Letchworth Urban Transport Plan

Urban Transport Plan

Herts Highways have released the first draft of the new Urban Transport Plan (UTP) for Letchworth & Baldock. This plan sets out the priorities for work by Herts Highways in these two towns over the next five years (2012-2017) and their key aims. The documents which can be found by clicking here are over 200 pages long and so we have decided to summarise them. An opportunity for members of the public to give their opinions of the proposals contained in the UTP exists until 28th October 2011 by completing an on-line questionnaire which is online here.
If you would like to help see our message at the bottom of this news item.

Highways Key Objectives

  1. Encouraging Economic Growth
  2. Reducing Carbon Emissions
  3. Wider Objectives of Transport - Improve air quality, improve road safety, encourage physical activity.

The UTP is split into multiple catergories. these are:

  1. Public Transport and Accessibility 
  2. Congestion and Traffic Management
  3. Speed Limit Compliance
  4. Walking and Cycling
  5. Parking
  6. Smarter Choices
Each catergory has different schemes with different priorities. A summary of each one is as follows:

Public Transport and Accessibilty

PT1 - Review of Bus Timetabling & Routes. Short Term. Cost £60,000
PT2 - Promotion of Hospital Shuttle. Short Term. Cost £110,000
PT3 - Public Transport Information. Medium Term. Cost TBA
PT4 - Letchworth Station Forecourt Improvements. Long term. Cost £1,100,000. Investigate moving the war memorial and creating an improved, larger intergrated bus/taxi site for the town centre.

Congestion and Traffic Management

C1 - Leys Avenue & Gernon Road. Medium Term. Cost £205,000. This is the key scheme for the town centre. Removal of the traffic island from Norton Way South to allow traffic to turn right out of Leys Avenue. Making Gernon Road two way would expedite traffic into the town centre thereby reducing carbon emmissions and sharing the traffic volume fairer across the town.

We are hoping that this can be moved from Medium term to Short term

C2 - Letchworth Gate Link Review - Long term. £3,850,000

Speed Limit Compliance

VS1 - Wilbury Road. Short Term. £2,500
VS2 - Clothall Road. Short Term. £30,000

Walking and Cycling

NM1 - Cycle Corridor. Hitchin to Town Centre. Short Term. Cost £20,000
NM2 - Cycle Corridor. Jackmans Estate to Grange Estate. Short Term. Cost £210,000
NM3 - Cycle Corridor. Grange Estate to Town Centre. Short Term. £12,500
NM4 - Cycle Corridor. Jackmans Estate to Town Centre. Short Term. Cost £230,000
NM5 - Cycle Corridor. A1(M) Bridge to Baldock Station. Short Term. Cost £35,000
NM6 - Cycle Corridor. Clothall Common to Baldock Station. Short Term. Cost £195,000
NM7 - Cycle Corridor. Clothall Common to A1(M) Underpass via Baldock Town Centre. Long term. Cost £1,270,000
NM8 - Broadway Gardens Crossing. Short Term. Cost £45,000. Installation of a zebra crossing from the Broadwalk to Broadway Gardens.

Parking

P1 - Letchworth Town Centre Parking Review. Short Term. Cost £50,000
P2 - Baldock Town Centre Parking Review. Short Term. Cost £50,000

Smarter Choices

DM1 - Workplace Travel Planning. Short Term. Cost £52,000
DM2 - Safer Routes. Continuation. Cost - existing programme
DM3 - Sustainable Travel events. From YR1. Cost £5,000 per event

If you feel you would like to help your town centre please complete the online questionnaire by clicking here and ensuring you select, under Question 2a,  ‘Fully Support’ then under Q2b, put ‘C1’ and finally under Q2c write something like ‘Make Scheme C1 a short term plan’.

Brought to you by Letchworth Garden City Town Centre Partnership