Hampshire County Council is asking local people in Winchester for their views on proposals to improve walking and cycling infrastructure across the city centre.
Councillor Rob Humby, Deputy Leader of Hampshire County Council and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, said: “The Coronavirus pandemic has changed travel patterns and behaviour, and many people are cycling and walking more. This is a critical time to consider changes to our roads to support a prosperous, healthy and green recovery from Covid-19 - making it easier for people to sustain healthier lifestyles, whilst supporting local businesses, and helping to meet the County Council’s carbon reduction targets as part of our Climate Change Strategy.”
An online survey is being conducted to seek feedback on the plans and we are very keen to get the views of the community.
The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and will be available online for a four-week period from noon on Wednesday 17 February until just before midnight on Sunday 21 March 2021.
Please access the survey and the accompanying information via this link: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/transportschemes/atfwinchesterimprovements
Those who require a paper copy of the survey are asked to contact: 0370 779 7200.
Subject to the outcome of the consultation, these schemes would initially be implemented for a trial period of up to 18 months using temporary materials. They will be subject to monitoring to measure increases in walking and cycling levels and impacts on vehicular traffic throughout the trial period.
The proposed schemes being consulted upon are:
North Walls - proposals include reallocation of road space to widen the footway and provide a two-way segregated cycle lane along North Walls from Hyde Street to Middle Brook Street.
City Centre North-South – proposals include widening the footway on the west side of Jewry Street by the Discovery Centre; maintaining existing temporary road closures to prevent through vehicular traffic movements at three locations along Hyde Street; permitting cycling on both St. Peter Street and Parchment Street; allowing cycling on Middle Brook Street on the pedestrianised section from Friarsgate to Silver Hill.
The Upper High Street and High Street - proposals to enable southbound cycling on Upper High Street from Station Road to Sussex Street along with some widening of the footway in places and enabling eastbound cycling on the top section of the High Street from The Westgate to Staple Gardens.
Romsey Road at Clifton Terrace - this is a proposal to install a temporary signal-controlled “puffin” pedestrian crossing to make it easier for pedestrians to cross Romsey Road at this location. To accommodate the new crossing, Clifton Terrace would be made “No Entry” from Romsey Road and traffic would be only permitted to turn right when exiting from Clifton Terrace. Traffic will also be prohibited from entering Clifton Hill from the Clifton Terrace junction.
Councillor Humby continued: “While I’m pleased at how quickly we were able to respond in the summer to secure funding from the Government’s first Emergency Active Travel Fund and install initiatives to support the local economy and protect public health following the first Coronavirus lockdown, the conditions for this second tranche of funding means we have more time to consult with communities and incorporate feedback into the development of our schemes, or review whether to proceed with the projects, if the consultation indicates a lack of public support. I would therefore encourage people to have their say on these ideas now, to ensure we have a good measure of local opinion.”
The schemes, if implemented, will be funded through Hampshire County Council’s successful bid to the Government’s Active Travel Fund, amounting to £3.28 million awarded for a range of measures across Hampshire to create better spaces for walking and cycling in local communities.
The County Council would like to install measures that the community will support and will use. Therefore, feedback from the public is vital, particularly during the planning stages that we are now in.