A Strategy for Traffic and Transport

The Transport Strategy for the city as a whole, with a focus on the city centre, was developed by Colin Buchanan and Partners in a report submitted to the Durham City Centre Partnership in July 2004. The material below incorporates an updated summary of its main findings, relevant to other strategies for the city centre.

CAR ACCESS AND TRAFFIC
The Durham Transport Strategy emerges as a logical response to the problems and constraints analysed. Traffic problems are largely confined to peak periods and caused by more traffic attempting to access the city centre and its environs than can be accommodated either on the road network or in the car parks. Since road widening and further multistorey car parks are not considered to be acceptable, the strategy is two-fold:

  • To significantly reduce the amount of the traffic using the A690, thus creating capacity for more significant changes to the balance of vehicular and pedestrian needs and providing major improvements to the environment in the City centre
  • To provide better alternatives to the private car and examine further restrictions or disincentives to car use.

The disincentives and restrictions on car use are to include;

  • The re-designation of on-street parking from longstay to short-stay.
  • The allocation of more road space for pedestrians, cyclists and buses.
  • Traffic management measures to discourage car use within the City centre.
  • Examination of the potential to extend the existing congestion charge.

The alternatives to car use will include:

  • Further improvements to the quality and amenity of journeys by foot and cycle.
  • Improved, more accessible and reliable bus services.
  • Full maximisation of the potential created by Park and Ride.
  • Modernised Bus and Rail stations.
  • Improved taxi services.
  • Alternative route(s) for traffic that has no need to enter the City centre.

Transport Innovation Fund
In producing a demand management transport solution it is crucial that the underlying principles of the Durham City Vision are met and that any reduction in congestion helps promote wider economic growth, social inclusion and environmental objectives. The challenge will now be to combine effective traffic demand management, with the provision of appropriate alternative infrastructure and public transport improvements. The balanced implementation of such a combination of measures will provide improved accessibility by public transport and modes other than by car, by reducing congestion whilst maintaining the vitality and viability of the City centre.

With the City being the hub of the public transport network in the County, such improvements will also be fundamental to delivering better accessibility over a much wider area than the City centre itself. Consequently, a combination of demand management and infrastructure improvements are necessary to cope with future transport demands and maintain the viability of the City where road space is at a premium. However, as well as tackling congestion, the environment and the street-scene in the City centre will be significantly improved and better facilities made available for pedestrians and cyclists. Such measures will also provide substantial improvements in accessibility for a much wider area of the local transport networks, assisting the delivery of economic growth, social inclusion and improved environmental objectives. The future development and sustainability of Durham City and the wider area of the County will be dependent upon the implementation of a carefully balanced and deliverable package of measures.

To assist this process the County Council has been awarded funding through the Department for Transport’s “Transport Innovation Fund” (TIF). This funding will be used during 2006 and 2007 to;

  • determine locations of congestion
  • identify key development/land use pressures
  • model potential solutions
  • establish a local future vision for transport
  • help prepare a substantive bid for TIF capital Funding

CAR PARKING AND PARK & RIDE
With the introduction of the Park and Ride sites the implementation of the short- and medium-term measures identified in the Durham City Travel Study (1997) has been completed. However some areas of demand remain relatively unrestricted within the City. In particular, access to a significant amount of private non-residential (PNR) parking and the use of the City Centre by through traffic, helps to undermine the impact of demand management measures and to fuel congestion.

It is considered that the number of parking spaces currently provided within the City area should be maintained at the level currently proposed, including the 500 replacement short stay spaces soon to open at Walkergate.

All additional parking spaces, and in particular long stay spaces, should be located on the three new Park & Ride sites. Initially 1 00 spaces have been provided on three Park & Ride sites and there is currently potential for further provision on the busiest site at Belmont. These will enable the number of public offstreet car parking spaces in the city centre to be held at the current level. The number of on-street spaces provided will be further examined in light of proposed development and environmental improvements, with parking removed where appropriate.

