– Ryde Transport Interchange Consultation

In July last year, the Isle of Wight Council was successfully awarded £10m from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund for a project to improve Ryde Transport Interchange.  The funding bid was part of wider, co-ordinated initiative with Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council (together as South East Hampshire Rapid Transport SEHRT) to enhance sustainable transport infrastructure and connectivity on the Island and in and around Portsmouth (Portsmouth City Region).

The project focuses on improving connectivity for cyclists, pedestrians, and bus users as well as improvements to the pier to provide segregated facilities and to Ryde Esplanade train station. The intent is to reorganise the space to provide a more pedestrian prioritised area with additional public space, opening up new views of the historic pier whilst facilitating an improved transport interchange which respects the local heritage, wider natural environment and conservation area status.

Much of the project funding is conditional on some specific improvements being made which form the basis of the overall design, road layout and the design of public spaces, cycleways, and walkways.  However, there are also aspects of the final design that can be influenced by the community, and the Isle of Wight Council have launched a consultation to encourage people to share their views on these elements.

The project is essentially broken down into these separate elements:

  1. Remodelling and refurbishment of the Esplanade bus interchange to create a better environment for bus users/pedestrians and make it easier and safer for buses to manoeuvre in and around the bus station and allow services to exit via George Street, thereby operating more efficiently and reliably.
  2. Reinstatement of the pier tramway to provide a new separate ‘boardwalk’ facility for pedestrians and cyclists.
  1. Refurbishment of the station buildings including new, fully accessible disabled toilets, a new façade, remodelled / expanded concessions and access to the boardwalk
  2. Improvement of cycling links to and through the interchange linking with the existing cycleway to Puckpool in the east and Ladies Walk in the west.

About the consultation

This consultation primarily focuses on the highway elements of this project (the areas of the scheme the Isle of Wight Council is delivering), detailing the initial designs and seeking your view in helping define the look and feel of the public space.  This includes your feedback on different options for:

  • Carriageway surfacing materials
  • Pedestrian paving and kerbing
  • Landscaping/planting
  • Street furniture (e.g., seating, bollards, bins) on the Esplanade/bus station and pier tramway

The Isle of Wight Council are interested in your thoughts on other key features that could be incorporated into the public space or indeed any other comments that you wish to make about the scheme.  You can use the free text areas at the end of the survey for these purposes.

Your feedback will help inform a decision on the way forward. It is hoped that the work itself on the project will begin in early 2022 and will be completed by the Spring of 2023.

It is recommended that you read the consultation document and the supporting plans and information before completing the short survey.  You can view these at www.iow.gov.uk/rydeinterchange . You may also click here for a direct link to the survey.

These documents are also available as hard copies on request from PFI@iow.gov.uk if you prefer to view them in this way.  You can also use this email address if you have any further questions.

Back to top