A27 Portchester - improving walking, wheeling and cycling facilities

Background

The Fareham Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) identified and prioritised the A27 in Portchester as a route that could be made more inclusive for all by making it safer and more attractive to travel along. Specifically, the A27 Portchester Improvement Scheme aimed to:

• provide more space for people to walk, cycle and wheel
• make the route safer to all road users
• improve the local environment and air quality
• increase accessibility to local shops and services for all

Research objectives

The project team wanted to ensure that any proposals to improve the facilities in the area were designed with input from local people and those who have real-life experience of travelling through the area. The key aim of the research was therefore to engage directly with the public in a variety of ways, to encourage them to share their knowledge about the area.

Approach

Two stages of engagement with members of the general public were run with support from the active travel charity Sustrans who have experience of similar engagements:

1. Phase 1 Co-Discovery (June – July 2022). Engagement with the public to explore the issues and opportunities for improving the A27 (Portchester) to encourage walking and cycling. This was done in various ways: via comments on an online interactive map, an online survey, five in-person events in and around Portchester, and a workshop with a local secondary school to enable younger people to contribute their concerns and ideas
2. Phase 2 Co-Design (Sep – Dec 2022). Workshops held with the public to review the learning from Phase 1 and to co-design potential improvements to the A27 (Portchester) with local residents, businesses, schools, stakeholders and the wider community

Outcomes

The findings are being used by designers as they make plans for improving facilities for those who walk, wheel and cycle in the area. Key learnings were:

• Respondents reported an overwhelmingly negative experience of travelling along the A27. This was the same across all modes of transport and the whole section of the road
• The most common reasons for this experience were related to cars being driven dangerously and/ or too fast, as well as cyclists not using the available cycle lanes
• Comments provided on the map were overwhelmingly related to negative feelings. Overall, respondents felt that the whole stretch of the A27 in Portchester was neither cyclist nor pedestrian friendly and there were concerns about high levels of traffic congestion
• Poor access for disabled people was raised as a particular issue in the area from The Fairway to Jubilee Road (including West Street Roundabout) as well as poor surface quality in the Portchester shopping precinct area through to Hamilton Road (including Castle Street Roundabout)
• Changes to cycling infrastructure were seen as the most important improvement along the overall route, with separating cyclists from traffic and having better connected, continuous cycle paths being the most common themes for improvement
• Respondents also wanted the roads to be safer with requests for better crossings and lower speed limits
• Overall, respondents (whether walkers, cyclists or drivers) felt that the area from Portchester shopping precinct to Hamilton Road (including Castle Road Roundabout) should be prioritised for improvements.

The next stage of the work involves applying for funding from Central Government to take some of the plans forward.

See latest information about this project and the full findings report