TrustNews Dec 21
City of Winchester Movement Strategy
Phil Gagg, Winchester Action on Climate Change
The Square closed to traffic
In March and April 2019 Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council adopted a Movement Strategy which had three priorities:
Reduce city centre traffic
Support healthier lifestyle choices
Invest in infrastructure to support sustainable growth.
Work on the Strategy has been done, mostly drawings of unambitious walking and cycling projects, and redesign of some junctions, with three options for new traffic flow arrangements. Very large carparks have been proposed for the edge of town.
However, much has happened since 2019 that warrants a different, more ambitious strategy:
The City Council is now committed to net zero emissions by 2030
The lockdown freed up streets for cyclists and pedestrians, and showed us what was possible
The pedestrianisation of The Square has shown us how removing traffic can improve the public realm and encourage business
The world now agrees it is essential to take rapid effective action to tackle global heating
The latest (2019) data show transport was responsible for 58% of the net emissions in Winchester District; emissions from local roads have grown continually since 2012
The government is now offering 'at least' 12bn pounds nationally for local transport schemes, but only if they can demonstrate that they will reduce transport emissions
The government has reiterated its target that "active travel should make up at least half of all journeys in towns and cities by 2030"
National standards for walking and cycling infrastructure have been upgraded so that the work done so far needs to be respecified and reworked
The government has committed itself to increasing bus use substantially, offering 3bn pounds for areas outside London (potentially 65m pounds for Hampshire)
Hampshire has recently set a target of reducing traffic by 10%, superseding the latest progress report's assumption of a traffic increase of 46%.
Jewry Street full of traffic
The Movement Strategy needs to reflect these developments. This is the best and perhaps last chance to tackle transport emissions and remove jams like this one in Jewry Street:
The strategy needs to focus only on schemes that will reduce emissions and must demonstrate how it will do this. Electrification of cars will not on its own be enough; it will be too slow and will still jam our streets. We need to reserve the centre for cars used by residents and disabled people, delivery and emergency vehicles and buses. This would make more space for pedestrians and cyclists and allow us to find better alternative uses for central car parks.
To move around the town we need comprehensive networks of cycle and pedestrian routes, and low-traffic neighbourhoods. To access the town from the district and suburbs we need a network of frequent low-fare buses unhindered by traffic jams, serving the centre and the station, and providing good connections.
Hampshire County Council will be consulting soon on their priorities for taking this strategy forward. Don't miss your chance to respond.
You can find Hampshire's progress reports in section 5 of www.hants.gov.uk/transport/strategies/transportstrategies