Feasibility Report
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Tramway Road Accessibility Improvements Banbury Feasibility Report September 2019 Tramway Road Accessibility Improvements, Banbury Feasibility Report Oxfordshire County Council September 2019 This document has 24 pages. This document and its contents have been prepared and are intended solely for Oxfordshire County Council’s information and use in relation to the scheme Tramway Road Accessibility Improvements Feasibility Study Document History Job number: OCC00188 Document Ref: 201800-SKA-GEN-BAN-RP- CH-0001-S2-F1 Revision Purpose description Originated Checked Reviewed Authorised Date Rev 0 First Issue (For VA TAJ 09/08/19 EA 11/09/19 Comments) Rev01 Updated following TAJ 24/10/19 OCC comments Change Log Rev Section Description Hold List Rev Section Description 2 Client Sign Off Client Oxfordshire County Council Project Tramway Road Accessibility Improvements Banbury Document Title Feasibility Report Job no. OCC00188 Copy no. 1 Document 201800-SKA-GEN-BAN-RP-CH-0001-S2-F1 Reference 3 Table of contents Chapter Page 1 Executive Summary 7 2 Introduction 7 3 Existing Conditions 8 3.1 General 8 3.2 Tramway Road 9 3.2.1 Highway Boundary & PROW 9 3.2.2 Adjacent Land Use 9 3.3 Bridge Street / Station Approach Road 10 3.3.1 Highway Boundary & PROW 10 3.3.2 Adjacent Land Use 10 3.4 Swan Close Road / Hightown Road & Bankside 10 3.4.1 Highway Boundary & PROW 10 3.4.2 Adjacent Land Use 11 3.5 Collision History 11 3.6 Statutory Undertakers/Utilities 12 4 Proposals for Improvement 12 4.1 Tramway Road 12 4.1.1 Option 1 Compact Roundabout 12 4.1.2 Option 2 Major/Minor junction 13 4.1.3 Option 3 Mini Roundabout 14 4.2 Station Approach Road 14 4.2.1 Station Approach Road 14 4 4.2.2 Station Forecourt Area 14 4.3 Swan Close Road / Hightown Road & Bankside 15 4.3.1 Traffic Signals Tramway Road/Swan Close Road 15 4.3.2 Bankside S278 Developer Scheme 16 5 Traffic Modelling 16 6 Ground Investigation 17 7 Planning, Land & Legal 18 8 Budget Cost Estimates 21 9 Conclusions 22 10 Recommendations 23 5 Appendices 25 Appendix A. Drawings Appendix B. Photographs Appendix C. Standards used for Feasibility Assessment Appendix D. Schedule of Design Decisions Appendix E. Traffic Modelling Appendix F. Ground Investigation Desk Top Study Appendix G. Traffic Signals Feasibility Report Appendix H. Budget Cost Estimates Appendix I. Risk Register 6 1. Executive Summary 1.1. Skanska Infrastructure Services has been commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) to carry out feasibility design for improvements on Tramway Road Banbury to create a bus link from the northern end of Tramway Road to Banbury Station forecourt. 1.2. The feasibility study includes an assessment of the traffic modelling work for the whole scheme and its impact upon the surrounding road network; a preliminary traffic signal design and LinSig analysis for the signalisation of the junction of Tramway Road with Swan Close Road, Hightown Road and Lamb’s Crescent; a Preliminary Sources Study Desk Top Geotechnical Report; planning advice; land ownership investigation; bus gate enforcement measures and associated traffic regulation order. 1.3. The feasibility study identifies and considers the feasibility of implementing a bus and taxi link road between Tramway Road and Banbury Station Forecourt and three options for junction improvements as follows: Option 1 Compact roundabout Option 2 Priority junction Option 3 Mini roundabout 2. Introduction 2.1. OCC has secured funding through the Oxfordshire Growth Deal to complete feasibility design to improve access to Banbury Station and improve the bus journey reliability into the town station from southern areas of the town. 2.2. Skanska Infrastructure Services has been commissioned by OCC to complete feasibility design which includes: Extending the northern end of Tramway Road to provide a two way connection to Station Approach A two-way bus and taxi only link between Tramway Rd and the Station Forecourt with suitable enforcement Improved pedestrian/cyclist access along Tramway Road to the station forecourt A new access point into the Network Rail west car park including vehicle activated capacity signs. Review the Station Approach/Bridge Street junction layout in light of the above proposals and re-design if necessary to optimise traffic movements. Modelling of junctions to ascertain impact of design proposals. Identify opportunities for improvement. 7 2.3. A topographical survey and utility survey has been completed which covers the study area of Tramway Road, Station Approach Road, the station forecourt, Bridge Street, A4260 Cherwell Street, Swan Close Road, Hightown Road and junctions of Bankside and Lambs Crescent 2.4. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential options for improvement to Banbury Station, as identified above, and provide this detailed feasibility report. 