Final Lancaster Highways and Transport Master Plan
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District of Lancaster October 2016 District of Lancaster Foreword Lancaster's transport history is as long as it is innovative. From the first crossings of the river, to the The challenge for us is to ensure that we overcome the transport issues that could come to hold back the port, to the canal with its magnificent aqueduct, to the first overhead electrified railway in the country, whole district and we must act now to allow the district to grow and flourish as it once did. an early phase of the M6 with the Lancaster Bypass, and most latterly as a cycling demonstration town, Lancaster has never been afraid to take the lead. What has been a substantial issue for the district will be solved with the opening of the Heysham to M6 Link, 'The Bay Gateway'. As well as giving the peninsula the direct connection to the strategic road Its history owes much to its transport links, and to its position as the lowest crossing point of the River network it so desperately needs, the completion of the link road is the lever to unlock fundamental Lune. Later the Lune brought prosperity and a golden age for the city in the 18th century as the port change across the district. thrived on Atlantic trade. By the end of the 19th century, Lancaster was a world leader for linen cloth and famed for furniture and, more than anything else, lino, which gave the city its Town Hall and the Ashton But we have plans to do much, much, more. We want to build on Lancaster's past legacy and on its Memorial. willingness to innovate by among other things, swapping clogged gyratories for user friendly public spaces, delivering green connections into the city and between its towns, and reinventing its relationship The District's location on the edge of Morecambe Bay, the outstanding countryside of the Lune Valley, and connectivity to the national motorway network that has served it for more than half a century. and the towns of Morecambe, with the finest promenade views in the country, and next to it Heysham, a bustling port and home to more innovation as part of the North West's Energy Coast, and Carnforth, At its heart, the transport vision presented in this Masterplan sets out to support Lancaster as an which owes its growth to its rail and canal connections, all helped Lancaster's rapid economic growth during through the 19th and 20th century. supporting growth and development. Now the District is ready to begin a new chapter in its history, driven by a vision and ambition which will link its key economic assets with others across Lancashire's 'Arc of Prosperity' and deliver on new opportunities for housing growth. County Councillor John Fillis Key to the 'Arc' is Lancaster's offer of world class teaching, research and innovation, and its ambitions to Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport lead the way in providing an integrated approach to healthcare and services for people who are growing Lancashire County Council older, renew and expand its city centre offer, and grow itself as an energy centre and port serving Lancashire and the wider North. District of Lancaster Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction - Lancashire's Highways and Transport Masterplans ......................................................................................................... 4 Introduction Lancaster's Masterplan ................................................................................................................................................... 5 How consultation shaped this masterplan ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Lancaster Now ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Lancaster Now People and Places ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Lancaster Now Transport and Travel ................................................................................................................................................ 12 The Heysham to M6 Link Road ........................................................................................................................................................... 20 Looking To The Future ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Looking to the Future What are the challenges? ............................................................................................................................... 27 Developing Our Transport Vision ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 Our Transport Vision .......................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Lancaster City Centre ......................................................................................................................................................................... 31 South Lancaster .................................................................................................................................................................................. 31 Morecambe ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 37 Heysham ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 41 Carnforth ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Rural Lancaster ................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 Lancaster Links................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Ultra Low Lancaster ............................................................................................................................................................................ 50 Next Steps .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Indicative Milestones .......................................................................................................................................................................... 52 Funding .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 54 District of Lancaster Appendix 1: Heysham to M6 Link Road .............................................................................................................................................. 56 Appendix 2: Glossary ......................................................................................................................................................................... 57 Figure 1: The masterplan areas ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Figure 2: Lancaster's masterplan area ................................................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 3: Lancaster's people ............................................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 4: Lancaster's places ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Figure 5: Longer distance journeys ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 6: Commuting in the district of Lancaster ................................................................................................................................ 13 Figure 7: Our current road network .................................................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 8: Our current sustainable transport network........................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 9: Travel problems today ......................................................................................................................................................... 19