Footprints to the Future
Transforming Cities Fund and LTN News.
You may have seen this BCP comms release? We have written before about TCF its now coming into focus and there are aspects worth mentioning, as this is the very beginning of the era. Todays post is about that and also the EATF tranche 1 schemes . Reminder- there will be no new roads built in BH area, Engineers are enacting Gvt Policy that aims to shift travel modes away from sole occupancy motor vehicles. If you dont want to read about the next 3 years skip to the juicy bit about LTNS at the bottom.
These schemes first released, these are S and C, S routes must contain Bus links of the best quality, S routes also must contain Cycle facilities, C routes are more geared around cycle facilities. I’m linking this to routes studied, ridden and written about over the last 10 years, and how they have already changed. Be aware there are also C4, C6,C7, S1,S2,S3,S4 and S7. As will all things what Im writing here is subject to change due to multiple reasons.
S6 North Poole to X church corridor. This Starts at Queen Anne Drive- goes through to Kinson (Bear Cross) then beyond to X church. 2014 I route rode and timed this as far as Bear Cross, section by section . West end is 7.4 KM to Kinson
It was part of my Grey route and you may remember the Section from Merley to Bear Cross being dealt with, great work and well used. So some of the upcoming schemes are roads weve been asking for improvements on at BHAT for years and its great to see this happening. The most westerly end of Q.A drive needs the same or similar treatment, with additionally the junction that turns into the Car Boot Sale road making continuous, there is a new SANG just behind here as well which could be even better linked to bike transport. Beyond Bear Cross is a major challenge- with roads narrowing down through Kinson, thereafter joining Whitelegg, superb potential there with wide road. Good design is the answer, at present theres a solid white line that dosent even designate a cycleway… Joining Castle lane at the North end of Wimborne road- the west end of Castle Lane to Broadway needs perhaps the same treatment as Castle Lane West, (July 2015) Can you see here how each schemes already break down into several build sections? At Castlepoint theres loads to do, service roads and more to get you through Cooper Dene roundabout which itself isnt too bad for bikes, some tweeking of traffic light sequences could be of benefit. Then the biggie- Outside RBCH, and beyond over to Xchurch. Im tired just writing about the amount of work the Engineers will have to try and get done in 3 years, let alone seeing the plans for it all.
S5 Is Poole to Ferndown. I covered the Poole Newtown end of this back in April in detail. Ringwood road not somewhere Id really ever personally want to cycle except in necessity of fast timing, although it will have users along its length for shorter journeys, the reason to make those sections quality enough to encourage those sitting in a queue of cars to choose another way. This route is a joint effort with DC, at the Ferndown end work already begun. Theres lots of pieces of work done already that will back the bigger changes, like this filter at Ford Lane, going to link the other C2 route after the Chapel Lane section. Their clever these engineers, doing pieces of a jigsaw that eventually come together, See more below about LTN info.
Now onto outright Cycle ways, you have C1,C2, C3 and C5 in development.
C1 Bournemouth to Christchurch North- There are easy sections like Kings Park, but to get there from Boscombe centre, and the other side past RBCH gets trickier. This route eventually joins Fairmile which is a charming road to ride.
C2 Bournemouth to Ferndown. Now then a beauty of a route, starting with Bourne Valley Greenway. For years we have asked for better lighting, better surfacing as a basic requirement. BHAT would also like to specify, there is a central footway, and an Eastern Footway designated there which is great, leaving the western track for moving wheels makes sense, and if there was an enforcement both ways- Bike and Pedestrians to use specific sections and equal priority given to users on correct linear feature- everyone would benefit. It gets tricky because its impossible to disallow people to walk anywhere by law, just as its impossible to make many other things written into law happen. C2 meets Glenfurness Ave, currently one of the easiest places to make protected for cycles but abandoned due to opposition to a set of wands being placed there. Many of the wide avenues here are suited to just protecting with mandatory lines and double yellows such as on Wimborne road from Richmond hill to Cemetary jcn, immediately taking away parked vehicles avoid the conflict between road users, difficulty here is that TROS are needed of the original sort that were sidestepped by ETROs of the EATF era we are living through. End of Glenfurn meets work going on already for Boundary Rbt, then down Boundary lane some opportunities to use service roads or redesign, While we speak designers are working on Eynsbury Park Gyratory, a hell hole of a relic which will be gone as are so many from other cities. Redhill and the park has plenty space available for nice tracks. Next up the route will cross the river somewhere? near church lane rather than New road bridge not sure what happens, then the Chapel lane straight line north, a refuse route lined with muck and trafficked by lorries. Be interesting to see what the plans are for that- we know not of the plans, but would hope to be brought on to discuss. Route meets S5 as discussed above. Original plans for this has a split route at Redhill, which seems to have gone from the picture now being distributed? Read about the 10 year use of BVG here.
