44biii. Introduction. 182 Movement and Transport

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1 44biii movement and transport Introduction The Movement and Transport Strategy for Sherford is an essential component of the vision for a sustainable town. The demand for travel that will arise from the new community will be substantial and it will be important that it is offered an efficient and effective selection of travel alternatives to the private car. Achieving this will contribute to minimising pollution, maximising health and well-being, providing a vibrant self-reliant place and minimising the impact on neighbouring communities and the wider network. close harmony with national, regional and local government transport policy and sustainability objectives (for full references see the Transport Assessment (TA)). At the core of the transport strategy for Sherford is the conviction that the conventional hierarchy of transport modes is not capable of delivering the level of non private car use to which Sherford aspires. It is this hierarchy that will be radically restructured. See Figure 1. The design of the town elevates walking and cycling to become the principal modes of short and medium distance travel within the town, whilst longer distance travel is provided for by public transport links. The need for the private car is acknowledged and catered for, for instance in regard to leisure trips, but its use is discouraged wherever possible in regard to commuter trips. This hierarchy of modes is in Figure 1 Heirarchy of Transport Modes. 182 Movement and Transport

2 Principles Good Urban Design The Sherford approach to the hierarchy of travel modes is fostered and encouraged by a combination of influences. These are as follows, described in further detail below: Town layout, to reduce trip distance between home and community facilities, to encourage walking Good urban design, to encourage walking and cycling Integrated land use planning, to encourage live/work/play within the town Introduction of a High Quality Public Transport (HQPT) service through the centre of the town Incentives to reduce car use and promote non-car alternatives Early delivery of non-car options This blend is particularly effective because Sherfod is a brand new community and there are few existing constraints. All of these influences will be put in place from the outset in order to establish sustainable patterns of behaviour. These influences are discussed separately below. Town Layout The physical layout of the town is a gridded network of streets which minimise walking distances between home, workplace, schools, shops and other daily needs. This spatially balanced layout will eliminate the need to make routine trips of the length that demand motorised travel and allow the maximum possible number of trips to be made on foot. The permeable network disperses all modes of traffic throughout the whole grid, allowing non-car users to reclaim the street. While the Main Street is the key artery through Sherford, parallel routes to the north and south provide opportunities for dispersal of movement and activity within Sherford. The placing of a Park and Ride site at the northern end of Sherford near Deep Lane junction on the A38 will make it possible for Plymouth bound car trips to stop short of the town and continue their journey by HQPT. This will make a substantial contribution to minimising the volume of through traffic both within Sherford, on the A38 and other city centre routes. The quality of streets and vibrancy of the public realm and the ease of access to public transport reinforces the defined Sherford hierarchy. Pedestrians and cyclists will have a sense of freedom and will feel safer and more secure. The HQPT system will have dedicated sections at certain key points where the flow of the bus will be managed to give priority over other motorised vehicles. The relative performance of the bus over the car will encourage bus patronage and make people think harder before getting in their car. Public transport stops will be sheltered, secure, well maintained and will carry real time bus information displays. The design of the Main Street will inhibit traffic speed. Cars can pass but their progress will be punctuated by the imperative to give way to other modes in the hierarchy. All streets will be laid out and designed such that speed limits are self-enforcing, for example using building deflections, limiting visibility and changes to materials. Parking for bicycles at all attractors and at home will be generous, convenient and secure. Parking for cars will be adequate but not excessive and where possible a managed system will be operated that allows off-street car parks to be shared by different uses, for example leisure and office or residential and office. Short term parking on the Main Street will be provided to afford casual access to retail facilities by passing customers and will also add edge friction that will slow passing traffic. Integrated Land Use Planning This planning application represents a carefully calculated balance and mix of residential and other uses, such that daily and weekly needs are catered for within the town. As the demand for transport is derived from the demand to carry out other activities this should contribute to a significant reduction in the need to make long distance trips outside the community. The effect of this internalisation of trip making is addressed and quantified in the TA. Movement and Transport 4biii 183

