Central Gosforth Transport Study Summary Report Newcastle City Council January 2007 QM Issue/revision Issue 1 Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3 Remarks Draft Status Draft Final Date December 2006 January 2007 Prepared by Richard Jones Richard Jones Signature Richard Jones Richard Jones Checked by David Gawthorpe David Gawthorpe Signature David Gawthorpe David Gawthorpe Authorised by Mike D’Alton Mike D’Alton Signature Mike D’Alton Mike D’Alton Project number 40521102 40521102 File reference 40521102 40521102 WSP Development and Transportation 6 South Park Way Wakefield 41 Business Park Wakefield West Yorkshire WF2 0XJ Tel: +44 (0)1924 290 484 Fax: +44 (0)1924 368 468 http://www.wspgroup.com Reg. No: 2382309 Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1 Introduction 5 2 The First Consultation 7 3 Existing Situation 12 4 Future Developments and Traffic Predictions 18 5 Traffic Model Development 32 6 The Second Consultation 36 7 The Way Forward 39 Appendix A Survey Form - Consultation 1 Appendix B Distribution of Responses - Consultation 1 Appendix C Area Analysis Plans - Consultation 1 Appendix D Accident Plots Appendix E Survey Form - Consultation 2 Appendix F Distribution of Responses - Consultation 2 Appendix G Detailed Comments - Consultation 2 Appendix H Action Plan 3 Executive Summary WSP was commissioned by Newcastle City Council to undertake a transport study of Central Gosforth. This report provides a summary of a number of technical reports. The study has been undertaken to identify improvements required in the Central Gosforth area to reduce the impact of through and development generated traffic, and to improve accessibility for all modes of travel. The prime focus of the Study, as a whole, is to ensure that movement patterns within the area are identified, and links to destinations outside of the area are examined. The Study aims to investigate both the traffic management and movement issues throughout the Central Gosforth Area. The study examines the existing travel patterns and identifies issues of concern and possible interventions in the area. The study has delivered a model of the transportation environment to be used as an assessment tool in a later part (Stage 2) of the Study. A wide spread consultation exercise was carried out in November 2005 as a part of the process of identifying the issues identified above. Over 800 responses were received. Responses were received from right across Gosforth. Analysis of consultation results showed that the largest public concern in the Gosforth area was on-street car parking (28% of total responses). 15% of comments were associated with junctions. 14% of responses were related to public transport issues. 10% raised traffic congestion as a major issue. The consultation provided anecdotal evidence of rat running and traffic speeding on inappropriate roads. Analysis of car ownership levels based on 2001 census data shows higher levels of car ownership with 23% of households with 2 cars compared to 13% for Newcastle. The proportion of people who travel to work by car is also higher than average for Gosforth, with 55% of people travelling by car compared to 46% for the Newcastle area as a whole. This evidence points towards a car dominated environment in an area characterised by a local road network in residential areas, which was not originally designed to accommodate high usage of the private car. Analysis of census data shows that the daytime population (or working population) of Gosforth is significantly higher than the resident population illustrating the important role of Gosforth as a local employment centre. Associated with this there is evidence of commuter based car parking problems on residential streets. Some of these have been addressed by the implementation of travel plans at major employers such as Northern Rock, and associated with this a number of resident parking zones (RPZ) have been implemented. Further RPZs may be implemented in other residential areas based on the finding of recent car parking surveys. Analysis of central government predictions (TEMPRO) of background traffic growth would suggest an increase in traffic of 6.4% up to 2011 or 15% over the next 15 years (i.e. up to 2021). Analysis of major developments, such as Newcastle Great Park, Regents Point and Northern Rock, if delivered in full, will result in a net increase of 8700 jobs and 2140 households up to 2011. With future growth this would suggest that current problems will be exasperated without the implementation of traffic and transportation improvements in the area. Analysis of accident data in the study area shows a relatively good safety record with 548 accidents over a five year assessment period. Analysis of accidents by severity shows 1 fatal, 40 serious injuries and the remainder slight over a five year period. A number of accident clusters are located at specific junctions. Some of these are already being dealt with as part of a