DRAFT MARCH MARKET TOWN TRANSPORT STRATEGY 2013 INTRODUCTION

Transcription

1 DRAFT MARCH MARKET TOWN TRANSPORT STRATEGY 2013 INTRODUCTION This is the second Market Town Transport Strategy for March, replacing the strategy produced in It forms a part of the Third Cambridgeshire Local Transport Plan (LTP3). A number of objectives have been drawn up for the strategy which support Cambridgeshire County Council s and Fenland District Council s respective priorities and the County Council s Local Transport Plan 3 objectives: TABLE 1: MARCH TRANSPORT STRATEGY OBJECTIVES The Transport Strategy for March will seek to IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELL- BEING OF THOSE WHO LIVE, WORK OR STUDY IN MARCH BY DELIVERING TRANSPORT RELATED PROJECTS WHICH IMPROVE: PEOPLE S ABILITY TO GET ABOUT AND LIVE INDEPENDENT & HEALTHY LIVES ACCESS TO KEY SERVICES AND DESTINATIONS WITHIN MARCH BY A VARIETY OF METHODS OF TRAVEL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MARCH AND KEY SETTLEMENTS & SERVICES IN THE WIDER REGION THE SAFETY OF THE TRANSPORT NETWORK, PARTICULARLY FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE USERS THE ECONOMY OF MARCH FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL WHO LIVE OR WORK IN THE TOWN HOW THE FUTURE GROWTH AND SHAPE OF MARCH IS MANAGED THE ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC REALM WITHIN MARCH AND HELP TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE In keeping with the County Council s Local Transport Plan and Central Government s Manual for Streets 1 and 2, this strategy will be guided by the transport user hierarchy given in Table 2 below. This hierarchy will be used as a guide for setting priorities and allocating funding towards programme areas and schemes in the strategy: TABLE 2: TRANSPORT USER HIERARCHY FOR MARCH TRANSPORT STRATEGY 1. PEDESTRIANS 2. CYCLISTS 3. PUBLIC TRANSPORT 4. SPECIALIST SERVICE VEHICLES (EG EMERGENCY SERVICES, WASTE COLLECTION, DRIVERS WITH DISABILITIES) 5. OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES March Market Town Transport Strategy

2 SCOPE OF THE STRATEGY In developing this strategy, local councillors and stakeholders have been engaged in order to identify the transport and access issues that are important to the people of March. The strategy has therefore been led by these issues which have been identified locally and are important to the town. The strategy not only attempts to address some of the existing shortcomings relating to transport within the town, but also to plan ahead for known developments that will take place. Fenland District Council are in the process of developing their core strategy, known as the Fenland Local Plan, which sets out where development is likely to be considered acceptable in the town. This Market Town Transport Strategy and the Fenland Communities Development Plan will need to be closely aligned to develop transport schemes and infrastructure both now and in the future. While the strategy seeks to put forward solutions to the issues raised, it cannot solve all the problems that have been identified in the town. Funding is, and will remain an issue for the foreseeable future and the two authorities will not be able to fund all the proposals put forward on their own. What this strategy will do however is set out a policy basis for the proposals which will give the authorities a solid basis from which to negotiate contributions from developers and also to secure funds from other partners. Indeed, some of the solutions will be fully dependent on other partners to implement. This Market Town Transport Strategy for March is designed to align with the timescales for LTP3, which will be in place until However, the programme for delivery of schemes will be reviewed more regularly, as appropriate. Any major changes will be approved by elected members and updated versions will then be made available on the Cambridgeshire County Council website. Figure 1 on the following page shows the geographical extent of the strategy area, which is focussed on the built up area of March: March Market Town Transport Strategy

