Return to Agenda

ITEM EX9

HENLEY INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY

1. The purpose of this report is to inform members of the progress made in developing the Henley-on-Thames Integrated Transport Strategy and to seek approval for the final short to medium term Strategy. Copies of the Strategy and its supporting documents have been placed on deposit in the Members’ Resource Centre. The Strategy takes the form of a draft Stage Three Final Report and a Stage Four Technical Note, which updates that report.

Background

2. Colin Buchanan and Partners (Buchanan) were commissioned in 1995 to prepare a Transport Strategy for Henley. A strategy was approved by the Town, District and County Councils in June 1997 and was submitted as a package bid under the Transport Policies and Programme (TPP) system for funding in July 1997 and July 1998. Both bids were unsuccessful, though using County, Town and District Council funding, some of the elements of the strategy have been implemented, notably the Market Place enhancements and two edge of town ‘park and walk’ sites.
3. In March 2003 the County Council commissioned Halcrow, the County Council’s transport planning consultant, to update and carry forward Buchanan’s original strategy. The brief issued to Halcrow identified the need for a phased approach to addressing Henley’s transport problems. Firstly the need for a short to medium term strategy was identified, to make a noticeable difference in the near future. Secondly, a longer term approach was needed to address the fundamental problem of through traffic in the town and work on the longer term strategy is expected to commence in April 2004. (In addition, once work on the short to medium term strategy had commenced it became clear that there was a need for a separate parking study to be undertaken). The short to medium term strategy is the focus of this report.
4. Henley-on-Thames is a market town with narrow streets which were not built to accommodate modern-day levels of traffic. Due to its location much of the considerable volume of traffic in the town is through traffic. A combination of these, and other, factors result in Henley’s main road network often reaching capacity, traffic trying to find alternative routes through residential streets and a poor environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
5. The Henley-on-Thames Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) has been overseen by a Members Steering Group, which comprises members and officers from the County, District and Town Councils, and representatives from the Henley Partnership and Henley Society (non-voting). Aims and overall objectives of the Strategy were agreed by the Members’ Steering Group. The overall objectives are as follows:

• To manage traffic to reduce its impact on the most sensitive parts of the town;
• To create pleasant conditions in the town centre to enhance its vitality and attractiveness for shoppers and tourists;
• To develop appropriate parking management;
• To create a better pedestrian environment in the town centre;
• To improve safety particularly in the town centre and on the main roads approaching the town centre;
• To improve accessibility to the town centre for all including existing businesses and especially for shopping purposes;
• To encourage the use of public transport to and within Henley; and
• To give a better deal for both existing and potential cyclists by way of safer, more pleasant conditions for cycling and secure cycle parking.

6. Following approval of an initial Inception Report, the study was undertaken in four stages, which are discussed in Annex 1.

The Strategy

7. Reading Road ‘gating’ strategy.
   
   
8. The traffic queues currently experienced on Duke Street and Reading Road occur because the amount of traffic that attempts to use these routes is greater than the volume that can reasonably be accommodated by the roads themselves, and specifically the junctions. Halcrow have suggested a ‘gating’ strategy as the best way of managing this situation. By holding traffic back, and thus relocating queues beyond the central streets where pedestrian movement is greatest, gating would help to improve air quality (Duke Street is a designated Air Quality Management Area) and the town centre environment. Duke Street is a narrow road with relatively tall buildings, hence this ‘street canyon’ contributes to high concentrations of pollutants. At the ‘gated’ point pollutants would be dispersed more effectively and it is expected that concentrations would not build up at that location. In addition, gating offers the opportunity to link the traffic signals together to create a ‘green wave’, helping to ensure that once traffic passes the gated point (the junction of Reading Road and Station Road) it is able to progress through the town centre without further delay. This would not increase overall journey times but simply relocate the queuing vehicles. It is recognised that there is a need to educate drivers on the aims of the scheme, and the impact on their journey, so that rat-running on nearby streets is not increased.
9. In addition to these benefits, the proposal provides the opportunity to improve pedestrian crossing facilities in the town centre, where currently only Bell Street has a formal pedestrian crossing facility. New crossings on Duke Street and Hart Street are proposed. The latter would help to deal with a known accident site where there have been two fatalities in recent years. All crossings could be incorporated within the traffic signals.

