Paynes Park One-Way System Roadworks
David
carried out in the one-way system. While the resurfacing which is
about to be done is long overdue, most of the time seems to have been
spent making minor changes to pavements, traffic lights etc. Where the
road has been narrowed, additional hazard has been created for
cyclists. There was a plan to attempt to encourage cyclists to use the
pavement past Waitrose, although this received criticism from cyclists
and pedestrians due to its poor quality, and being a solution of last
resort in the Herts. Cycling Strategy. It is not clear from inspecting
the works whether this element is going ahead.
Meanwhile, the more important issue of eliminating the unpleasant
racetrack through the town centre remains unaddressed. Hertfordshire
Highways have said that they will look at returning the traffic to two-
way flow in the delayed Hitchin Urban Transport Plan. Can this be
taken seriously when they have spent so much time and money fiddling
about with the current layout this year?
Does anybody else have thoughts on this?
vicky wyer
I feel that the current works to the Bedford Road gyratory are a massive missed opportunity. Both the 1998 Hitchin Transport Plan and the Hitchin Vision consultation showed that the overwhelming majority of consultees wanted the restoration of a two way system which has many advantages for the majority of transport modes, particularly those whose needs come first in the traffic hierarchy ie pedestrians and cyclists, namely:
· Slows down traffic making roads safer for all users
· Allows cyclists to negotiate traffic more easily
· Allows more permeability for pedestrians
· Less fuel used! Less carbon emitted!
· A more pleasant environment for cycling and walking encouraging these modes
· Slower journey times by car encourage other uses eg cycling and walking
· Would allow redevelopment of Payne’s Park into a pleasant shopping street
· Would reconnect Waitrose and its carpark to the town centre.
To quote from the NHDC’s Proposed Cycle Route
Network Plan “Traffic Gyratory systems are rarely, if ever, conducive to
cycling, as they tend to increase both vehicle speeds and journey lengths. The Old Park Road and Hollow Lane
gyratory systems are two examples where this is evident. It will be better to
achieve a long term and holistic traffic management solution to these gyratory
systems and the surrounding road network. A key objective
of these solutions must be safe and direct cycle access… The gyratory
system is very hazardous and deters even bolder cyclists…
Options for the gyratory system are:
• Revert
to two way flow along Old Park Road. Retain one way flow in Bedford Road and Paynes Park.
This would push more traffic onto Old Park Road but would free up the other
two roads and make space for either cycle lanes (contraflow AND with flow) or a
two way cycle track along one side of these streets.
• Revert
to two way traffic flow along all three sides of the gyratory.
Block off the northern end of Paynes
Park to make it an
“access only” cul de sac. Access to Grammar School Walk would be
gained via Bedford Road.
• Retain the current gyratory system.”
The only one of these options with no benefits is the last one – and guess which one Herts Highways chose against the Hitchin Transport Plan and all subsequent planning docs.
Most of the advantages of the two way solution come from slowing the traffic down, which although a major part of government guidance, seems to be what Herts Highways are most desperately trying to avoid.
While govt is calling on highways authorities to implement 20 mph zones in built up areas, Herts Highways seem hell bent on creating racetracks that create positive barriers to sustainable modes of transport.
This disjointed thinking is clear in Ickleford too with the speed humps proposal - humps have long been known to bad for sustainable modes – buses, cyclists, emergency vehicles. Herts Highways have their heads in the sand as far as current transport thinking is concerned. It is so frustrating to see money being wasted in this way.
Back on the subject of the gyratory, the CTC’s comments on the proposed cycle provision were that what is proposed ie a shared pavement/cycleway along Bedford road is more dangerous than the previous situation, as its entry/exit points to/from the road are not safe. Also the cycle route to town from West Hitchin is so convoluted that it is unlikely to be used by any but very nervous cyclists – most will use the road so they don’t have to dismount.
Another wasted opportunity.
If only there was some money available to get Herts Highways engineers to go and visit new work in Ashford, Oxford, Portsmouth, even Cambridge, to see how best practice works.
Rant over…
Clarke Family
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vicky wyer
Dear Hitchin transport group followers,
(Apologies if you’ve seen this before)
In response to Dave’s comments below, I feel that the current works to the Bedford Road gyratory are a massive missed opportunity. Both the 1998 Hitchin Transport Plan and the Hitchin Vision consultation showed that the overwhelming majority of consultees wanted the restoration of a two way system which has many advantages for the majority of transport modes, particularly those whose needs come first in the traffic hierarchy ie pedestrians and cyclists, namely:
· Slows down traffic making roads safer for all users
· Allows cyclists to negotiate traffic more easily
· Allows more permeability for pedestrians
· Less fuel used! Less carbon emitted!
