plans were put together in response to Liverpool City Council’s £45m City Centre Connectivity Scheme (LCCCS) and changes in road layout including on Lime Street and The Strand.

The LCCCS has been designed to make the city cleaner and more environmentally friendly, changing how traffic from cars, buses and bikes to pedestrians all move through the city, reducing congestion and improving air quality.

It involves the radical redesign of major highways such as Lime Street and The Strand, new dedicated cycle lanes, more than 200 new trees, a new water feature by St George’s Hall, as a well as a new Bus Hub to accommodate layovers and change in services. The key changes to routes are as follows:

• Hanover Street Services: 82 services will continue to operate as they currently do in the short term. Following the introduction of successful bus priority measures – 82 services will serve Hanover Street, with all journeys operating in both directions.
• Commercial district services: The majority of services currently operating to Dale Street, Mann Island and James Street will start and finish at Queen Square Bus Station or Sir Thomas Street – however a number of services will continue to travel through in the morning peak period.
• Brownlow Hill Services: Due to the closure of Lime Street, services will not be able to travel across to Queen Square. Instead journeys will split at Paddington, with the 61 and 79C operating via London Road to Queen Square and all 79 journeys via Brownlow Hill and Hanover Street to Liverpool ONE.
• 80 & 80A rerouted, but will be reviewed: The 80 and 80A services will operate via Berry Street and Duke Street to Liverpool ONE Bus Station. Routes will be reviewed in Spring 2021 following the introduction of successful bus priority measures on Hanover Street
• Services 82D and 86D are withdrawn: Due to changes to roadways as part of the connectivity scheme, it will no longer be possible for any bus services to travel  to Queen Square from Lime Street South which means that this onward journey to the business district is not possible
• Cross-City provision: Service 10A will continue to operate as normal through the day, offering a link between Queen Square and Liverpool ONE Bus Stations.

Full details of changes to bus services can be found at stops on affected routes and by clicking here.

Cllr Liam Robinson, Transport Portfolio Holder for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said: “With changes to some bus routes in the city centre coming in, we want to remind passengers that may not be able to continue getting on and off the bus as they do right now.

The vast majority of bus users will be able to continue to use services as they have in the past and will not see any change, but some services will terminate at a different bus station and some routes will no longer serve the same stops.”