(b) Duke Street one-way system.

10. The purpose of this scheme is to reduce the volume of traffic on this key central street and improve the environment for all users. As stated above, Duke Street is an Air Quality Management Area and, by reducing the total number of vehicles using the street, in conjunction with the gating strategy it is predicted that these measures will help to reduce pollution to a level below Air Quality Management thresholds.
11. Monitoring information has shown that the current number of vehicles travelling southbound on Duke Street is relatively low. The effects of the proposal have been modelled and show that the displaced southbound traffic can be accommodated on alternative routes. The figures produced by the modelling can be seen in Annex 3 (download as .doc file).

(c) Duke Street and Bell Street environmental enhancements.

12. There is a high level of pedestrian movement on Duke Street and the existing footways are narrow, consequently pedestrians can find it difficult to pass each other without stepping into the road. Making Duke Street one-way creates an opportunity to reallocate space currently used by traffic to pedestrians through the widening of pavements.
13. Currently Bell Street has a number of footway build-outs which narrow the carriageway, help to slow traffic speeds and provide crossing points for pedestrians. Between the build-outs double yellow lines prohibit parking, however indiscriminate parking often occurs. The proposal aims to improve facilities for pedestrians by extending the existing build-outs to ‘fill-in’ the existing laybys, providing a consistently wide footway along the length of Bell Street.

(d) One-way system on Queen Street and Friday Street, and alterations to the Thames Side junction.

14. To simplify traffic movements and provide opportunities to improve the local environment, one strategy proposal is to make Queen Street one-way northbound and Friday Street one-way westbound. Whilst there was public opposition to the proposal, the Town Council requested that the scheme be retained in the strategy for further consideration. It is suggested that detailed consultation with those directly affected is undertaken in the form of door-to-door surveys to assess the level of support for such a scheme. If there is no support it should be dropped from the overall package of measures. It is important to note that, due to practicalities, it would not be possible to make Queen Street one-way unless Friday Street was also one-way, and vice versa.
15. Altering the junction of Thames Side and Friday Street, such that traffic using Thames Side has priority, complements the Duke Street one-way scheme and was well-supported at consultation. If a decision is taken not to make Friday Street one-way, it is recommended that the possibility of installing ‘access only’ or advisory HGV routing signs be considered at the junction.

(e) Traffic calming on Gravel Hill.

16. The speed of traffic on Gravel Hill has repeatedly been raised as a concern of residents at various stages of consultation. The proposed scheme includes a gateway feature at the western end of Gravel Hill, 30mph roundels on the carriageway, a bend warning sign near the Henley-on-Thames town name-plate sign, a pedestrian refuge island near to the junction with Hop Gardens, a footway build-out adjacent to number 43 and the introduction of associated priority operation (with priority to traffic travelling uphill), and a bus boarder and associated footway widening at the junction with Market Place.

(f) Traffic management scheme on Greys Road.

17. Feedback from various consultation events was mixed in terms of whether traffic calming was wanted on Greys Road and very few of the comments received were from Greys Road residents. However due to the perceived nature of the problem and letters that have been received by the County Council from residents in the past it was decided some measures would be beneficial and that a two phase approach to traffic calming on Greys Road should be adopted.
18. The first phase of measures would include a gateway feature at the western end of Greys Road at the existing 30mph speed limit. This would make drivers more aware that they are entering a residential built up area and it is proposed that the gateway feature would be substantial with enhanced signing and lining. To reinforce the 30mph speed limit on this section of Greys Road it is proposed that one or two locations are considered for vehicle activated signs. In addition, as you move eastwards along Greys Road towards the town centre, various other measures are proposed including junction tables, a mini-roundabout and a pedestrian refuge.
19. The need for a second phase of measures would be considered after implementation of the first phase, following further consultation with residents and monitoring of the situation before and after implementation of the first phase.

