Meadows Way bus lane - Transport Nottingham

Nottingham City Council has secured funding from the Department for Transport to support the Greater Nottingham Bus Service Improvement Plan which aims to improve the reliability and punctuality of local bus services, encouraging increased use of buses, which are key to providing access to jobs and opportunities, supporting local businesses and new housing developments, and reducing congestion on the road network.

Meadows Way is a very busy bus route and buses are experiencing delays heading towards the city centre.

To improve the flow of buses and to generally improve the area for all road users, the following work will take place:

New bus lanes
Relocation of bus stops
Removal of existing zebra crossing and installation of a new push‑button pedestrian crossing
Extension of off-street parking areas to provide more parking off the main road
Removal of parking on Meadows Way and provision of a new right-turn pocket into Mabel Street
Improvements to footways
Improvements to cycle facilities

Latest updates:

October 2026:

One end of Mabel Street will be closed from 7am on Saturday 3 October until 4pm on Sunday 4 October. Access to the commercial units can be reached from the opposite end of Mabel Street off Crocus Street. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

September 2026:

From 7 September, a seven-week programme of improvements will begin at the Meadows Way, Bathley Street and Arkwright Street junction. The works will reduce congestion, improve journey times and enhance facilities for pedestrians and cyclists while maintaining the benefits already delivered for local bus services.

In addition to the recent improvements on Meadows Way to support more reliable and punctual bus services, Nottingham City Council will be carrying out further works at the Meadows Way, Bathley Street and Arkwright Street junction. The improvements are designed to reduce traffic congestion, improve journey times for all road users, and make it easier for vehicles travelling towards the city centre from Trent Bridge to move through the junction.

Previous changes at the junction have successfully improved bus movements leaving the Meadows and helped local bus services make better use of the dedicated bus lane. As part of a review of these measures, further improvements have been identified to reduce queuing on routes into the city while retaining the benefits for bus passengers.

The works will include:

Retaining the widened bus lane on Meadows Way.
Reintroducing a second traffic lane for general traffic travelling out of the city.
Upgrading traffic signals.
Widening and improving the pedestrian refuge island.
Enhancing pavements for pedestrians.
Providing new litter bins.
Improving facilities for cyclists.

Road Closure

To enable the works to be completed as quickly and safely as possible, Bathley Street will be closed at its junction with Arkwright Street for approximately seven weeks from Monday 7 September. A signed diversion route will be in place throughout the closure period.

Working closely with Nottingham City Transport (NCT), access will be maintained for buses turning left from Arkwright Street into Bathley Street for much of the programme. This will help maintain bus services for Meadows residents. There will be occasions when this access must be temporarily closed to facilitate construction works and we will continue to work with NCT to minimise disruption wherever possible.

The works are being coordinated with other schemes in the area, including the From Grey to Green project on London Road, to minimise the impact on residents, businesses and road users.

August 2026:

The team are working on Meadows Way itself. Some traffic management arrangements are in place.

June 2026:

The works to the Uppingham Gardens car park will now commence on 29/06/26. The team are due to complete the car park works at the end of July and will then move onto Meadows Way itself.

May 2026:

We’re currently experiencing some delays to works on Meadows Way due to unforeseen issues with utilities. As a result, the construction programme has changed.
Works at Lammas Gardens are taking longer than originally anticipated, which has impacted the planned start date for the Uppingham Gardens car park improvements.

We will confirm revised dates for these works as soon as they are available. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we complete these essential improvements.

March 2026:

To allow us to safely construct these improvements, temporary parking restrictions will be required. These restrictions are essential to ensure safe working areas for our construction teams and to maintain the efficient flow of traffic during the works.

More about the Greater Nottingham Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)

Nottingham City Council have received government funding to deliver projects that started between 2023 and 2025.

The Greater Nottingham Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) will deliver projects and programmes that improve the area’s bus services – including reducing fares for young people, delivering buses that are more frequent and reliable, and improving passenger waiting facilities.