Time for a Trial of Park and Ride? - TrustNews April 1986
(A letter from Trust Member, Mrs. Mary Dauncey)
The County and City Councils this summer, and the City next, have plans which will overstrain even Winchester's good parking facilities. Although the City Council's Report on Traffic in Historic Towns shows that Winchester has more parking spaces per resident than any of the other towns surveyed, the Domesday Exhibition (April to October 1986) will result in a shortage of spaces.
The Army has been persuaded to allow the Barracks site to be used for parking, but this will not cope with the estimated 500,000 visitors above our normal quarter million.
During the summer of 1987 the City Archaeologists are to dig up one third of the Central Car Park. Probably only half of the total area will be available for parking. Chaos will result, even allowing for Chesil Street.
Would this not be an ideal time to try out a Park & Ride Scheme, operating (save Mondays) from the Cattle Market Car Park in Worthy Lane? It would suit residents from South Wonston, Harestock and Weeke, as well as from the Worthies, and might save suffocation of the inner city. A good Park & Ride Scheme has a constant shuttle service, so there is no hanging about at the park - you are on the waiting bus. Grocery boxes could go on supermarket trollies, the trollies staying at the bus stops.
As a City Guide, I am already wondering how visitors are expected to hear the carefully researched commentary on the Castle-Jewry Street stretch of the "Domesday Experience Walk", because traffic noise is so intrusive.
Surely these next two summers would be the ideal time to try out a Park & Ride Scheme. The Trust should be pressing for this as hard as it can.