3 FIGURE 1: GEOGRAPHICAL EXTENT OF THE STRATEGY AREA March Market Town Transport Strategy

4 BACKGROUND TO MARCH March is an historic market town at the heart of Fenland with a population of over 22,000 (2011 Census). It is reasonably well connected by road and benefits from a railway station situated on the Stansted Cambridge Leicester-Birmingham line. March has an established legacy as a trading centre and benefits from a relatively healthy town centre, which has an historic urban form and attractive riverside setting. Fenland s ongoing economic function as a centre of agricultural production is reflected in a number of food production businesses which are key employers in the town. As the administrative centre of the district and home to the Council s offices, the public sector is also an important local employer. Home to Network Rail s supply and infrastructure depot, March supports a variety of rail-based jobs in freight and logistics. CURRENT PROVISION AND ISSUES RELATING TO TRANSPORT IN MARCH Walking According to the County Council s latest Annual Traffic Monitoring information: The percentage who enter/leave March on foot is fairly typical for a market town in Cambridgeshire, at 3%; The percentage who travel through the town centre on foot is higher in March than in any other market town in Cambridgeshire, at 24%. There are a number of locations in the town where a lack of footpath provision deters or hinders people from walking, such as on Norwood Rd, Elwyn Rd, City Rd and Estover Rd. Lack of lighting on the A141 bridge between Hostmoor Avenue and B1099 Wisbech Rd and on the B1101 between March and Wimblington also act as barriers to walking. While March has the Hereward Way path running through the town centre and a number of paths leading out from the town there is scope to improve the quality and quantity of paths leading into the countryside. Cycling According to the County Council s latest Annual Traffic Monitoring information: The percentage who enter/leave March by bicycle is fairly typical for a market town in Cambridgeshire, at 2%; The percentage who travel through the town centre by bicycle is higher in March than in any other market town in Cambridgeshire, at 4%. According to the County Council s 2012 annual school travel information: The percentage of students who travel to school by bicycle to March s primary schools ranges from 2.4% at All Saints to 14.6% at Maple Grove. The percentage of students who travel to Neale-Wade Community College is 19.3%. Outside of Cambridge, this is the second highest achieving college for percentage of students who cycle. While a reasonable amount of cycling infrastructure has been installed in the town during the last 10 years and the proportion of students cycling to Neale-Wade Community College and some of the primary schools is high, this proportion is not replicated throughout the rest of the town for non-educational trip purposes even if March still has March Market Town Transport Strategy

5 a higher proportion of cycle trips in the town centre than any other market town in Cambridgeshire. The recent experience of the successful Cambridge Cycle Town programme has shown that even in areas with high cycle usage, given the right conditions the amount of people cycling can increase further. Therefore with the cycling culture and infrastructure that is already in existence in March there is an opportunity to build on this solid foundation to further increase the number of people cycling in the town, by providing a comprehensive network of cycle routes that connect the key areas of the town. Other issues relating to cycling include: Signage for existing cycle routes such as the National Cycle Network route could be improved; Lack of information relating to cycling in the town there is no published material such as a cycle map promoting the town s cycle routes. Safety Figure 2 below shows the location of all reported injury accidents that have occurred during the last five years in the vicinity of March. Key areas of concern include: Junction of A141 with Gaul Rd. As part of a new development for 135 homes that is being built to the north of Gaul Rd there are proposals to introduce a roundabout, which we expect will deliver safety benefits. B1101 Wimblington Rd. A number of fatalities to vulnerable users have occurred along this stretch of road in recent years. A combined cycling & walking scheme is proposed to address this issue. The A141 junctions with Hostmoor Avenue and the access road leading to the Cobblestones pub and future retail development. While the A141/Hostmoor Avenue junction and the section between this junction and the roundabout with Wisbech Rd have been classified as accident cluster sites in the past, successful safety measures have been put in place to reduce the risk of accidents occurring. These include banning right turn movements out of Hostmoor Avenue and restricting the number of northbound lanes leading away from the A141 / Wisbech Rd roundabout. Nonetheless, there is significant local concern that the increased traffic associated with the new development has increased the risk of accidents occurring again. To address this risk a 40mph limit is to be implemented on the A141, as requested by March Town Council as part of the localism agenda. The section will extend approx. 1km to the north of the A141/ Wisbech Rd roundabout. A141 roundabout with Wisbech Rd, Whittlesey Rd and Meadowlands. While this roundabout was classified as an accident cluster site in 2004, the frequency of accidents has reduced in recent years meaning it has not made it onto the County Council s accident cluster site list. There is nonetheless still widespread local concern regarding the risks associated with using this junction. Broad St, Station Rd and Dartford Rd in the town centre. The incidence of accidents in this area of town is such that two accident cluster sites have been identified, one on Broad St and the other on Station Rd & Dartford Rd. Of particular concern at this location is the number of injuries that have occurred to pedestrians and to a lesser extent, cyclists. Figure 3 on page 8 shows the location of accidents in the Broad St area, along with an indication of whether they involved a pedestrian, cyclist or motorised forms of transport. March Market Town Transport Strategy

