6 KEY AREA: SUN LANE – WELLINGTON ST. · The design allows for the retention of pedestrian...

6KEYAREA:SUNLANE–WELLINGTONST.

Theidentifiedkeyareacouldbeimplementedasa

‘stand-alone’projectthatmaybecomeanearlyphase

ofawiderscheme.

ExistingclutteratSunLane/WellingtonStreet.The‘corduroy’pavingintheforegroundisintendedtoassistthosewithavisualimpairmentbuttheywouldalsohavetonavigatetheclutter.Alloftheseitemscouldberemoved.TheCCTV(largecolumninthemiddle)couldbefixedtothecorneroftheadjacentbuilding(resultinginabetterfieldofview).Trafficlightsmaynotbenecessaryandareducedsignboardcouldbeintegratedwithothersigns.

KEYAREA:SUNLANE-WELLINGTONSTREET

PEDESTRIANMOVEMENTThejunctionofSunLane/WellingtonStreetwiththeHighStreethasbeenidentifiedasa‘KeyArea’:asignificantpartofthe‘publicrealm’andcapableofimprovementasaseparatephaseofworks.Itisanhistoriccrossingpointanditcontinuestobeapedestrian‘node’withahighlevelofmovementacrosstheA1304.ThereisnosurveydataavailablebutatbusytimestherewouldappeartobearelativelycontinuousmovementofpedestriansalongWellingtonStreetinparticularbutalsosignificantmovementalongSunLane.ItwasobservedthatmostpedestriansseemnottocrosstheroadatthispointbutturnrightorlefttocontinueonthesamesideoftheHighStreethowevermanydocrossandtheexistingsignalisedcrossingpointiswellused.

CONTROLLEDCROSSINGThedesignallowsfortheretentionofpedestriancontrolledlightsatthiscrossingpoint.HoweverManualforStreetsadvisesthatuncontrolledcrossingscanbebeneficialintermsoftrafficmovementandpollution.Thiswouldalsobeanoptionwiththisdesignanditwouldhaveotherbenefitsintermsofplacemaking.AtpresentthisKeyAreahasaclutteredenvironmentandconsiderationcouldbegiventoomittinglights,asillustrated,foranexperimentalperiodtoallowassessmentofthisoption.Designfeatures,suchaschangesinpavingmaterials,wouldbeusedtoindicatepedestrianpriority.ThisoptionwouldenhancetheappearanceoftheHighStreetwhilereinforcingthemessagetodriversthattheretailcentreofNewmarketisaverydifferentenvironmenttoothersectionsoftheA1304withtheaimofencouragingachangeinbehaviourandslowerspeeds.Experimentsinremovinglightshavebeensuccessfulelsewherehowevernotwosituationsareidentical.Uncontrolledcrossingsworkbestwheretrafficflowsandtrafficspeedsarelowbutthemostappropriateconditionsarenotwellunderstoodandgroupsrepresentingthevisuallyimpairedinparticularhaveexpressedsignificantconcerns.

Thelightscouldberemovedforanexperimentalperiodhoweverthenecessarycablesandcontrolsshouldbeinplacetoallowpromptreinstatementofsignalsifdeemedmoreappropriate.

SUNLANE-WELLINGTONSTREET

ProposedLayoutPlan