3 Incentives to Reduce Car Use A wide range of sustainability incentives, in addition to the investment in infrastructure, will complement and reinforce the planning, layout and design influences. Implementation, monitoring and review of these and other incentives will be carried out by the Community Trust which will have a specific role to promote sustainable travel. The Community Trust will be highly accessible, located in the Town Hall in the middle of the High Street. In this respect, the Community Trust will also have responsibility for monitoring the community s interest with regard to public transport. A cross section of the initiatives that will be considered and introduced includes: Marketing and promotional campaigns aimed at raising awareness and understanding of sustainable modes and the impact of car travel A Sherford travel web site providing information on transport options and benefits for all journeys Workplace and residential travel plans Working with the relevant operators to establish travel plans for other attractors such as Schools, community and leisure facilities and the Health Centre Service delivery plans for retail outlets A car club to promote shared use and hire A car share network Cycle training and a cycle users group A free bicycle will be gifted to buyers of all Phase 1 dwellings These will be co-ordinated with existing community based transport services. Early Delivery This powerful combination of influences will be introduced from the very outset of the occupation of Sherford. The conventional way in which phased development is introduced is to wait until it reaches certain levels of critical mass before it triggers the introduction of various services and infrastructure. This means that early occupiers and users of the development have to rely on car based modes for daily activities and travel arrangements and are reluctant to subsequently change to more sustainable modes. This will not be the case at Sherford. It is intended that the Main Street, Park and Ride, public transport link, Community Trust, commercial and community facilities will be delivered within Phase 1 of Sherford. For full details of phasing, please see the Phasing Strategy. Cycling Figure 2 shows the proposed cycle network within the urban area and Figure 3 illustrates typical sections of streets. The fundamental starting point for the Sherford Cycling Strategy is that all streets within the community are suitable for cycling. This approach is reinforced by using the layout, in terms of buildings, car parking and landscape, to keep traffic at speeds of 20mph or less, encouraging cyclists to share road space with vehicular traffic because of reduced speeds. The Town Plan is designed as a permeable network of streets in a deformed grid formation provides a choice of routes to every destination. This form of more permeable network encourages cycling by providing the cyclist with a series of alternative routes which they choose to navigate depending upon traffic conditions, topography and cycling ability. Cycling throughout the development will also be encouraged in a number of other ways: Interchange with public transport will be encouraged, particularly at HQPT stops by the provision of secure covered cycle parking facilities Cycle parking will be provided in overlooked and accessible locations in the main public areas. As a general rule 1 in 10 parking spaces could be allocated for cycle parking Secure lock up storage facilities for bicycles will be provided for each dwelling, in accordance with EcoHomes best practice criteria Cycling will be promoted through sales literature for the dwellings, co-ordinated sub- 184 Movement and Transport

4 sequent cycling information to residents and free bicycles for buyers of all Phase 1 dwellings Workplaces will promote travel plans which will have a high emphasis on cycling. This will include secure storage, changing and showering facilities at each venue, in accordance with BREEAM best practice criteria School travel plans will manage and monitor safe routes to school for cyclists Provide cycle storage The topography of the site is, for Devon, comparatively friendly for cyclists with a significant proportion of the urban area on slopes of 5% or less and the majority (92%) of 10% or less. The philosophy agreed between the local planning and highway authorities and Red Tree has been to minimise street furniture and signage to enhance the quality of the public realm. It is accepted that some cyclists, particularly children, may not be comfortable using busier streets therefore the Sherford Cycling Strategy provides dedicated routes to schools and leisure facilities. High Quality Public Transport A fundamental element of the sustainable movement strategy is the implementation of a High Quality Public Transport (HQPT) service linking the proposed Park and Ride facility at Deep Lane to Plymouth City Centre. The HQPT is a bus based system which allows high quality, high capacity vehicles to run at short intervals (up to one per five minutes at peak times) on a regular basis. The associated infrastructure and technology will ensure that the service timetable will be extremely reliable. The Park and Ride Interchange provides the commercial basis for the early delivery of the HQPT system through Sherford. It will be provided within Phase 1 and will create capacity for 1,000 vehicles, and allow for future expansion. It is intended that the HQPT will link the Park and Ride Interchange site to Plymouth via the Main Street to the A379 corridor into the City Centre. The Eastern Corridor Study, endorsed by Plymouth City Council (PCC), has identified the preferred alignment for the connection for the Main Street immediately north of Elburton. Movement and Transport 4biii The National Cycle Network (NCN) 2 route links Plymouth to Totnes mainly on lightly trafficked roads, minor lanes or traffic free sections. It is proposed to continue this route through the Main Street providing access to the centre of the town, its shops, employment areas and schools. The Main Street has been widened to provide ample space for cyclists and junctions have been designed to allow cyclists to reach the front of any traffic queue. This route will join the existing NCN route at Haye Road. The Town is not only fully permeable, but the cycle routes have also been designed to allow circumnavigation of the whole urban form and access to Langage employment area. The interim solution for the onward connection through to Plymouth City Centre will be via Stanborough Cross westwards along the A379. PCC seeks to secure a permanent segregated route from Haye Road westwards through Moorcroft Quarry along the route of the disused railway line. The junction at Haye Road is designed to facilitate a connection into Moorcroft Quarry south of the proposed Main Steert junction. The provision of substantial High Quality Public Transport 185