6 FIGURE 2: MAP SHOWING THE LOCATION OF REPORTED TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING INJURY DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN MARCH March Market Town Transport Strategy

7 FIGURE 3: MAP SHOWING THE LOCATION OF REPORTED TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING INJURY DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN THE VICINITY OF BROAD STREET March Market Town Transport Strategy

8 Public transport - Bus According to the County Council s latest Annual Traffic Monitoring Report: The percentage of buses & coaches that enter/leave March is fairly typical for a market town in Cambridgeshire, at 1% of the total traffic. The percentage of buses & coaches that travel through the town centre is also typical for a market town in Cambridgeshire, at 1% of the total traffic. There are three bus operators which provide bus services within March: Norfolk Green, who serve Wisbech, King s Lynn & Manea/Benwick via the 46 & 56 services. Stagecoach, who serve Whittlesey, Peterborough, Chatteris & March via the 33 & 35 services. Emblings Coaches, who serve Wisbech & King s Lynn via the 380 & 3 services. Figure 4 below shows the route of these bus services in March, along with an indication of the how often the bus service runs: FIGURE 4: MAP SHOWING THE ROUTE OF BUS SERVICES IN MARCH Cambridgeshire Future Transport (CFT) Financial assistance, which is currently provided towards a number of March related bus services, as a subsidy towards aspects of their route, will no longer be provided by Cambridgeshire County Council from September 2014 onwards. The Council will instead be investing 1.5m in local transport solutions across the county. In advance of Sept 2014, the Cambridgeshire Future Transport (CFT) programme will work in partnership with local communities and key local partners to invest part of this funding on local transport solutions that ensure members of the public can still access work, education, essential public services, shopping and social activities. March Market Town Transport Strategy

9 The services that are currently subsidised and will be reviewed as part of this process are: TABLE 3: BUS SERVICES TO BE REVIEWED AS PART OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE FUTURE TRANSPORT (CFT) Bus Service Specific aspects of route that are subsidized Days Journeys between 9.02am and 5.32pm Tesco Cavalry 33 March- Drive Peterborough Journeys between 9.33 and 5.03pm Cavalry Drive Tesco am, 4.14pm Chatteris March March-Chatteris- 3.21pm March Chatteris Huntingdon 46 March-Wisbech 56 Wisbech-March- Benwick/Manea 56 Wisbech-March- Benwick/Manea 7.38am Guyhirn Wisbech 2.30pm, 5.35pm March Wisbech 2.55pm, 5pm, 6pm Wisbech March 8.30am Elm March (Saturday) 9.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm Benwick March 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm Manea March 9.08am, 11.05am, 1.05pm, 3.05pm March Benwick 10.04am, 12.04pm, 2.04pm, 4.04pm March Manea 7.22am March Wisbech 8am Wisbech March For further information please see the following web-page: Bus-related issues to be investigated through the strategy include: Monday to Friday Monday to Friday Monday to Saturday Monday to Saturday Monday to Friday Bus stops on Broad Street outside Barclays Bank are frequently blocked by parked cars, especially those just south of the existing permitted parking area. Bus stops on Broad Street outside Tesco Express and Heron Foods are also frequently blocked by vehicles. The left turn from Broad St into Dartford Rd is too tight for some buses to undertake whilst remaining in the specified lane. Delays caused to buses travelling through the town centre, particularly at the junction of Dartford Rd with Darthill Rd where the existing arrangement effectively gives priority to vehicles coming out of Darthill Rd. Inability for buses travelling from the south to turn around in the town centre Lack of bus station facility in the town centre. Lack of a bus interchange facility at the railway station and inability of buses to turn around at the station. Ensure schemes being delivered through the March Transport Strategy are coordinated with the CFT programme of transport solutions. March Market Town Transport Strategy