Whilst Park & Ride is aimed primarily at the journey to work, its effectiveness as an attraction to commuters who already have off-street city centre parking space is limited currently. However, the attraction could be increased by the use of a workspace parking levy or the voluntary introduction of parking charges by major employers. Early indications are that the new park and Ride service is also proving very attractive to many shoppers and longer stay visitors and will thus release further city centre car parking for use in the off-peak. Park & Ride has already allowed all on-street city centre parking spaces to be converted to short stay, thereby reducing peak hour traffic and significantly increasing the amount of parking space available for off-peak shoppers. This will permit the amount of retail and other activity in the city centre to be significantly increased without corresponding increases in parking or road space and hence in congestion or environmental intrusion.

IMPROVING THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE
Walking is a healthy and sustainable means of transport and good walking conditions in interesting and varied surroundings are essential in a City centre. The pedestrianisation of much of the City centre and its approaches, for example over Elvet Bridge, has created one of the finest pedestrian areas in the country. The policy is to extend the area which is either fully pedestrianised, or has strong pedestrian priority. This will be complemented by the creation of properly signed walks for visitors by coach, bike, car and train.

New viewpoints will also be opened up from which the setting of Durham can be appreciated and connections between the University campus and the old City will be strengthened and improved. The proposed North South Cultural Spine will be part of this strategy. Outside the City centre core area, and on each approach to it, major junctions in the main road system will be reconfigured to give greater priority to pedestrians through a change from roundabout junctions to signal controlled junctions and the relandscaping of the areas to create new urban spaces. In addition consideration should be given to pedestrian approaches to the City centre from the wider Necklace Park in the River valley.

ENCOURAGING CYCLING
Despite the hilliness of the town and apparent difficulties of cycling, there are a number of points at which further provision should be made for cycling and secure cycle parking. Each of the junction reconfigurations on the approaches to the City centre should make provision for cycle priority including advanced stop lines and dedicated signals where appropriate. Greater emphasis should be given to linking housing areas with employment and recreation with discrete signing along routes. Whilst greater use should be made of routes with limited amounts of traffic such as North Road, there should be no relaxation of the restrictions on cycling within the pedestrian core of the City centre since cyclists and the density of pedestrian activity do not mix. Secure parking should be provided in all car parks in the City centre, in particular those associated with the two main shopping centres. Cyclists should be made aware of further paths available to them for lengthier explorations throughout the adjacent countryside and wider circular routes to aid recreation and tourism should also be developed.

BUS SERVICES AND THE BUS STATION
The improvement of walking must be complemented by improved bus services and by their operation into a single new, modern and enlarged bus station, constructed on the site of the existing one. This will raise the profile of the bus, encourage its use and help to make it an alternative to the car for local trips to the City centre, thus further reducing the need for parking and the amount of City centre traffic. The County Council have recently made significant interim improvements to the environmental quality of the existing bus station.

There needs to be greater emphasis and promotion given to existing bus services within City area. More should be made of existing opportunities provided by services such as the Cathedral bus to link the City Centre with the bus and rail stations. The development of real time information at the bus stops will greatly increase an understanding of the services available.

RAIL SERVICES AND THE STATION
The modernisation of the southbound side of the rail station should be completed together with the proposed upgrade to the pedestrian underpass. The renovated station should incorporate a viewpoint café or restaurant looking out over the City. Restoration of the lift access system between platforms is essential to meet the needs of people with mobility problems. Provision of real time information as part of the redevelopment will also increase awareness and attraction of bus links available form the station.

TAXIS
There has in the past been some evidence of a shortage of taxis in Durham. This appears to be because the number of licences issued by the City Council has failed to keep pace with demand. There are strong arguments (supported by central Government) for deregulating taxis by issuing licences to all suitable applicants. The City Council has accordingly committed itself to the principle of structured deregulation.

Meanwhile, the Council has recently issued 9 further hackney carriage licences (bringing the total number of licensed cabs to 64). All these licences are for taxis permitting use by disabled people. The Council is currently monitoring the effects of these changes and may, if necessary, issue more licences or proceed to complete quantity deregulation. In addition the distribution of taxi stands needs to be reviewed regularly as the focuses of the evening economy change and grow.