5 Reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital map data Crown copyright All rights reserved. Licence number Figure 2 Proposed Internal Cycle Route Network 186 Movement and Transport

6 infrastructure improvements along the A379 Corridor will allow significantly faster journey times than by car. Within Sherford three stops will be provided on the Main Street at the neighbourhood centres, with an additional stop at the Park and Ride. The HQPT has been deliberately integrated into the Main Street in order to capitalise on the high levels of activity and accessibility. The Main Street has been designed to prioritise the HQPT buses whilst maintaining it as a key street for other users. The commercial vitality and vibrancy in the heart of the community is a major contributor to the patronage of the HQPT. Reciprocally waiting passengers have quick and direct access to Sherford facilities on the Main Street. The HQPT buses will run with vehicular traffic for much of the length of the Main Street and will be given priority at each of the 5 signalised junctions. Transponders on board the vehicles will activate the signals in advance, providing a green wave of lights for the bus, allowing the bus through each set of signals without stopping. In addition a segregated element of centre running has been provided through the High Street to allow the buses faster passage through the busiest elements of the town centre. In the early, less busy years, this centre running area will be set aside for car parking to stimulate early commercial and retail activity on the High Street. Movement and Transport 4biii 187

7 Highways The TA has identified a number of proportionate upgrades to the existing highway network required to provide capacity for the external traffic generated by Sherford. These improvements have been split into two elements: a. from Deep Lane junction to Plymouth city centre along the A379 corridor b. other offsite highway links to neighbouring communities The generation and distribution of traffic from Sherford is shown in Figure 3. a. Deep Lane junction to Plymouth city centre along the A379 corridor Development plan policy requires the provision of a road link between the A38 and the A379. Sherford is ideally situated to connect to the strategic highway network and achieve this link requirement early in the development. A38 and Deep Lane Figure 3 Cycle Routes, Typical Street Sections The A38 including Deep Lane junction is part of the UK s Strategic Road Network and is under the jurisdiction of the Highways Agency, who control the country s Motorways and Trunk Roads. The A38 itself is classified as an Expressway which has a status between a normal dualled Trunk Road and a Motorway. The TA has identified that improvements to the existing capacity of Deep Lane junction are required to facilitate the traffic generated by Sherford. These improvements are proposed in three stages (see Figure 4): 1. initial upgrading by signalising the junctions at the end of each slip road in order to provide sufficient capacity for Sherford construction traffic. In addition, a replacement west bound on slip road to the A38, closing the existing spiral slip road to facilitate the Park and Ride Interchange and Phase 1 of the development 2. upgrades to the junctions on the north side of the A38 sufficient to accept all of the traffic from all subsequent phases 3. Further improvements to provide capacity for background growth and a possible extension to Langage Business Park can be added to this layout as required in the future 188 Movement and Transport