10 Public Transport - Community Transport Dial A Ride Fenland Association for Community Transport (FACT) For those people who can t use conventional public transport, the March area is served by Fenland Association for Community Transport (FACT), a well-established community transport provider. Although membership is required, FACT is open to anyone who meets their criteria - which includes living in a rural location with limited or no access to public transport, having no access to a car during the day or having difficulty using local transport due to age or disability. The organisation provides a pre-bookable scheduled dial-a-ride service to the following locations: TABLE 4: LOCATIONS SERVED BY FENLAND ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY TRANSPORT (FACT) Location March in and around Wisbech Peterborough King s Lynn Frequency of pre-bookable scheduled dial-a-ride service 6 days a week Weekly Monthly Monthly Fenland District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council have extended the concessionary fares scheme to include dial a ride services, therefore anyone who is entitled to a concessionary bus pass will be able to travel free on these services. Community Car Scheme The March Community Car scheme offers transport for residents of the town who are unable to make essential journeys by any other means. This scheme can be used to undertake journeys to medical appointments as well as visiting friends and relatives in hospital. Access to Healthcare In 2011 the Fenland Transport and Access Group, as part of its health work programme, made a transport questionnaire available in all the GP surgeries and two hospitals in Fenland. The results of this survey work showed that there are difficulties accessing hospitals, especially for those people who do not have access to a car. Many people strongly rely on family and friends to take them to a hospital. A specific issue raised in March is access to Doddington Hospital. Despite the close proximity of March to Doddington, the location of the hospital on the edge of the village with a limited bus service makes getting to appointments difficult. Issues to be addressed through this transport strategy include: Investigate ways to improve public transport and community transport options to hospitals used by residents of March, most notably Doddington but also including Wisbech, Peterborough, Kings Lynn and Addenbrooke s. Ensure schemes to develop new, improved and revised community transport services reflect the current and ongoing changes and compliment the Cambridge Future Transport programme of transport solutions. Whilst there has been continued increase in the usage of community transport services, awareness regarding who is eligible to use community transport and what services are available could be further improved. March Market Town Transport Strategy

11 Public Transport - Rail March railway station is located on the Ely to Peterborough line and is served by the following rail services: Service Operator Stopping Pattern Birmingham New Street Stansted Airport Cross Country Trains About hourly through the day into the evening Liverpool Norwich East Midlands Trains 3 4 trains each way per day Peterborough Ipswich Greater Anglia 2 hourly service throughout the day Due to its central location in Fenland, March is an important station for the whole district and is comfortably the busiest of the three railway stations in Fenland. The station has seen substantial growth in the number of passengers using the station since 2004/5: Year Total passenger entries and exits at the railway station /5 266, /8 293, /11 316,292 With the planned growth in housing and employment sites in Fenland the importance of March station as a key transport hub is set to increase further into the future. Fenland Rail Development Strategy In April 2012 Fenland District Council adopted the Fenland Rail Development Strategy. This sets out a programme of improvements from which are to be delivered under the following themes: More community involvement Better stations Rail Service improvements Hereward Community Rail Partnership (CRP) & The Friends of March Station The Hereward CRP and Friends of March Station are two key ways in which the more community involvement theme of the Rail Development Strategy will be delivered. CRPs are designed to give local people a voice in making rail companies more aware of local needs and priorities and they help to establish greater community involvement in the railway and its stations. The Hereward CRP focuses on the railway line between Peterborough and Ely with a specific focus on the stations in Fenland. The Friends of March Station adoption group was formed in 2009 following a successful partnership project to clear the disused platform at March Railway Station. This volunteer group made the floral displays on the platforms which they continue to maintain. They also help to improve other aspects of the station s appearance through joint working with Fenland DC and Greater Anglia, the rail operator with responsibility for the station. Better Stations - Stations Investment Plan The better stations theme will be delivered through implementation of the Stations Investment Plan. Key issues and improvements relating to March station include: Improve the quality of the car park at the rail station, including marking out bays, improving the surfacing & lighting and consideration of CCTV Increasing the amount of car parking available at the station Improve interchange facilities for bus, taxi and community transport providers Introduce additional cycle parking at the station, including secure cycle parking 1 Data from Office of Rail Regulation see March Market Town Transport Strategy