· A more pleasant environment for cycling and walking encouraging these modes
· Slower journey times by car encourage other uses eg cycling and walking
· Would allow redevelopment of Payne’s Park into a pleasant shopping street
· Would reconnect Waitrose and its carpark to the town centre.
·
To quote from the NHDC’s Proposed Cycle Route
Network Plan “Traffic Gyratory systems are rarely, if ever, conducive to
cycling, as they tend to increase both vehicle speeds and journey lengths. The Old Park Road and Hollow Lane
gyratory systems are two examples where this is evident. It will be better to
achieve a long term and holistic traffic management solution to these gyratory
systems and the surrounding road network. A key objective
of these solutions must be safe and direct cycle access… The gyratory
system is very hazardous and deters even bolder cyclists…
Options for the gyratory system are:
• Revert
to two way flow along Old Park Road. Retain one way flow in Bedford Road and Paynes Park.
This would push more traffic onto Old Park Road but would free up the other
two roads and make space for either cycle lanes (contraflow AND with flow) or a
two way cycle track along one side of these streets.
• Revert
to two way traffic flow along all three sides of the gyratory.
Block off the northern end of Paynes
Park to make it an
“access only” cul de sac. Access to Grammar School Walk would be
gained via Bedford Road.
• Retain the current gyratory system.”
The only one of these options with no benefits is the last one – and guess which one Herts Highways chose against stated policy in the Hitchin Transport Plan and all subsequent planning docs.
Most of the advantages of the two way solution come from slowing the traffic down, which although a major part of government guidance, seems to be what Herts Highways are most desperately trying to avoid. While govt is calling on highways authorities to implement 20 mph zones in built up areas, Herts Highways seem hell bent on creating racetracks that create positive barriers to sustainable modes of transport.
The CTC’s comments on the proposed cycle provision were that what is proposed ie a shared pavement/cycleway along Bedford road is more dangerous than the previous situation, as its entry/exit points to/from the road are not safe. Also the cycle route to town from West Hitchin is so convoluted that it is unlikely to be used by any but very nervous cyclists – most will use the road so they don’t have to dismount. Another wasted opportunity.
Herts Highways disjointed thinking is clear in Ickleford too with the outdated speed humps proposal - humps have long been known to bad for sustainable modes – buses and cyclists (not forgetting emergency vehicles, damage to car suspension and annoyed residents whose sleep is disturbed by noisy lorries clattering over the humps). Herts Highways have their heads in the sand as far as current transport thinking is concerned. It is so frustrating to see money being wasted in this way.
If only there was some money available to get Herts Highways engineers to go and visit new work in Ashford, Oxford, Portsmouth, even Cambridge, to see how best practice works.
Vicky
Bill Bowker
In my humble opinion removing the Paynes Park one way system and
returning Old Park Road to 2-way working (which both ends of it have
always had) would effectively extend the Town Centre area of the town
by a significant amount to the great benefit of the town.
Bill
rosie
What nobody appears to have thought of while all the work has been
going on is that trying to cross the road anywhere in the Paynes Park/
Bedford Road area is lethal. They've taken out all the crossings and
done absolutely nothing to assist pedestrians. I saw a woman with 2
young children have to literally race across the road outside the
Friends' Meeting House. And because the temporary lights at the
bottom of Oughtonhead Way are set back quite a long way from the
junction, neither the traffic turning left (which by then has got up
quite a speed) nor pedestrians trying to cross Bedford Road on the
"temporary crossing" can't see each other until it's almost too
late.
Rosemary
David Borner
| Hertfordshire Highways seem to be completely out of control if they are allowed to put so much time and effort into tinkering with an unloved one-way system. Perhaps a small amount of the budget flushed away on this scheme could have been usefully employed in rectifying the mistakes made when "traffic-calming" was installed in Pirton Road. We are still living with the increased traffic speeds from that fiasco, and there is no sign that HH intend to do anything about it. No doubt promises to "consider" it in the HUTP will be quietly forgotten. Do the councillors feel that the performance of Herfordshire Highways is satisfactory, or could more be done to hold them to account? --- On Mon, 8/3/10, vicky wyer <vicky...@ntlworld.com> wrote: |
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