Future Solutions and COVID

This weeks post in a rapid changing world contains information about one upcoming scheme in BCP, and a round up of very latest information coming from a world thats dealing with COVID related to transport.

Update-29/04 BCP are working on identifying locations that may benefit from footway widening, road closures. Post your suggestions in comments at bottom, or email them to us.

My suggestions:-

• Lower Parkstone, A35 Commercial road, Footway currently restricted after Parr st towards bmth, take a lane away make single lane direction to lights
• Westborne, all poole road close to through traffic both ends of seamoor road, make seamoor road two way for local traffic.
• Winton, as much of wimborne road is realistic where space exists, remove parking make lane on road for bikes
• Charminster, road at Maxwell road, through section past co-op make a lane.
• Belle vue road Southborne, at st katherines road, remove parking through co-op area, lane past all shops.
• Boscombe, sections of Christchurch road, where width exists, another lane, esp around Gloucester road, parking is 30 mins but is parked in all day-remove and create lane.
• Castle lane west, local shops opposite castlepoint, at bradpole road, section of service road, take out or, take out a lane of main road, (this is the one section of castle lane west that isnt provided for by service road access or near west way new 2016 track)

S5 is an upcoming TCF corridor that will be in consideration now by BCP officers, its Poole to Ferndown and the S routes so far are graded ‘Connectivity Corridors’ whilst the C route Cycleways are currently  graded ‘Cycle Freeways’. All these designations and priority are subject to changes.  Several years ago I spoke with the Cycling officer and went on a on ground ride along the Ringwood road that TCF S5 is earmarked for. I wrote about this and took photos of the road as an example of the most antiquated of the areas old Poole Boro work on cycling infrastructure, It seems timely now to make another enquiry about the same section of road, between Old Wareham Road and Seaview road and what could be done there, doing my Volunteering Saturday for BCP at Rossmore I met one of the three Newtown and Heatherlands Councillors who was very interested in this exact piece of road- so here it is for you. What is actually planned? And why am I asking for this? Its a very strange time and whilst we are all restricted in movements the work must be going on to make the TCF funding win reality, even after COVID19 movement restrictions are over. So, youll have seen my previous requests for possible Modal Filters, and my own campaign for one on Alton Road Wallisdown, right back in August 2018. These elements are aside of the very real changes that places are making as on road responses to COVID .

What could be done on Ringwood road? I have two streets from the 3 that leave that road over the course of about a kilometre, both side roads leading into neighbourhoods where journeys should be only necessarily be originating or terminating. You can see the first one is Haskells road,

this is the same type of junction as Cynthia road just further up towards Old Wareham road (shown below) Rosemary road is the next one that feeds several more side roads, both Haskells and Cynthia could use back roads rather than the main Arterial road to gain access to the houses by car. Both of these roads lend themselves to have ideal Modal Filters, that is access for scooters, bike and pedestrians only, with removable bollards for emergency services. I wrote about Modal Filters in more depth here.

Cycling officer is well informed about measures like that which are being used in other areas of U.K, and mentioned having plans to filter two streets like this.  If this isn’t possible due to lack of political will, or inability to consult and get approval from the people that live around the area then there is a second possibility for these two side roads. The Footway here is wide and separation from existing bike track is by paint line. If you look at the excerpt of a T-Junction I have used, it shows how a new cycleway could be given priority over the side roads, in the most effective way. There is no room for a set back here, so the junction would be the same in the turning corners and again use the dropped kerbs for pedestrians and mobility scooters that use the footways.

We had the first priority over side roads junctions first installed in Castle Lane West in 2016, by Bournemouth with LSTF funds,  then more recently on Dunyeats road 2019 -great work by BCP.

This shows the crucial difference which is continuous cycleways, at the same level. Dunyeats was done at very short notice and BCP are to be congratulated for this work, especially continuing it to join the Gravel Hill tracks made earlier. However it is still a shared track unlike Castle Lane, which is the ideal and best solution to give all users clear priority. Side roads are slow speed movements , and with appropriate surface heights, with humps for side roads crossing enable continuous riding for 2 wheeled users.  The No Set back picture shows how this is done, there are also special kerbs available for making the corners exactly correct.

Warnings, here are a couple of very recent examples of where Councils have failed at making T Junctions better. The first shows that no one has priority, and everyone gives way to everyone. So total confusion there.

The second shows an attempt which is also where there hasnt been a good enough design done. Good design work dosent cost more than poor design on the ground. Its important to get right first time.

Thanks to all the campaigners whose pictures Ive used, especially Ranty Highwayman, Phil Jones associates and Brian Deegan- these people are leading changes from the front. So theres two types of treatments for Ringwood road in S5 future.

Moving onto todays news, Italy has taken serious steps to make travelling actively the absolute norm, read the Guardian piece here. Bear in mind they are 3 weeks ahead of us in terms of the curve of COVID deaths- so are likely to come out of Lockdown on 03 May, according to my partners best friend who lives in Rome and who weve been screentiming over last few weeks . Our partial ‘lockdown’ is weakening now, as interpretations of the prospect about being allowed to drive to get to exercise are ‘flexed’ by many,  I certainly feel like the roads are returning to normal despite still being under same conditions we were in at end of March. You can see the reports here,

thanks to Mark Strong for pointing this out.

On the same day Wandsworth Council have put out official Comms about using the roads to walk in, these people are seriously missing the point that there are now more people than ever voluntarily exercising. They shouldn’t be at the mercy of ‘good’  drivers, all the evidence from elsewhere shows that places are protecting vulnerable road users, as mentioned in the first couple of posts on this new website. I do hope you are contacting our Council to ask for these main changes to made as soon as possible, while we have the chance.