Proposed changes to bus routes N21, N550 and N551

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Consultation has concluded

Consultation update 30 November 2021

Between 1 September and 29 September 2021, we held a public consultation on proposals to reroute buses N21, N550 and N551 around Bank Junction. These proposals were in line with the City of London's proposals to close three arms of Bank Junction to motor vehicles at all times. You can read more here about the City of London’s proposals and 'All change at Bank' project.  

We received nine responses to the consultation in total. Thank you to all those who took part. Please see our consultation summary report in the ‘Documents’ section

Consultation has concluded

Consultation update 30 November 2021

Between 1 September and 29 September 2021, we held a public consultation on proposals to reroute buses N21, N550 and N551 around Bank Junction. These proposals were in line with the City of London's proposals to close three arms of Bank Junction to motor vehicles at all times. You can read more here about the City of London’s proposals and 'All change at Bank' project.  

We received nine responses to the consultation in total. Thank you to all those who took part. Please see our consultation summary report in the ‘Documents’ section for further details, including our response to issues that were raised. 

Based on the findings of the consultation, we have decided to proceed with the proposed changes to bus routes N21, N550 and N551, subject to the final decision taken by the City of London on the All Change at Bank scheme. We will now work with the City of London to evaluate the outcome of our consultation in comparison with theirs. A final decision on the All Change at Bank scheme is expected to be taken by the City of London in late 2021.

- update ends -

Overview

As part of the programme of work TfL and the City of London are undertaking to improve pedestrian environment and safety around Bank station, we are making changes to bus routes N21, N550 and N551. We want to hear your views on these changes, and we are now holding a public consultation on these proposals, running from 1 September to 29 September 2021.

Access to Bank Junction has been restricted to just buses and bicycles since 2018, with all other vehicles banned from travelling through the junction between 07:00 and 19:00, Monday to Friday. This formed part of the City of London’s ‘Bank on Safety’ programme, which also widened pavements in the area and prioritised pedestrian access.

In spring 2021, the City of London consulted on the next phase of this project, called ‘All change at Bank.’ This second phase will improve safety at the junction further by restricting vehicle movement, including buses, on three arms of Bank Junction at all times. The City of London consulted on a number of proposals in their consultation, including changes to several bus routes. You can keep up to date here with the City of London’s ‘All change at Bank’ consultation.

We are now consulting on three more bus routes that will be affected by the ‘All change at Bank’ proposals. The N21, N550 and N551 will all see minor changes to their routes as a result of the permanent road closures and need to be rerouted.

We have published maps that show the proposed changes, which you can find in the ‘Documents’ section. Our proposals are as follows:

  • Reroute the N21 via Queen Street and Poultry in both directions. Stops on Queen Victoria Street will no longer be served and will be replaced by stops on Poultry
  • Reroute the N550 via Queen Street and Poultry in both direction. Stops on Queen Victoria Street will no longer be served and will be replaced by stops on Poultry
  • Reroute the N551 via Queen Street, Poultry, Cornhill, Bishopsgate and Camomile Street in both directions. Bus stops on Wormwood Street, Old Broad Street and Threadneedle Street will no longer be served and will be replaced with stops on Bishopsgate and Cornhill. Stops on Queen Victoria Street will no longer be served and will be replaced by stops on Poultry

To understand more about the proposals, you can view the maps of the proposed changes in the 'Documents' section or read the Frequently asked Questions (FAQs). You can also read the City of London’s Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) for the scheme. If you would like to ask us a question, you can use the ‘Questions’ tool below.

Purpose

The purpose of this consultation is to understand how the changes to these bus routes will impact on your journey, and to ensure we make informed decisions and find suitable alternative routes for the three night bus services.

We have been working with the City of London to improve pedestrian safety and environment around Bank station. Road closures and restricted vehicle movement at Bank Junction will reduce crowding levels, make pedestrian experience safer and more comfortable and will improve air quality in the local area. This scheme also aligns with our programme of upgrades to Bank station to improve passenger experience and journeys.

We are not consulting on the road closures at Bank Junction, only on the changes to these three night bus routes. We want to understand how changes to these night bus routes might impact your journey.

Have your say

We are running a public consultation about these proposals and would like to hear your views. The consultation is open from 1 September to 29 September 2021. You can respond by completing our online survey. To do this, you will need to register with your email address. Your details will be kept secure and only used, with your permission, to update you about the outcome of the consultation and our next steps.

If you prefer, you can email your comments to haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk or write to us at FREEPOST TFL HAVE YOUR SAY (N21, N550 and N551) no stamp needed.

You can also ask us questions throughout the consultation, using the ‘Questions’ tool below.

Consultation has concluded

Please let us know if you have any questions that will help you respond to the consultation. We will then get back to you. Note this tool is not for responding to the consultation, please do that via the survey. 

Please note that any questions you ask may be visible to others and will be subject to moderation. Any personal information will be kept confidential but your user name will be displayed. Further details on moderation are available here

Questions asked may be publicly available after the project has closed and we may also include them in the form of a report on the results of the engagement exercise, but any personal information will be kept confidential. Your personal information will be properly safeguarded and processed in accordance with the requirements of privacy and data protection legislation. For further information, please visit our privacy policy