Archived decisions

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1. Summary

1.1 Victory Roundabout is critically located in terms of pedestrian, cycle, bus and car movements around Basingstoke town centre (see attached location plan). It provides a hub for journeys in many directions and to key residential and employment areas within the town centre, the railway station and education and health facilities. However, the roundabout does little to encourage walking and cycling and offers no priority to buses despite its location in relation to the new bus station (opening in early 2002) and the railway station. A traffic signal scheme is considered to fulfil the potential to improve journeys for pedestrians and cyclists and to make major improvements for buses. A signal scheme could be incorporated into an Urban Traffic Control system for Basingstoke through which traffic movements could be monitored and regulated. Such an arrangement is fully compatible with the Basingstoke Environmental Strategy for Transport (BEST).

1.2 A number of other schemes are closely linked with any improvements at Victory Roundabout. Improvements to the regeneration area of the North West Quadrant require better access across the roundabout for cross-town movements. There is also the opportunity to create major improvements in bus journey times and service reliability by linking priority measures between the new bus station, Victory Roundabout and a contra-flow bus lane in New Street between Timberlake Road and the New Street/Winchester Road junction.

2. Introduction

2.1 Victory Roundabout is located at the Churchill Way West/Alencon Link/Timberlake Road junction to the west of Basingstoke town centre. The junction is the focus for traffic flows to and through the town centre and for buses, cyclists and pedestrians undertaking journeys to local educational facilities, the railway station and town centre facilities. The existing roundabout configuration features subways to the centre but these suffer from persistent flooding and raise concerns about personal security.

2.2 The roundabout is the key focus for a wide variety of journeys by a number of modes including car, bus, walking and cycling. This key location affects journeys to the town centre, the north-west and the west. The opportunity exists to improve the junction to provide comprehensive and widespread benefits. Work commissioned by the Borough Council has indicated that remedial works to avoid flooding would be prohibitively expensive and that providing bridges for pedestrians and cyclists would also be costly, environmentally unacceptable and would not provide attractive routes. Instead, the subways could be filled in and at-grade crossing facilities be provided for pedestrians and cyclists as part of a traffic signals scheme.

2.3 Local people are not keen to use subways on the grounds of personal security and inconvenience. Some cyclists use the subways provided that they can negotiate the ramps and avoid conflicts with pedestrians. At-grade crossings are generally preferred and can be incorporated into a traffic signal scheme.

3. Traffic Signals Proposal

3.1 The introduction of new traffic signals provides the opportunity for the extension of the town's Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system to allow greater control of traffic movements in a coordinated way. Traffic flows can be monitored continuously and priorities changed if required. The breaking-up of traffic flows reduces pressures on junctions and bunching of traffic queues. The UTC system for the county is controlled from the Traffic and Travel Information Centre (TTIC) in Winchester and a monitoring link could be provided to the Borough Council offices. This link would allow Borough Council staff - often the initial contact for the public - to alert the TTIC in the event of problems on the network. Traffic signals offer a number of benefits:

(i) control of traffic movements;

(ii) incorporation of bus priority measures;

(iii) controlled pedestrian and cycle crossings; and

(iv) linked to UTC system (including Eastrop Roundabout and potentially Winton Square and Thornycroft Roundabout).

4. Associated Proposals

4.1 Victory Roundabout forms the hub of a number of schemes designed to promote sustainable transport to and from the town centre. The success of an improvement at Victory Roundabout depends on integration with these associated schemes so that maximum benefits can be derived and optimal use made of the space available. The associated schemes include the following.

North West Quadrant Regeneration Area

4.2 Cycle and pedestrian access to the town centre forms part of a comprehensive network of routes linking Victory Roundabout with the Kingsclere Road/Houndmills employment area, Oakridge and Winklebury residential areas, North Hampshire Hospital, the Park Prewett development and proposed development to the North of Popley. Access by walking and cycling to a number of schools in the area will be improved as part of the scheme.

