Gravesend bus hub

About the project

Buses play a vital role in the economic success of local businesses, as well as reducing traffic congestion and improving local air quality.

With significant enhancements planned for local buses, including accessible journey information and an additional premium Fastrack service, bus usage is expected to grow significantly.

As part of the Kent Thameside Local Sustainable Transport schemes package, a new bus hub has been implemented to improve the transport interchange between bus and rail in Gravesend town centre at Barrack Row.

The scheme aims were to make it easier for people to access Gravesend town centre using public transport, through providing improved and integrated bus facilities.

This links in with the existing Rathmore Road scheme, which was delivered separately with Local Growth Funding.

Objectives

The scheme objectives were to:

• deliver a fully integrated sustainable transport network, allowing the user to transfer seamlessly between modes making sustainable transport a real alternative to the private car
• increase pedestrian space, forming centralised waiting areas, and to install new prioritised crossings
• ensure that the equipment installed allows for the future electrification of the bus network.Formal decision

Watch a video of the official opening of the Gravesend Bus Hub on 21 June 2022.

What we improved

The project has added:

• 4 new bus stops on Barrack Row
• the restriction of Barrack Row to buses only
• more pedestrian space and prioritised crossings
• 2 Fastrack stops and Sapphire service improvements on Garrick Street
• provision for an electric bus charging point
• a new public access toilet facility in Barrack Row by Gravesham Borough Council.

Project documents

• Equality Analysis Impact Assessment (EqIA) (PDF, 476.8 KB)
• Public information leaflet (PDF, 1.9 MB)
• Visual diagrams and images of proposed changes (PDF, 2.6 MB)
• Phasing drawings
• Scheme plan (PDF, 1.2 MB)
• Summary of feedback and our response (PDF, 161.3 KB)

Value

The Gravesend bus hub scheme was a £4.17 million project which finished its construction phase in May 2022.The scheme was allocated £1.6 million from the total sum of £4.9 million awarded by the Local Growth Fund (LGF), through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, to deliver the Kent Thameside Local Sustainable Transport Programme.

The following funding was also secured:

• £850,000 from our public transport budget
• £215,000 from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
• £15,000 from Gravesham Borough Council
• £270,697 from the Kent County Council Lane Rental Fund.

In addition, £1.48 million from the Kent Thameside Strategic Transport Infrastructure Programme (STIPs) was reallocated to this project from the Rathmore Road improvement scheme as this was delivered under budget.

Formal decision

The approval for initial stages of the scheme were taken on 15 May 2015 and the final approval to progress the scheme to construction was taken on 18 September 2020.  View the record of decision.