Posts Tagged ‘streets’

Street local

Plain English Version

We think that Birmingham needs a plan that deals with all types of routes from the biggest to the smallest. This plan will make the most of the good access provided by the outer ring road and other main roads, as well as making sure that we link up new and existing places well with smaller roads.

Original Document

Birmingham needs a strategy that deals with all types of routes from the biggest to the smallest. This will make the most of the good access that the outer ring road and other strategic routes provides, whilst ensuring that at a local scale high quality connections are provided to link new and existing spaces.

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2.1.10

Plain English Version

Making transport a priority

The plan will suggest creating a nice and safe network of city streets and investing in public transport networks and services. These might include making the Metro bigger, new fast buses, improving normal bus services and a system to manage traffic, parking and streets. This report has choices for these transport priorities. It also asks for ideas to expand digital and communications technologies (such as phones and computers).

Original Document

PRIORITISING TRANSPORT

The plan will propose transport priorities which will include the creation of an attractive and safe network of city streets and investment in public transport networks and services. These might include extensions to the existing and currently proposed Metro services, new bus-based rapid transport (BRT) services, enhancements to the conventional bus services and a dynamic traffic, parking and street management system. This report contains options for these transport priorities. It also seeks ideas for the expansion of digital and communications technologies.

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2.1.3 Improving Liveability

Plain English Version

The most important way to improve how people see the city is to make it a nice place to live. This can be done by having:

  • well-designed buildings, streets and spaces
  • a range of nice homes
  • social facilities including schools, local centres and open space
  • nice and safe walking routes
  • public transport that is easy to use and works well.

The cities where people most want to live have a good economy and are attractive. They attract highly qualified people and investment. They make all of the people who live there feel valued. Table 2.1 shows where Birmingham is on the “Mercer liveability Index” (a chart of where people most want to live). The plan will focus on the aims of Birmingham becoming one of the most important cities in the world and also one of the cities where people most want to live. The plan will work with the way the city centre is set out now (the central part and the districts) and make a base on which Birmingham can grow and become a city where people want to live.

Original Document

The most important factor in raising the city’s status is the city’s liveability. This includes a good physical environment to attract people and improve the city’s image, with well designed buildings, streets and spaces; a range of attractive homes and social facilities including schools, local centres and open space, attractive and safe walking routes, efficient and easy to use public transport. The most liveable cities are economically successful and desirable. People want to live there; they attract highly qualified people and hence investment. They promote social inclusion. Table 2.1 shows Birmingham’s position on the Mercer liveability index. Liveability is the essential ingredient in the recipe to raise Birmingham’s role as a world city. The plan will focus on the objectives of world city and liveability: the global city with a local heart. Working broadly with the grain of the existing city centre structure – the urban structure of core and quarters – the plan will create the foundation for Birmingham’s growth and its progress as a liveable city.

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Question R4

Plain English Version

Should we have street markets and if so, should we make them into a tourist attraction?

Original Document

Is there a role for street-based markets and can market streets be developed as a tourist destination?

1 comment


Question R5

Plain English Version

What should we do to the city centre’s shopping streets to make them nicer?

Original Document

What improvements should be carried out to the City Centre’s shopping streets to create a more attractive environment and enhance the city’s global reputation?

4 comments


Question CUL5

Plain English Version

We think that the city should use more of its streets and spaces to exhibit works of art. What can we do to make this happen?

Original Document

The city would like to use more of its streets and spaces for the exhibition of works of art. What steps can the city, and the Big City Plan, take to bring this about?

2 comments


Question ENV9

Plain English Version

How much, and in what ways, can we make the streets greener (such as by planting more trees) to make housing and business areas nicer, give shade and help improve air quality? Can, and should, we do this in the traditional industrial districts as well?

Original Document

How far, and in what way, can the streets be made greener (for example by encouraging more tree planting) to create a more attractive residential and business environment, provide shade and assist in improving air quality? Can and should this approach be extended to the traditional industrial quarters?

2 comments


4.7.2

Plain English Version

We could change the existing bus network serving Birmingham city centre to give a better service to passengers and cut the impact of buses on the street environment. To do this we would gradually put bus priority measures (such as bus lanes) on the routes that go into and out of the city centre, we would have very good bus shelters, facilities and information, we would make waiting for a bus better and generally improve the look of the streets. This would be the very least we would to.

Original Document

One approach would be to reconfigure the existing bus network serving Birmingham city centre to provide a more efficient service to passengers and reduce the impact of buses on the street environment. This approach envisages the progressive installation of bus priority measures on radial routes. ‘Showcase’ standard bus shelters, facilities and information, improving the quality of the waiting experience and overall public realm of the streets. This should be regarded as a ‘do-minimum’ level of bus service enhancement.

3 comments


4.7.3

Plain English Version

We could also change the routes of buses around the city core and stop them going down Corporation Street. The aim would be to cut traffic and the effect on the environment, while making sure that people are just as likely or more likely to use them. Buses would use a circuit of streets on the edge of the city core and serve groups of bus stops at places (either on or off-street) that are close for people to walk into the city core. It will take a lot of effort to make the bus stops and waiting areas as nice as possible, while we would need better pedestrian connections and signposting/maps to make up for the buses not stopping right in the city core, which would be better for pedestrians and improve the whole outside area.

Original Document

In addition to the above improvements, it would be possible to re-route buses around the city core and exclude them from Corporation Street. The aim would be to reduce bus congestion and environmental impact whilst maintaining and improving their attractiveness. Buses would use a circuit of streets on the edge of the core and serve clusters of stops at sites – on or off-street – that are well located for walking into the core itself. Significant effort will be required to make the stop/waiting areas as attractive as possible, while improved pedestrian connections and wayfinding measures would be needed to offset the loss of direct access into the core, which would be more pedestrian friendly and have an improved public realm throughout.

1 comment


Question CON5

Plain English Version

How and where should we have off-street parking (car parks) for the public? How much long-stay (such as for workers) and short-stay (such as for shoppers) parking should we have? Should we make the controlled (metered, on-street) parking zone bigger?

Original Document

How, where and in what numbers should publicly available off street parking be provided? What should be the balance between long stay (commuter) and short stay (shopper) spaces? Should the controlled parking zone be extended?

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Question CON11

Plain English Version

How can we make the City Centre the easiest to walk around in the UK?

What streets and spaces should be our top priority to make good walking routes?

Where do we need to do things, such as barrier removal and crossing improvement?

What other kinds of improvement might be carried out?

Original Document

How can we go about making the city centre the UK’s most walkable centre? What streets and spaces should be the top priority walking routes? Where does attention need to be targeted to improve walkability, such as barrier removal and crossing improvement? What other kinds of improvement might be carried out?

1 comment