4.3 A new cycle link could be provided along Alencon Link between Victory Roundabout and Winterthur Way. It is proposed that an additional lane be provided from the car park egress on Alencon Link to the roundabout using Borough Council land. Access and egress to town centre car parks will change as the Festival Place redevelopment takes place. The egress on Alencon Link could be converted to a cycle lane following changes to parking arrangements brought about by the Festival Place redevelopment which will divert car park access/egress away from Alencon Link.

Bus Priority Measures

4.4 The new bus station within the town centre redevelopment will require new supporting infrastructure to ensure bus reliability and priority. Minimising journey times is crucial to the success of bus services in the town and there is considerable opportunity to provide extensive bus priority measures. These could include:

(i) a bus lane from the bus station to Victory Roundabout (using existing carriageway), with priority signals at the roundabout;

(ii) an inbound bus lane between Thornycroft Roundabout and Victory Roundabout; and

(iii) bus priority from Victory Roundabout with a contra-flow bus lane from Timberlake Road to Winchester Road/Winton Square.

4.5 The benefits of such a priority scheme are expected to be considerable in terms of journey time savings and the number of people using buses. Approximately 20 buses per hour serving the Winchester Road and Worting Road corridors could use such an arrangement and avoid the current circuit of Churchill Way, Eastrop Roundabout, Timberlake Road and New Road. It is expected that the proposed contra-flow bus lane in New Street could be implemented without major difficulty. Similarly, a bus lane westbound on Churchill Way could take advantage of highway land available or involve the reallocation of existing road space. Such a scheme would be ideally suited to a traffic signal installation. An inbound lane and priority at the signals could also be provided and would benefit the proposed new bus service between West Ham Leisure Park, the town centre and Basing View.

4.6 The improved reliability and quality of bus services in Basingstoke meets the BEST objectives, supported by the recent consultant's study into the role of passenger transport in the BEST area (see agenda item 4). The creation of bus priority measures will allow major improvements to be made and further enhancements are possible once the proposals outlined above are in place. Stagecoach in Hampshire, the main local bus provider, has expressed its support for such measures.

Mortimer Lane Subway

4.7 The pedestrian subway connecting Mortimer Lane with Church Square (under Timberlake Road) is unappealing and experiences flooding difficulties. It is proposed that the subway be replaced with an at-grade crossing facility to improve connections between the Flaxfield Road area and the town centre.

5. Implementation Arrangements

5.1 While no detailed schemes have yet been determined, it is likely that any major works at Victory Roundabout would be costly. However, the potential benefits could be substantial, particularly in terms of bus journey time savings and encouraging walking and cycling. The scheme will be subject to Government requirements for assessment to ensure that all aspects are taken into consideration and to justify funding the scheme from Local Transport Plan (LTP) sources. It is anticipated that appropriate funding will be available using a combination of sources, including the LTP, developer contributions and the Borough Council's capital programme.

5.2 Area-wide improvements in the North West Quadrant are programmed for implementation in 2001/02. Design work for the Victory Roundabout improvements could be undertaken in 2001/02 for implementation in 2002/03 in tandem with design and implementation work for a Timberlake Road/New Street contra-flow bus lane.

5.3 Further related schemes could be implemented subsequently, including an extension of the contra-flow bus lane along New Road (to Hackwood Road) and new town centre cycle circulatory arrangements.

6. Conclusion

6.1 Major revisions to the Victory Roundabout, in conjunction with improvements in the North West Quadrant and bus priorities in Churchill Way, New Street and New Road, offer considerable benefits for bus users, cyclists and pedestrians through the introduction of linked traffic signals.

6.2 The implementation of these linked schemes can be undertaken in stages, focussing on new traffic signals at Victory Roundabout with appropriate bus priorities and crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. It is expected that funding can be obtained from a variety of sources in accordance with the programme of technical work.

Recommendation

That the Panel notes the current position regarding the traffic signal proposal for the Victory Roundabout as a priority, together with associated schemes designed to maximise the benefits of the signal scheme and provide much improved linkage across the town centre, particularly for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users.

6754/NR