Description:

1. Sharing Streets.

As part of our work to create Sharing Streets in Guisborough we have broken down our expectations into a number of projects. This document deals with the A171 to West End and provides an outline to how we wish the road to be redesigned so that in effect it takes on the nature of a liveable street. As with all of our projects the redesign will include a 20mph zone. However as stated in our policy document on 20mph zones we are fully aware that signs don’t cut it. It is road design that is much more effective at slowing traffic down.

Prior to the bypass (A171) Church Lane  to West End would have been one of the main routes through Guisborough. This is possibly why it is designed to move traffic reasonably quickly despite passing through a residental area. Our plan is to work with RCBC to fully redesign the road to improve its ascetics, make life for pedestrians more pleasant and improve the driving experience.

2. Church Lane – A171 Roundabout to Laurence Jackson School

1. 30mph signs to be changed to much larger and obvious signs showing that people are entering a 20mph zone.

There should also be signage to indicate that Guisborough is a 20mph town.

2. The sign that flashes 20mph at certain times (does it even work) needs to be replaced with a sign warning that vehicles are approaching a school.

3. The road should more clearly indicate the approach to a school and a town by having yellow zig zags or rumble strips.

3. Church Lane – Laurence Jackson School

This stretch is too wide and straight. To slow car down the lanes need to feel more enclosed.

1. This hatched area should be used to narrow the road by creating a raised island with low shrubs.

The right turn should be removed and replaced with a sign indicating that to enter the school it is necessary to go to the roundabout at the A171 and loop back on yourself.

The removal of the right turn into Laurence Jackson means that the kerbed narrower stretch is maximised and so slows traffic more successfully.

2. There should be reasonably low planters placed along the grass verge. Presently cars park on the path / bike lane when picking up from school. This discourages the idea that pavements are a shared space for pedestrians and motor vehicles.

3. This is a halfhearted effort at a crossing. The drop down kerb doesn’t align with the opposite dropdown and the right-jand side has a very wide drop down, encouraging cars to drive up onto the pedestrian path. This should have a fence to discourage crossing at that point and the drop kerb on the right-hand side should be removed. Also the island at that point should be such that it cannot be crossed.

4. Church Lane – Laurence Jackson School to Mackie Drive

1. After school exit continue island to Mackie Drive. This should be raised and include low shrubs.

5. Church Lane – Mackie Drive to Allerston Way

1. The lead in to the right turn on to Allerston Way is designed not to slow traffic by moving cars out of the main lane quickly. This right-turn feed in to Allerston way should be shortened with an island just before and just after the Allerston turn. After to the turn the road narrows and so should island.
2. The path and the hedge should change places so that the path is not to the road. The hedge should be nearer the road and be interspersed with trees. Trees slow traffic – hedges not so much, but they help. They need to be near the road. Path should be wider where possible to improve mobility options.

6. Church Lane – Allerston Way to the Police Station

1. Move the hedge to the edge of the pavement and place the path where the hedge is. At the bus stop on the left just before the police station, create a wide break in the hedge and ensure the bus stop has a path behind it as well as in front of it. Note there is space for a wider path on the other side of the hedge and this would be of service to school pupils

7. Church Lane – Police Station to Redcar Road

1. If need be the path can be widened by using up some of the grass near the hedge. When approaching the junction it does appear there is space to move the hedge back. This could also allow improvement to the path that cuts into Redcar Road bearing in mind that all paths should provide sufficient space for all modes of non-motored mobility.
2. It can be seen how the road is narrowed approaching the Redcar Road junction, showing there is enough width to put a narrow central island. This can be a single strip of shrubs or even a wide rumble strip. The other option is to widen the path on both sides of the road and add planters on the right-hand side by the road to make cars feel they have less space. Church Lane doesn’t tend to get as much large traffic as say Rectory Lane so a narrower road, while slowing traffic, won’t feel so squeezed when approaching buses and lorries.
3. At an appropriate point on this stretch there should be an opportunity for bikes to cross safely from the left side to the right.

8. Church Lane – Redcar Road to Bennsion Street

1. Where the road has hatched marking take the space and give to the path on the right-hand side.
2. Beyond the hatching narrow the road – keep the parking – but widen the path on the right-hand side.

9. Church Lane – Bennsion Street to Wilton Street

1. There should be a clear separated two-way cycle path on the right-hand side. There is plenty of room.

10. Bolckow Street – Wilton Street to HollyMead Drive

Because this stretch of road is quite narrow and it is important to retain the parking, then the following should be done:

Kerb raised to 100mm

If any width can be gained for the path it should be taken – even if a small amount.

Road should have a different surface to drive home the fact it is a living street not a road. This could be block-pavers or even alternating with raised crossings at reasonable short intervals along the stretch.

An approach can be to have cycle lanes on the road on BOTH sides. The width of the road outside of the cycle lanes is a single file with cars entering the cycle lane only when a car is approaching. This while not perfect works well in the Netherlands and with the other measures would show the street to belong to the residents and non-motor mobility. In the image you can see how the road is for motor vehicles, but it is made clear that they share it with non-motorised mobility. We wouldn’t be looking to be quite so extreme as we are in a town.

11. Bolckow Street – HollyMead Drive to Park Lane

This again is a long stretch of road.

1. Vans parked on chevrons. These should be removed and the path widened where possible. Kerbs need raising to 100mm to discourage pavement parking.
2. Road is narrow but straight – needs varied surface and priority to non-motorised vehicles as shown in previous point 10

12. Park lane – Parkside to Bikescene

1. Remove hatching from left. Move car parking out and put cycle lane wider / path on right-hand side.

13. Park lane – Bikescene to Howlbeck Road

This section of road is wide enough to include a decent, separated, two-way mobility lane on the left. With it being next to the road but separated with kerbs from both the road and the path, it means it will not be a danger to those stepping out of the houses.

To ensure car drivers feel safe a narrow centre reservation should be included.

14. Park lane –Howlbeck Road to West End

The road appears narrower at this point (after the chevrons) but judging by the lorry there is space available. The right-hand path can be widened and the marked for use by pedestrians and cycles. That the right-hand path is more suitable here could indicate that the right-hand side is the better choice for creating the two-way cycle path all the way along Park Lane. Proper surveys and measurements will be needed.

As shown above the cycle path that has been created joins the service road. It is worth noting that where ever possible in Guisborough we should look to create service roads. They are an excellent way of providing safer and more pleasant mobility to pedestrians. This service road should be marked for its length that it is a shared area for cars and pedestrians. In this case as cars are parking on the pavement on the right-hand side it would serve better to remove that pavement and widen the left-hand pavement but consider the kerb being differentiated using shrubs or different colour tarmac. While not normally promoting the taking of pavement by cars, in this case it provides a practical solution.