(g) Vicarage Road area traffic calming scheme.

20. Concern was raised at various consultation events over speeds and traffic rat-running on Vicarage Road, St. Marks Road, St. Andrews Road and Hamilton Avenue. In addition to these existing problems it is also important to consider the impact that the gating strategy could have. If car drivers feel that their journey times are increased by the gating strategy they may chose these roads as a perceived short-cut.
21. In this context it is recommend that a two phase approach be adopted. Phase one would be designed to deal with the immediate issues and would include the introduction of a ‘school safety zone’ on Vicarage Road, the installation of junction tables on Vicarage Road at its junction with St Marks Road and St Andrews Road and the use of ‘keep clear’ markings on Reading Road. A potential second phase of more extensive traffic calming measures may follow after further consultation with residents and careful monitoring.

(h) New pedestrian crossings.

22. These are proposed at the following locations:

1. Greys Road arm of the Reading Road/Duke Street junction
2. Reading Road arm of the Greys Road/Duke Street junction
3. Duke Street arm of the Hart Street/Market Place junction
4. Hart Street arm of the Duke Street/Bell Street junction
5. Station Road arm of the Station Road/Reading Road junction
6. Reading Road, near Tescos

(i) Other cycle and pedestrian measures.

23. These include:

• Pedestrian refuges on Queen Street and Reading Road
• Provision of new/replacement cycle stands at key locations.

24. Comments and proposals which were received at the consultation events on bus service changes in the area were fed in to the County Council’s review of subsidised services, due for report to the Transport Implementation Committee on 15 April 2004.
25. Consideration will be given to the design of the measures and the materials used to ensure that they are in keeping with the local area.

Strategy Approval

26. The draft Henley-on-Thames Integrated Transport Strategy was approved by the Members’ Steering Group at their meeting on 5^th February. The Group also identified its priorities for inclusion in the proposed 2004/05 capital programme (subject to the approval of the Strategy by this Executive). The Strategy was endorsed by South Oxfordshire District Council on 4 March, and will be considered by the Town Council’s Planning and Resources Committee on 30 March, before going to the full Town Council on 27 April.

Consultation

27. Although, as Annex 1 identifies, extensive consultation has taken place with local people, further consultation will take place on the detailed design of the approved schemes prior to implementation. Those people directly affected by each of the proposed schemes will have the opportunity to comment on the details of schemes. As outlined above, consultation on particular schemes will be necessary before they are taken any further.

Strategy Monitoring and Review

28. An annual programme of monitoring has been developed in Henley to examine the effectiveness of the ITS schemes in achieving the aims of the strategy. Overall trends in the town are examined and focused before and after monitoring will be undertaken to examine the effectiveness of specific schemes. Halcrow’s report makes suggestions for specific monitoring targeted at certain schemes, which will be considered for addition to the annual monitoring programme when necessary.
29. The Members’ Steering Group will continue to meet every 3 months to oversee the implementation of the short to medium term strategy, and the development of the parking study and longer term strategy, which would be the subject of future reports to the Executive.

Environmental Implications

30. The introduction of the proposed package of measures should bring significant benefit to the centre of Henley through removing the build up of vehicles in the central streets and making it easier and more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists to move around the town. In particular it should also help address the air quality issues in Duke Street.

Staff and Financial Implications

31. The measures outlined above would be funded through the Transport Capital Programme and some developer contributions. Existing staff resources would be allocated to the consultation and implementation of the schemes.

RECOMMENDATIONS

32. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve the Henley-on-Thames Integrated Transport Strategy as set out in the Halcrow Draft Stage 3 Report and Stage 4 Technical Note, subject to the consideration of comments received from Henley-on-Thames Town Council.

David McKibbin
Head of Transport

Contact Officer:: Joanne Clegg Tel: Oxford 815546

March 2004

Return to TOP