12 Closely monitor the situation with regard to current and future delays caused by the level crossing barriers being down. Address the issues relating to on-street parking in the vicinity of the railway station. These issues have arisen following parking charges being introduced at the station with the result that a number of vehicles now park nearby on Elm Road where there is no charge. Due to the narrow carriageway width this means it is difficult to fit two vehicles side by side if any vehicles cars are parked on Elm Rd, particularly so if one of the vehicles is a larger vehicle. This situation causes vehicles to block onto the railway at the level crossing, creating a potential hazard in the event that vehicles are not able to clear the level crossing before the barriers go down. As a result of the parked cars, buses also have difficulties in accessing the northbound bus stop on Elm Road. With regard to car parking provision and interchange facilities at the station, early discussions have taken place with Greater Anglia, - who hold a 99 year lease on land in the vicinity of the station - bus operators and community transport operators to understand what the issues and opportunities relating to improved station facilities are. It is hoped a solution can be found which will ensure March station can adequately accommodate the expected growth in passenger numbers. Rail service improvements Improvements in the frequency of rail services which stop at March earlier in the morning, throughout the day and later into the evening will be sought by the Local Authorities working together with the relevant rail operators and Department for Transport to negotiate additional services for March. With regard to services stopping later on into the evening, the aim would be to make it possible for March residents to travel by rail for an evening in the likes of Cambridge / London. As each of the rail franchises serving March are due for renewal in the coming years this represents a good opportunity for Cambridgeshire County Council and Fenland District Council to lobby for local improvements. A further aspiration included in the rail development strategy is the potential to reintroduce the March to Wisbech Rail Line, known as the Bramley Line. Feasibility studies are being undertaken to inform the requirements and viability of associated infrastructure. If a sufficient business case can be demonstrated, this scheme or an alternative high quality public transport link could be delivered in the medium to long term. Public Transport - Taxis The formal provision for taxis in March comprises two ranks in the centre of Broad Street and one evening-only rank on March Market Place. Informal ranking occurs in other locations, especially in the evenings to service the evening economy. Issues to be addressed through the strategy include: Accessibility of Broad Street Ranks Provision of ranks which reflect changes in requirements between daytime and evenings Provision at March Railway Station March Market Town Transport Strategy

13 Traffic According to the County Council s latest Annual Traffic Monitoring Report, in 2011 there were 32,959 motor vehicles which entered or left March in the 7am-7pm time period. This figure is lower than any of the previous 4 years, which have seen a consistent year on year drop in the amount of traffic travelling into and out of March. Year Motor vehicles entering and leaving March, 12 hour flow , , ,959 The following two maps give an indication of where delays are currently occur on March s road network. The first map shows road links where there is a 30% reduction in the average speed during the peak periods when compared to the average all-day speed. This shows the following road links experience delay in peak periods: All approaches to the Broad Street junction with Station Rd & Dartford Rd Southbound approaches to the A141 roundabout with B1099 Wisbech Rd Northbound & southbound approaches to High St junction with Burrowmoor Rd Northbound & southbound approaches to High St junction with St Peter s Rd B1101 Wimblington Rd outside Neale-Wade Community College B1101 Station Rd / Elm Rd level crossing The second map shows average vehicle speeds in the evening peak period 4.30pm- 5.30pm. It shows that the junction of Broad St with Station Rd & Dartford Rd experiences the slowest vehicle speeds with all approaches at an average speed of less than 5mph. March Market Town Transport Strategy

14 March Market Town Transport Strategy

15 March Market Town Transport Strategy

16 Future Development Within the emerging Fenland District Council Local Plan, March is identified as one of the main centres for housing, employment and retail growth. The Plan sets out a target of 4,200 homes being built in the period , along with 30ha of new employment space. The diagram below shows the current proposed locations for new development. March Market Town Transport Strategy