If you regularly use any of these places, and have contributions to make of photos and suggestions- please send them in we can add them to correspondence with Engineers and new Cycling/Walking Officer.
C3 Wareham to Poole. This is a goodie, out of Hamworthy down Sandy Lane, there is somewhere a route around the south side of the A35 which has been identified to take you to Holton Heath. Not sure about how after that Sandford road will be tamed we await more detail.
(C4 Canford Heath to University, dubbed ‘the Jasonway’ more on that later)
C5 is Poole town to North Poole, a piece of Wimborne road to Darbys Lane, then existing track north onto the edge of Canford Heath, this will meet many peoples needs as a huge number of residences back onto this. Cleverly the route is mainly there it just needs making better with which we aim to assist in advice. Lots about this and BVG on an earlier blog.
LTN News. We would sincerely hope that all the LTNS run their courses and see out the 6 months given on the date schedule here.
If not, some considerations. Poole Quay and high st has shown to be a resounding success, as has Evening Hill for the vast majority of users. Consideration of the entire data set of consultation responses will show this. These 2 to keep without doubt, for context conversations with Forum happened 10 years ago about pedestrianization here, and probably longer ago than that. Evening hill provides a safe link to miles of advisory lanes either side- where it is needed the most.
For the others, Single point filters at Keyhole Bridge, background- very soon Pier Gates will be closed for final Park Stage roadworks to be completed, these could equally if left closed avert the use of the park as a through route.
Tatnam, helps with protecting Garland road from through traffic, however the whole Oakdale area could benefit from wider work.
Darbys Lane, being dealt with on C1 of TCF already, the Wimborne road at the New Inn is to become 3 lane not 4, has been in development for years)
Victoria Park road- one such example where multiple local roads are unnecessary, and could be filtered on wider area consideration.
Leven Ave an interesting one as not a dense network of residences, doubtless a side road that neednt suffer fast through traffic. On C2 described above- smart work to keep in advance.
Churchfield road, happily recieved by most of the street, and linked to the existing filter at the other end.
BHAT would unhesitatingly suggest that those such as Churchfield and Leven which have had residents that live on those streets acting together to show support to BCP should remain priority. There have been other neighbourhoods approached us regarding wanting an LTN for their areas, for the same reasons as the others gained support, we have assisted as much as possible with those enquiries. Others on the list like Tatnam raised public objection, however may have been met with much silence from more than those writing in immediately. The evidence shows that these sorts of interventions, when given time to bed in become accepted- data on replies will show this- from dated submissions, and we hope that Officers in the departments dealing with consultations give best evidence they can. The evidence elsewhere shows that LTNS over 1 KM square have several point filters (like those already in Heatherlands, Poole old town and elsewhere), so we would say that the ones implemented in dense street networks now could be moved, added to or removed as may be the case- a trial is just that and it can be changed. Earlier Cllr Hadley drew up such a LTN idea in June. for Oakdale. Time will tell tommorrow about what is to be learned from this era. Officers wait to hear from DFT if they have won funds for Tranche 2, removal of any schemes will weaken their position for sure. The whole thing didnt need to become a political football, and all we know is that however much people fear change to their habitual routes, when those routes arent working for all in cars anymore – there needs to be alternatives.
The average U.K resident wastes 4.9 days every year due to traffic delays. 61% of respondents feel its too dangerous to cycle on roads. 27% of greenhouse gases in 2017 were from transport, transport replaced power sector as worst emitter. Overweight and obesity is now the U.Ks biggest cause of cancer after smoking, we are 20% less active than we were in the 1960’s ( 1 in 6 deaths linked to inactivity) Data from Sustrans.
