Brighton & Hove City Council has taken the next step towards introducing the bus lanes by publishing the necessary legal traffic orders. The traffic orders set out the council's plans and are open to comment from the public until 8 May. Details are available in the Jubilee Library, Hove Central Library and City Direct centres in Bartholomew House and Hove Town Hall.

The city council's environment committee is due to consider the public response to the traffic order in June and if they give the scheme the go-ahead, the new bus lanes could be completed by next summer.

Director of environment for Brighton & Hove City Council, Jenny Rowlands said: "The A259 is a very well used bus route, with about a third of the people travelling towards Brighton & Hove in the morning by bus. In the last few years the frequency of bus services has doubled. These proposed bus lanes will make the journey to work quicker and easier for a lot of people."

Pedestrian improvements are also planned as part of the project with three new signalised crossings along the route. Improved crossings are also planned at Rottingdean crossroads. Safer crossings are proposed at the junction with Longridge Avenue where the mini-roundabout is to be replaced by a set of traffic signals. Safer routes for cyclists are also planned with the installation of cycle lanes.

The project is being carried out jointly with East Sussex County Council. This is the first phase of a major project to improve public transport, pedestrian and cycle facilities between Brighton and Newhaven.