planned programme of improvements in the area (e.g. 40521102 Gosforth Transport Study - Summary Report 1 Hollywood Road 20mph zone, Broadway West junction improvements). Improvements to the junction between Hollywood Avenue and Great North Road (at Asda) are being considered. A review of existing traffic data and information in the study area found that, in general, there was a lack of detailed data with regard to traffic patterns on the local road network such as junction based counts, automatic traffic counts and origin- destination surveys. As such manual classified counts were commissioned at key junctions on the Great North Road between Blue House Roundabout and Great Park. These counts were used to develop a VISSIM based micro-simulation traffic model of the area to represent existing traffic conditions. A second consultation exercise was carried out on September 21st 2006 to report back the initial findings of the study and to capture the public’s views on the best way forward. The VISSIM model was used at the exhibition to demonstrate existing traffic conditions. The consultation focused on the role of the High Street, traffic growth in the area as well as the need for a revised car parking strategy for the area. Over a thousand completed questionnaire responses were received. The Way Forward The results of the second stage consultation showed that the need to investigate ways to reduce traffic levels across Gosforth as a whole ranked as the most important issue amongst the publics views. The need for a revised area-wide parking strategy to help deal with commuter/ visitor parking and encourage better use of existing car parks ranked second amongst the publics views. The need to investigate improvements to the Gosforth High Street and the need to investigate ways of reducing traffic on the High Street ranked third and fourth respectively. Through the consultations and site visits the study has identified a number of small scale traffic management and traffic engineering issues in the area. These include calls for traffic calming, control of rat running through residential areas and ‘high’ vehicle speeds in certain areas. Other issues highlighted were the need for improved lining and signing as well as calls for new pedestrian crossings. It is proposed that these issues are passed on to the Newcastle City Council Area Traffic Management Teams for further consideration and investigation. The majority of comments concerned parking issues and concern over increasing future levels of traffic in the area as well as improvements to existing junctions. Some of these issues being already dealt with by programmed schemes. It is therefore proposed that the next stage of the study should investigate a revised area wide parking strategy for Gosforth to include resident parking, commuter parking and maximising the use of existing off street car parking. This ties in with an area wide review of residential parking across the City. As part of this, Central Gosforth should be treated as a priority, due to the development pressures in the area. It is proposed that the VISSIM model is used to represent future traffic conditions. The study has reviewed the likely level of traffic growth in the area associated with both natural traffic growth and the impact of new development. Hence it is proposed to use the VISSIM model to test traffic impacts of traffic growth levels on the operation of Great North Road 2 Gosforth Transport Study - Summary Report 40521102 Linked with the above there is a need to investigate the effects of increased traffic levels across Gosforth as a whole, particularly the reassignment of traffic, due to congestion, on local roads. This could be investigated through the development of a macro- simulation model of the area. This would necessitate a wide spread data collection exercise to provide an accurate and up to date picture of travel patterns in the area. The study identified the importance of Gosforth as a local employment centre. The study also identified a significant proportion of comments relating to the need of improved public transport in the area. It is further proposed that the next stage of the study should consider an integrated transport strategy for the area focusing on public transport accessibility for the existing and proposed major developments. There is potential to deliver public transport improvements to the local employment centre through the creation of a Business Improvement District. It is recommended that the issues outlined above should be progressed as part of Stage 2 of Gosforth Transport Study. 40521102 Gosforth Transport Study - Summary Report 3 1 Introduction 1.1 STUDY BACKGROUND 1.1.1 This summary report is the culmination of a series of reports as part of a comprehensive study undertaken to identify improvements required in the Central Gosforth area to reduce the impact of through and development generated traffic, and to improve accessibility for all modes of travel.