17 March Area Transport Study and Proposed Major Developments In 2010/11 Fenland District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council jointly commissioned the County Council s highway consultants to develop a highway model for the March network, in order that it could be used to inform decisions relating to the scale and location of new development in March. This study found that the following junctions will experience peak time delay in future years: B1101 Broad Street /B1101 Station Road /B1099 Dartford Road A141/B1099 Wisbech Road; A141/Hostmoor Avenue; A141/Gaul Road; A141/Burrowmoor Road; B1101 High Street/Burrowmoor Road; B1101 High Street/St Peters Road B1101 Elm Road/Twenty Foot Road Further information relating to the March Area Transport Study suite of documents can be found at the following website: Studies. Any planning applications for proposed major developments will be expected to carry out a full Transport Assessment highlighting the specific impact of their development on the local transport networks. It is expected that applicants will utilise the SATURN 2 Model, which was developed as part of the March Area Transport Study, to identify the impact of their development on the highway network. This will ensure a consistent approach can be taken when assessing the specific impact of proposed developments as they come forward. A royalty charge to access the model will be payable to the County Council before use of the model is granted. A number of the schemes in the strategy bear a direct relationship with proposed new development in March. For such schemes, developers of the proposed allocations will either be expected to deliver these schemes or make a contribution towards their delivery. This is in order to help mitigate the impacts of growth and enhance accessibility. Major developments will be required to develop and implement a travel plan to encourage the use of sustainable transport modes. Schemes linked to key destinations such as the town centre, railway station, Neale-Wade Community College and Hostmoor Avenue industrial & retail area are considered to be directly relevant to a majority of the areas in March. 2 Simulation and Assignment of Traffic to Urban Road Networks March Market Town Transport Strategy

18 Town centre The Fenland Economic Development Strategy states that whilst March benefits from having a town centre with an historic urban form and attractive riverside setting there is a need to refresh the range and scope of the leisure and retail offer in order to maintain its function as a key service centre serving the wider hinterland. The strategy states that there is potential to capitalize on the town s heritage and accessibility to strengthen the employment base through the visitor economy. The town centre has strong pedestrian flows throughout much of the prime retail area - most notably along Broad Street and High Street, as well as between Broad Street and the Sainsbury s foodstore. However, despite the high pedestrian flows, Broad St as an environment feels dominated by vehicular traffic. The information given in the list below and figure on the next page, taken from the Fenland Neighbourhood Planning Vision (FNPV) Stage 2 report (2011), suggest a number of issues and opportunities related to March town centre that should be explored in more detail. While the majority of these suggestions can only be developed through a comprehensive masterplan of the area (something which Fenland District Council intend on carrying out in the near future) a number of these suggestions can be investigated as part of this transport strategy. Issues & Opportunities for March Town Centre from FNPV Stage 2 Report (2011) 1. Town centre car parks: Possibility of reorganising large surface car parks and redeveloping for town centre residential uses. 2. Acre Rd area: Opportunity to redevelop poor/quality disused industrial buildings to extend town centre/ residential uses to the west towards the key community buildings and the open space. Opportunity to reinforce the Lane character that exists in parts of the area. Key opportunity to improve and extend river frontage. 3. New street layout: Through redevelopment of the car parks and industrial area a new network of streets and lanes can be formed, including a possible pedestrian bridge over the river. These will re-link the open space and town centre. 4. Town park: Opportunity to improve park landscape and reconnect park to town centre 5. Town centre - hierarchy of spaces: Opportunity to improve public space and reorientate them more for pedestrian use. Southern space can be improved significantly with new public realm and development frontage. 6. Poor quality areas to south of town centre: Possibility of re-developing these areas and for town centre residential uses. Opportunity to improve public realm. 7. Broad St area: Opportunity to improve northern gateway to the town centre. Reduce traffic impacts on the space and introduce new pedestrian space and high quality public realm. Opportunity in the south of this area to introduce new south facing river frontage. 8. Green riverside link: Opportunity to improve riverside link to re-link open space to the west Related to number 1 above is the issue of car parking in the centre of March. Particularly on market days, the capacity of existing car parks is only just able to meet demand. This strategy will work with Fenland District Council through the master-planning for the town centre to identify different options for future car park provision in the town centre. Also related to number 1 above, bus operators have indicated that if Fenland District Council s aspirations to redevelop the City Rd area and extend the footprint of the town centre are realised and crucially if the development drew more people to the area then they would support the consideration of a bus station located in the City Rd area. March Market Town Transport Strategy

19 Figure 8.4 from Page 55 of the Fenland Neighbourhood Planning Vision Stage 2: Issues & Opportunities for March town centre March Market Town Transport Strategy

