We want to make movement in the town better for everyone. Out three priorities are:
- pedestrian priority in the town centre;
- a better pedestrian and cycle network across the town; and,
- measures to reduce through traffic in the town centre.
At a town-wide level our proposal is to rethink the public transport provision and to strengthen and extend the network of cycleways, primarily located on road but with the aim of creating off-road routes. This would involve the re-apportionment of existing road space in favour of pedestrians and cyclists over other road users. The town needs radial as well as arterial routes to link places like the hospital, edge of town employment sites and other destinations.
The aim is to significantly reduce through-traffic in the town centre and the measures include:
- Better quality decked and multi-storey car parks on the edge of the town centre or at key gateways, ensuring adequate provision and that the town remains accessible to all;
- Gradual rationalisation of town centre parking;
- Repurposing of surface car parking;
- Improving the arrival experience for shoppers and visitors with good car parking design;
- Giving priority to pedestrians
over cars in the town centre; - Improving the setting and immediate environment around the town’s historic buildings and streets
- Public realm improvements that benefit pedestrians in the town centre;
- Explore environmentally-friendly methods of moving people in and around the town centre such as public bicycle hire schemes, electric hop-on hop-off buses and so on;
- A new strategic cycle route along Town Walls;
- Reopening of the pedestrian route to the railway station platform 3 via from Abbey Foregate via the railway river bridge;
- The redirection of through traffic from Smithfield to Raven Meadows turning Smithfield into a pedestrian-priority promenade;
- Exploring demand management measures at the bridges using latest technology.