8 It is anticipated that Sherford Phase 1, up to 700 units, includes the provision of the Park and Ride facility and therefore Stage 1 of the works to Deep Lane junction will be implemented. Stage 2 will be introduced during Phase 2, up to 2300 units, and these Stage 2 works will be sufficient to accept the additional traffic generated by the total number of 5,500 homes provided for Sherford. Stage 3 will only be necessary for growth beyond Sherford and therefore is not included in this planning application. Nevertheless, these Stage 3 works could take the form of a second parallel bridge over the A38 which would allow the existing bridge and approaches to be amended into a signal controlled gyratory, providing further capacity for public transport and private vehicles. In addition this layout could facilitate a new connection into the proposed greater Langage scheme, relieving the existing local roads north of the A38. Haye Road and A379 at Stanborough Cross The southern end of the Main Street connects to the existing highway network at Haye Road along the southern edge of Hazeldene Quarry (see Figure 5). The junction is controlled by traffic signals in order to provide priority for the HQPT bus in both directions. In the interim scheme HQPT vehicles will be able to reach the Stanborough Cross junction ahead of the platoon of traffic leaving the Haye Road lights. The Stanborough Cross junction itself is upgraded from the current roundabout to a signalized layout, with widening provided on all entry arms (see Figure 6). The existing junction layout currently has insufficient capacity at peak times. Improvements could be phased but it may be appropriate that this scheme is delivered at an early stage. In order to satisfy planning policy objectives set by the North Plymstock AAP and developments beyond Sherford, this connection must be adaptable to provide an HQPT bus link to the west. The design of the Haye Road junction accommodates this link by means of a bus only signalised right turn facility on Haye Road approximately 100m south of the proposed Main Street junction with Haye Road. A379 Corridor from Stanborough Cross to Laira Bridge Much of this length of road is dual carriageway reduced to one lane in each direction by painting out a significant length of the inside lane. These measures were introduced by Plymouth City Council in order to reduce traffic speeds and increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists in particular. It is intended to use these painted out sections for dedicated HQPT lanes and additional capacity at Colesdown Hill roundabout. See Figures 7 and 8. Pomphlett Road roundabout currently suffers from insufficient capacity, particularly in the morning peak period. It is proposed that the Plymstock Quarry development will have an access close to the junction and associated improvements will be required. The Sherford TA anticipates that these improvements will come forward in a similar timescale to Sherford. The upgraded roundabout will have sufficient capacity to accept the additional traffic from Plymstock Quarry and Sherford. Laira Bridge to the City Centre There is a common misconception that the bridge itself is a traffic problem; it is, in fact, the adjacent junctions which generate the congestion. The TA suggests Sherford traffic will have a limited impact upon the traffic levels on this section of road within the existing layout. The Eastern Corridor Study proposes a new vehicular route to the City Centre through Cattedown to facilitate the regeneration of the Cattedown area. The existing more direct route will be a dedicated public transport route. In addition the report also proposes that revisions to the highway capacity of Laira Bridge, by transferring pedestrian and cycle movements to a renovated currently disused railway bridge. This aspiration is consistent with the overall approach to the HQPT and is accepted as a good solution to providing HQPT access to the City Centre. Movement and Transport 4biii 189

9 190 Movement and Transport

10 4biii Movement and Transport Figure 4 Deep Lane Junction Staging Diagram 191

11 Figure 5 Haye Road Proposed Layout 192 Movement and Transport

12 Figure 6 Stanborough Cross Proposed Layout 4biii Movement and Transport 193

13 194 Movement and Transport

14 4biii Movement and Transport Figure 7 A379 Corridor - Stanborough Cross to Laira Bridge 195

15 196 Movement and Transport

16 4biii Movement and Transport Figure 8 A379 Corridor - Stanborough Cross to Laira Bridge 197

17 b. Other Offsite Highway Links to Neighbouring Communities Figure 9 shows the Sherford connections to the adjacent communities and the additional traffic flow resulting from the new development. The two-way flow on Red Lion Hill into Brixton increases by 29% in the AM peak and 70% in the PM peak. In terms of vehicles this is an additional 61 in the AM peak (i.e. an additional 1 vehicle per minute) and an additional 77 in the PM peak (i.e. an additional 1.3 vehicles per minute). The traffic flow under the A38 north from the Town Centre has the choice of turning left onto Ridge Road or straight on onto Bullers Hill. For the overall flow of traffic in this direction, the impact is 41% in the AM peak and 46% in the PM peak. In terms of vehicles this is an additional 116 in the AM peak (i.e. just under an additional 2 vehicles per minute) and an additional 133 in the PM peak (i.e. just over an additional 2 vehicles per minute). The routes into Elburton and Plymstock include the new connection to Haye Road, but excludes the traffic which uses the more strategic A379 route. The impact is 7% in the AM peak and 9% in the PM peak resulting in an additional 158 vehicles in the AM peak (i.e. between 2 and 3 additional vehicles per minute) and an additional 194 in the PM peak (i.e. just over an additional 3 vehicles per minute). Brixton It is recognised that Sherford will generate traffic, for instance off peak leisure trips to the South Hams, and that some of this traffic will connect to the A379 at Brixton via Red Lion Hill. A balanced approach to providing improvements has been used in order to provide safety for traffic using this route without upgrading capacity sufficiently to encourage new journeys. It is proposed to provide a mini roundabout at the junction of Red Lion Hill with the A379 at the eastern end of Brixton. This has the advantage of replacing the existing wide segregated right turn facility and the added benefit of slowing down traffic entering the village. The route from Sherford via Red Lion Hill does have some narrow pinch points particularly in the vicinity of the Community Park and if required visibility could be improved across these narrow sections. See Figure 10. Plympton St Maurice A relatively low volume of traffic will use Bullers Hill north of the A38 to access both Ridge Road and Plympton St Maurice. However, currently the residents of Plympton St Maurice would prefer that the route into the Conservation Area be closed to all non-emergency vehicular traffic. If this proposal was to come forward Red Tree would offer no objection. Elburton The existing Sherford Road link through Elburton is to remain open in order to maintain local traffic access. The internal link within Sherford will be designed to discourage Sherford traffic through Elburton and it is anticipated that daily traffic levels will remain similar to those observed at present. Careful monitoring of these traffic levels will be undertaken and further traffic management measures may be appropriate within Sherford if higher levels of traffic are observed on Sherford Road. Internal Highways The Main Street provides the principal access into and through Sherford and the internal road network provides numerous connections onto the Main Street. Internal traffic is distributed throughout the town via these streets with the principal distributions being through Northern and Southern Avenues. Northern Avenue provides access into the northern sector where more employment uses are located. It is 6.5m wide and designed to accept the largest HGV vehicles (including mobile health care vehicles). This route also provides access into the northern side of the Town Centre including the Health Centre site. It is anticipated that, during busy periods in the Main Street, through traffic would divert via Northern Avenue before rejoining the Main Street north-east of the Sec- 198 Movement and Transport

