Posts Tagged ‘congestion’

4.10.2

Plain English Version

We think the city must have  digital information systems which tell you what you need to know when and where you need it.  These will help people navigate and understand the city in many new ways. They could use signs which change their messages, communication with people’s mobile phones and wider use of satellite navigation. A combination of methods can make it easier for people to find their way around the city,  make Birmingham  more interesting for visitors and cut down on congestion.

Original Document

It is essential that the city centre has interactive and intelligent real time information systems to navigate and explore the city by all modes and through physical wayfinding and legibility systems, variable message signage, mobile devices and satellite navigation systems. These will enable greater linkages between the various quarters within the city centre, provide a richer visitor experience and reduce vehicle congestion through managed intelligent information and navigation systems.

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4.1.2

Plain English Version

Birmingham has a tradition of  making it easy for people to get around in cars and that means the city is tricky for walking and cycling.   Even though the city centre is compact it’s difficlut to walk.  Cyclists also have problems. Some of their key cycle lanes are cut off by roads or railways.  Yes we’ve improved things in recent years but still we need to work much harder to make the city good for cycling or walking.

Original Document

This historic emphasis in Birmingham on enabling and accommodating movement by private vehicles has led to an urban form that is not conducive to movement by other means. For pedestrians, this means that, although the city centre is relatively compact, conditions for walking are adversely affected by numerous physical barriers and the disconnection of different parts of the central area, and some areas have poor public realm and legibility. For cyclists, dis-incentives include poor provision of cycle lanes and facilities, the severance of cycling networks by major highway and railway corridors and road danger. So although improvements have been made over recent years for both pedestrians and cyclists, much more is needed if walking and cycling are to become genuinely attractive modes of transport in the city centre.

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4.1.3

Plain English Version

Traffic into and out of the city centre has fallen gradually over the past decade, and the City Council wants this trend to continue. However new developments within the centre, as set out in the Big City Plan, will mean more car trips. Traffic will increase unless we act. This could mean widening roads in some places.  Whatever we do should be designed to keep as much traffic as possible on the main roads and out of the smaller city centre streets.

Original Document

Traffic flows into and out of the city centre have been falling gradually over the past decade, and the City Council wants to continue this trend. However, new development within the centre, as envisaged by the Big City Plan, will lead to the generation of new car trips and therefore current levels of congestion are expected to increase unless a range of appropriate action is taken. Highway capacity increases in key locations may be necessary as a result of the increase in the total number of trips related to new development. Such infrastructure changes should be designed to keep as much traffic as possible on the main roads and out of the most sensitive city centre environments.

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4.2.2

Plain English Version

We could change the area along the A38 (Bristol Road) in the city centre quite a lot to make the city centre surroundings better and improve pedestrian and cycle crossing links between the core and the rest of the city centre. If we restructure it, the areas to the west of it could fit in better with the rest of the city centre. We could make Great Charles Street lower, take apart the Suffolk Street viaduct or change its slip road and we could fill in the Holloway Circus underpass. The road would still be important to carry traffic. However, the changes could mean that it can’t cope with as much traffic and this could mean more traffic jams, so we would need to do some testing to find out how this affects accessibility and design.

Original Document

The A38 corridor within the city centre could be radically reconfigured to greatly enhance the city centre environment and improve pedestrian/cycle crossing links between the core and the rest of the city centre. Comprehensive restructuring would enable areas to the west of the corridor to fulfil their full potential as integral parts of the city centre. Lowering Great Charles Street, dismantling the Suffolk Street viaduct or changing its slip road arrangements and filling in the Holloway Circus underpass are all major engineering projects that could be pursued. The road would still retain an important traffic carrying function. However, depending on the extent of the changes to the road infrastructure, capacity could be reduced and this could have an effect on congestion, so any proposals would require modelling to establish the impact on accessibility and design.

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Question CON3

Plain English Version

Should we change the Ring Road to be able to carry more traffic by improving some junctions where traffic jams are a problem?

Original Document

Should the traffic-carrying capacity of the Ring Road be increased by selective junction improvements (e.g. grade separation) where congestion proves to be a particular problem?

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