20 Broad Street The previously identified issues relating to the Broad Street area are summarised below: The number of accidents, particularly involving vulnerable road users; Current & future congestion at Broad St / Station Rd / Dartford Rd junction Area is dominated by vehicular traffic Economic potential of area not being fully realised As such any scheme to improve the Broad St area would have the following key aims: Address safety concerns, particularly pedestrian Maintain and ideally improve flow of traffic through the town centre Increase the priority and amount of space given to pedestrians Enhance the public realm by improving the quality and amount of public spaces Act as a catalyst to revitalise and regenerate the town centre of March The feedback from the public consultation has made clear that a shared space design is not the desired solution for March town centre at this current moment in time. 37% of respondents were in favour of the proposals while 46% were against, with 17% unsure. Until such a time as the shared space concept has been more widely proven in a number of similar sized locations across the UK, this strategy does not propose introducing shared space in March town centre. However there are a number of schemes proposed to address accessibility and safety issues. There is also a study proposed to look at measures for mitigating the impacts of growth and enhancing accessibility and this will be consider Broad Street as well as town wide issues. March Market Town Transport Strategy

21 An Eastern Access Road for March? There has been a long-held desire for many local people for a third vehicular crossing of the river to the east of March that would form part of an access road or bypass to the east of the town. Congestion in the town centre is the main driver for such a route, as well as improving access for the eastern side of March. The new route would provide better access to the eastern side of the town, avoiding the need to travel through the centre. However, in order to fully understand the impact this would have on congestion and to gain a better understanding of vehicular travel patterns within March, particularly with regard to vehicles crossing the river in the town centre, origin-destination data from the March Area Transport Study 2010/11 was analysed in detail. In terms of developing a robust business case, for a road of this nature to score well in terms of its Benefit-to-Cost ratio it would need to carry a minimum of 12,000 vehicles a day. The town centre bridge carries slightly more than that at 14,000-15,000 vehicles each day. However, the information on the map on page 23 seems to suggest that only a low proportion of vehicles currently using this bridge would choose to re-route onto an eastern access road for their journey. The map presents information relating to the origins and destinations of observed journeys that crossed the town centre bridge. This shows that a higher proportion of vehicles either started or ended their journey in the centre of March rather than in other parts of March or beyond. From the pattern of trips that this map displays, it seems that an additional road to the east of March would not provide a good alternative route for the majority of trips that are made across the town centre bridge. Analysis of the origin-destination data also revealed that less than 10% of all observed journeys travelling through the Broad St / Station Rd / Dartford Rd junction were through trips, i.e. where a vehicle s origin and destination were both outside of March. By means of comparison, approximately 90% of all traffic travelling on the A142 in Fordham, before it received its bypass, was through traffic. Therefore at this early stage, on the basis of these current patterns the case for new relief road does not appear strong. In terms of the cost to deliver an additional river crossing and road to the east of March this would be significant, potentially rising beyond 50m. Therefore in the short-tomedium term and current funding context, it will be difficult to build an adequate business case to obtain funds for this project. However, this strategy proposes recognising the eastern access road as a longer-term aspiration if there is a proven and strong business case. It is recommended that the study identifying measures to mitigate the future impact on the traffic network in March arising from future development (See project TC5 on page 47) includes consideration of the potential benefits and cost of an eastern access road as well as other potential interventions to address congestion and enhance accessibility. The outputs of the mitigation study will feed into the finalised strategy and inform Fenland District Council s Infrastructure Delivery Plan. March Market Town Transport Strategy

22 Northern Link Road The previous March Market Town Transport Strategy included a scheme involving the construction of a road linking March Trading Estate via Melbourne Ave to Hundred Road and linking Hundred Road to Elm Road via Hundred Road and Longhill Road. The linking Hundred Road to Elm Road via Hundred Road and Longhill Road was described as the Industrial Link Road Phase 2. This Strategy retains this scheme and this link will be considered in the context of the planned development in the northeast of the town. The scheme would have benefits for reducing traffic moving through March Town Centre and for improving accessibility for the planned development in the northeast of March. To that end, Project TC5: Study to identify measures to mitigate the future impact of traffic at key junctions and enhance accessibility, considering the town and key junctions.. will also consider and assess the northern link road in the same way that the eastern access road will be considered as part of that body of work. March Market Town Transport Strategy

23 March Market Town Transport Strategy