18 ondary School. The Southern Avenue route is designed for a higher proportion of residential traffic and is less direct and has some steeper gradients. This will discourage large volumes of through traffic using this route. The remaining internal roads are designed as streets of varying width and style depending upon the volume of traffic and their location. These design parameters are clearly defined in the Town Code, which provides detailed design criteria with sufficient flexibility to deliver interest and variation throughout the community. The internal layout will take account of access to each of the proposed schools and Safer Routes to School principles will be used when preparing the detailed layout of each neighbourhood. The existing connections through the site will be closed and diverted onto the new highway infrastructure in a phased and controlled manner. At all times existing linkages across the site will be maintained and traffic management measures will be implemented in order to minimize disruption to through traffic during the construction process. In addition two public footpaths, which cross the site are required to be diverted and integrated into the proposed street network, again these suitable diversions will be maintained throughout construction process. Figure 11 identifies the roads and footpaths to be closed and diverted. Movement and Transport 4biii Figure 9 Connections to the Adjacent Communities 199

19 Reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital map data Crown copyright All rights reserved. Licence number Movement and Transport

20 4biii Movement and Transport Figure 10 Brixton Road (Red Lion Hill)/A379 Junction Improvement 201

21 Reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital map data Crown copyright All rights reserved. Licence number Movement and Transport

22 4biii Movement and Transport Figure 11 Existing Roads, Tracks and Footpaths Stopping Up and Extinguishment Plan 203

23 Monitoring The traffic targets set will be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis. If trip generation and traffic distribution levels differ significantly from those predicted further traffic management measures can be implemented after liaison with the highway authorities and local communities. While comparator studies would indicate 2,500 parking spaces are required for commercial uses, relative consideration of Sherford gives a maximum of 1,850 cars parked at any one time. However at this outline stage, Sherford will plan for 2,500 as more space cannot be retrofitted. At the detailed design of each phase, the parking provision will be monitored and adjusted as necessary. Car Parking PPG13 requires 1.5 spaces per residential unit. This has been applied taking into account the size of dwellings and their location relative to public transport. In line with current thinking, the make-up of the residential parking stock will be a mix of on- and off-street (mostly provided within the block) parking. It is recognised, from experience elsewhere, that restricting parking spaces does not reduce car ownership, instead it creates parking problems. Despite this Red Tree is investigating the feasibility of a car free block. Car ownership is more likely to be affected in the long term by the reduced need to use the car due to the use of more sustainable modes of travel. The fundamental aim of reducing car usage will, in time, lead to reduced car parking requirement. Surplus spaces could then be found alternative uses. Spaces will be designated as car club only, particularly in competitive parking areas, for example Town and neighbourhood centres and the Park and Ride. In developing a commercial car parking strategy for Sherford it is recognised that the application of car parking standards for individual use classes, in isolation from one another, would not be applicable to this development. This approach does not sufficiently account for the integration of land-uses or walkability explicit in these proposals. Twenty percent of all car parks will be designed to allow for flexible or dual use. The design will allow the areas to overlap different uses at different times. 204 Movement and Transport

24 4biii Movement and Transport 205