Strategic Cycle Routes in Portsmouth
Jon SpencerCTC Right-to-Ride Representative Portsmouth14th April 2010
Goals of the Report
To present an objective assessment of the major North-South routes into & out of Portsmouth
To provide a baseline for the city council's proposed cycle network
To highlight the importance of good quality arterial routes
To highlight areas for improvement
The report can be downloaded from:http://www.pompeybug.co.uk/infrastructure/
PCC Strategy
Cycling will be promoted as a healthy and low stress alternative to the car and as a transport mode which is fully integrated with the local
public transport system. Strategic cycle routes and enhancements for cyclists at junctions will provide the backbone to the city cycle
network enabling cyclists to safely and quickly cycle to all parts of the city.
DfT & CTC Design Hierarchies
1. Pedestrians and disabled people
2. Cyclists
3. Public transport users
4. Motorcyclists and taxis
5. Commercial and business vehicles
6. Car borne shoppers
7. Car borne commuters and visitors
1. Traffic reduction
2. Speed reduction
3. Tackle problem sites
4. Redistribute the carriageway
5. Provide segregated facilities
Last Resort – convert footways to cycleways
Hierarchy of Users Hierarchy of Solutions
RoutesThere are three major cyclist's routes in to and out of Portsmouth.
Eastern RoadMilton to Farlington, largely OCR.
Copnor RoadMilton to Cosham, largely on road.
Pilgrim's WayThe Hard to Cosham, largely on quiet streets & OCR
All of the routes may be varied somewhat
Eastern Road – RouteACL North on Velder
Ave (Nothing Southbound)
Toucan Crossing at Kirpal Road
OCR North to Havant Road
Recross at Fitzherbert Road
Eastern Road – AssessmentCriterion Rating Notes
Accessibility Poor Could easily be improved with better signing
Connectivity Poor Could be improved with better signing and modification of junctions.
Safety Fair Segregated facility but at times dangerously close to fast traffic.
Utility Fair The large number of cyclist give way points significantly lengthens journey times. Surfaces could be improved.
Copnor Road – RouteOn Road Route
except:ACL at Copnor Bridge
Bus lane on London Road
OCR Portsbridge Roundabout to Cosham
Copnor Road – AssessmentCriterion Rating Notes
Accessibility Poor Could be improved with signing and designation of appropriate routes to major destinations.
Connectivity Fair Could be improved with better signing and better exploitation of existing facilities such as the A27 bridge at Peronne Road.
Safety Poor Only suited to experienced & confident cyclists. Hazards from heavy traffic on narrow sections and excessive parking. Poor
Utility Fair This is a speedy route in and out of the city. However, the off-road section at Hilsea is badly designed, confusing and awkward to use.
Pilgrim's Way – RouteACL/on road to Edinburgh
Rd
OCR to Flathouse Quay
On Road Flathouse Quay
OCR to Buckland
ACL/On road to Rudmore
OCR & quiet roads to Stamshaw
OCR Stamshaw park
On road to Mountbatten
Thence OCR
Pilgrim's Way – AssessmentCriterion Rating Notes
Accessibility Poor The route is fairly easy to find from the end points but confusing and difficult to follow.
Connectivity Good This route connects most of the important locations in the city, however there is room for improvement in signing.
Safety Poor There are some sections of this route, notably at Portsmouth Greyhound Stadium, Rudmore Roundabout and Hope Street/Market Way that are positively hazardous.
Utility Poor The route is tortuous and time consuming. Surfaces are poor and little thought has been given to cyclists needs in design.
Conclusions
Arterial cycle routes in and out of the city are the essential starting point for a cycle network
Current strategic routes do not support PCC aims to create a cycle network
There is no consistency of design
Each route falls short of DfT standards
Cyclists are ignored or given lowest priority at junctions
Road surfaces are good; OCR surfaces less so
Signing is very poor.
None of the routes offers a compelling alternative for car commuters
Next Steps
PCF is wants to help PCC develop:
Consistent design principles for city cycling
A long term plan to bring each route into line with these principles
Noting that a big bang approach is not feasible Including maintenance strategy & schedule for OCR
The development of a well-used cycle network permeating the city from the strategic routes
Plans ‘on the shelf’ to exploit future developments – e.g. Tipner Interchange, The Hard, …
Quick Wins
In the meantime, what can be done quickly?Review signing introduce consistent signs along
each routeTake full advantage of existing & underutilised
pieces of infrastructure (e.g. Peronne Road Bridge)Prepare a prioritised plan of required improvements
by area to be ready to take advantage of opportunities for implementation as part of other developments or highway works.
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