2.5. Please see drawing number 335791-SKA-HGN-BAN-DR-CH-0001-S2-F0 for a Location Plan (Appendix A) 3. Existing Conditions 3.1 General 3.1.1. Tramway Road is a local unclassified no through road located to the south of Banbury Station, approximately 1 mile south east of Banbury town centre in Cherwell District. From its junction with Swan Close Road and Hightown Road, Tramway Road provides access to local offices and businesses and the Tramway Industrial Estates on Haslemere Way and Riverside. 3.1.2. Bridge Street is a class three classified road connecting the eastern district ward of Grimsbury to Banbury town centre and the A4260 Cherwell Street. The junction of Bridge Street with the A4260 is a critical junction and the A4260 is the preferred north to south route through the town. Furthermore, Bridge Street currently provides sole access for motor vehicles to Banbury station and Banbury Town Football Club. 3.1.3. Currently there is a well-used public footpath (120/102) adjacent the west side of Tramway Road which provides pedestrian access to Banbury station. Tramway Road is also signed for cyclists as an on-road secondary route off national cycle network route 5 which provides a cycle link to the station. 3.1.4. Land to the north of the Tramway Road turning head is private. At the point where the footpath joins Station Approach Road land to the north is owned by Network Rail with areas leased to the current train operator Chiltern Railways. 3.1.5. Photographs of the site, Tramway Road, Station Approach Road, the station forecourt and parking areas and public right of way footpath 201/102 are shown in Appendix B. 3.1.6. The existing public right of way footpath network and cycle route are shown on drawing number 201800-SKA-HGN-BAN-DR-CH-0020S2-F0 Existing Road Layout and Hierarchy in Appendix A. 8 3.2 Tramway Road 3.2.1 Highway Boundary & Public Rights of Way i. Tramway Road is a single carriageway distributor road approximately 7.3m wide with footways on both sides. As with most urban areas of this nature there is a system of street lighting and it is considered that the area is subject to a speed limit of 30mph. ii. Public footpath 120/102 runs from the Tramway Canal Bridge (bridge number 0939) at Swan Close Road junction, across the River Bridge (bridge number 0940), passing over private land (ON297477) which is marked by yellow bollards at the turning head to prevent vehicle access. The public footpath continues along Station Approach Road (ON322128) to the station forecourt. Public footpath 120/103 route runs along the Oxford Canal towpath under Tramway Road and can be accessed via steps located to the north of Tramway Canal Bridge. Public footpath 120/53 runs from Green Lane north east to Swan Close Road. Pedestrians naturally cross Swan Close Road into Tramway Road with no formal controlled or uncontrolled pedestrian facilities. iii. For details of land ownership plot references please see drawing number 201800-SKA-HGN-BAN-DR-CH-003-S2-F0 Land Ownership Plan in Appendix A. 3.2.2 Adjacent Land Use i. Land adjacent to Tramway Road is primarily class B1 business, B2 general industrial and B8 storage or distribution with some class A1 shops and retail warehouses. All vehicles access Tramway Road from its junction with Swan Close Road and Hightown Road. Tramway Road provides access to the Tramway Road Industrial Estates on Haslemere Way and Riverside and businesses on the un-named road immediately to the north east of the Tramway Canal Bridge. ii. Land immediately to the north of Tramway Road is private (*ON297477), consultation with the land owner will be required for land purchase, as the acquisition of this land is necessary to implement any improvement option. Land further north is privately owned by Network Rail (ON322128) with Chiltern Railways lease areas, both of whom are key stakeholders for this work. It will be necessary to agree land acquisition and the extent of publicly maintainable highway with Network Rail. 9 3.3 Bridge Street and Station Approach Road 3.3.1 Highway Boundary & Public Rights Of Way i. Bridge Street is a single carriageway road approximately 7.3m wide with footways on both sides with a system of street lighting and it is considered that the area is subject to a speed limit of 30mph. Bridge Street is the primary route into Banbury town centre from the Grimsbury area to the east of the site and is the only link in this area providing access over the railway. Bridge Street is a known traffic ‘bottleneck’. ii. A signalised crossing is located on Bridge Street approximately 24m east of the Station Approach Road junction. iii. Station Approach Road is a private single carriageway road approximately 6.3m wide with footways on both sides providing pedestrian and vehicle access to Banbury station forecourt and access to the west station car park.