A LOW TRAFFIC NEIGBOURHOOD FOR JERICHO AND WALTON MANOR Draft Proposals for consultation 5th August 2020 – Version 3 Please note that mention of an organisation in these proposals is not intended to imply their support for all aspects of the scheme A bit of background before you start…… These are just ideas…… Hello! We are a small group of residents of Jericho and Walton Manor who are tired of how arguments over the Walton Street barrier are dividing our community. So we decided to come together to see if we could devise a positive vision that we can all agree upon. Our aim is to engage with everyone in our community. We are trying to develop a single vision for a scheme that the residents and businesses of Jericho and Walton Manor can support and to that end, we are consulting with as many people as possible. We believe that by working together we can achieve much more. Else we risk the current temporary scheme continuing for longer, and we may miss the chance to win investment for the area. Register now for our Zoom call! This document is not so much a presentation as a consultation. The ideas are exploratory and are likely to change as more views come forward. The three Or you can reach us at: alternatives schemes that have come up so far are also presented, at the end. Email: [email protected] If you have comments or constructive criticisms, we want to hear them and will Web: www.jerichoLTN.org look to accommodate them into the proposed scheme. We welcome your views and would be only too pleased if you would be willing to join us! Version last updated: 5th August 2020. Might these be the six things we all want? We believe that ultimately most people in Jericho and Walton Manor want the same things. We just sometimes disagree about how to get there. We think these six things are, in no particular order: 1. A thriving community and street life 2. Buoyant cafes, restaurants, cinema and shops 3. Clean air 4. Access to essential services 5. Safer and quieter streets 6. Clear steps to address climate change Should this be our overriding design principle? We feel that in making our choices we should base our work on one overriding principle: “We should first aim to reduce traffic and then to distribute it equitably between the remaining streets. This should consider the needs of all sectors of the community, be that the elderly, the disabled, schoolchildren, cyclists, pedestrians or local businesses.” In this way we think we can rise above our street-by-street interests to consider the interests of the community as a whole. Schemes of this nature are often referred to as ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhoods’ or LTNs. A summary of the whole scheme in one slide We envisage implementing a low traffic neighbourhood for Jericho and Walton Manor by replacing the Walton Street barrier with four ‘modal filters’. These allow pedestrians and cycles through but block larger vehicles. • The filters will together block all north-south through routes, putting an end to rat running. They would be positioned so that the remaining traffic is shared equally between the north and the south of the area. • The commercial centre of Walton Street would be pedestrianised, boosting trade. • A St Barnabas ‘School Street’ scheme would make children’s journeys to school safer. • Reopening the barrier while also reducing congestion may make it possible for the bus to return to Jericho. The Council have now agreed that Walton Street will remain closed until a Low Traffic Neighbourhood is successfully designed, consulted on, and funded. We welcome this decision but also consider that: • Immediate action should be taken to mitigate unintended traffic impacts in the North of the area until the LTN is introduced • The the barrier should be kept closed until the impact of any Worcester Street bus gate is understood • The workplace parking levy should be introduced for larger businesses in the area. We believe that this is the best way to meet the principles we have outlined. Other possible schemes are outlined at the end of this presentation. A Low Traffic Neighbourhood is a comprehensive traffic plan for the whole community Low traffic neighbourhoods are residential streets and associated main roads where through traffic is discouraged or removed. Every resident can drive onto their street, get deliveries and access services, but it’s impossible to drive straight through from one main road to the next. This video explains how such a scheme works in Waltham Forest, in London. Jericho and Walton Manor as one community Our proposed low traffic neighbourhood would encompass the area bounded by Beaumont Street to the South, the Woodstock Road to the East, the canal to the West and Polstead Road to the North. These all form natural boundaries. Walton Street - The need for a permanent traffic scheme The current arrangements are a clutter of plastic and gives the impression that the area is closed. The government is providing funding for streets to be repurposed for cycling and walking and is encouraging restaurants to make use of outdoor space. Investment in a new scheme could benefit residents and traders. But it must be well planned and executed to work. Replacing the barrier We suggest that the barrier can be replaced by four ‘modal filters’ that would eliminate all rat running in the whole area but still allow walkers and cycles through. This cuts off all North–South routes through the area while allowing residents to drive in and out. These four filters could be placed in: • Walton Street • Cranham Terrace (by the Rickety Press) • Allam Street (corner with Juxon Street) • Little Clarendon Street Walton Street would become a pedestrianised shopping district. Deliveries, emergency vehicles and buses could all be let through. The two filters in Jericho would stop rat running and mean that all traffic is local. Options for Little Clarendon Street vary and are discussed in a later slide. Pedestrianisation could make Walton Street a thriving eating and shopping destination Re-landscaping part of Walton Street could give more space for restaurants, shoppers, cyclists and pedestrians. PROPOSED CAR-FREE AREA From the Health Centre to Juxon Street. This includes Jericho Tavern, Giggling Squid, Jude the Obscure, the Mind Shop, the Standard, Joots Pharmacy, The Phoenix Cinema, the Jericho Café, Branca, Jamals, Daisies, Manos, Mamma Mia and the 101 Coffee Shop. Deliveries would still be permitted, perhaps only at certain times, and perhaps also emergency vehicles and buses, but otherwise there would be no through traffic. The ‘Mini-Holland’ scheme has made Orford Road, Walthamstow a more attractive destination Pavements areas are wide and can be made use of by restaurants, shops and stall holders. Since implementation, the number of people visiting is reported to be up 93%, and the number of empty shops down by 17%. Before… After… How might Walton Street look? How might Walton Street look? How might Walton Street look? Resident only traffic in Jericho Stopping traffic from passing down Cranham Terrace and Allam Street will prevent rat running through Jericho. While cars can come in and out of the area, no traffic can pass through. The Cranham Terrace ‘filter’ could be anywhere along its length. It might provide additional seating outside the Rickety Press. The Allam Street ‘filter’ would be in at the junction with Juxon Street. The cars from Lucy’s underground car parks in Juxon Street must then exit to the North, ensuring limited traffic passes down canal Street, Albert Street or Hart Street. The filters could be an attractive community feature. How might Cranham Terrace look? How might the Allam Street - Juxon Street junction look? School Streets This video introduces the idea of School Streets, in which roads outside school gates are closed to cars during school pick up and drop off times, making it easier to walk and cycle to school. A similar scheme has already been introduced at Phil and Jim’s, and could be introduced at St Barnabas and at other schools in the area. The St Barnabas School Street scheme Hart Street could be closed to all vehicles except school staff, residents, carers and emergency vehicles between 8.30 - 9.15 and 3.15 - 4.00 on school days. Movable bollards could be placed at either end of Hart Street. With the western barrier placed just around the corner into Jericho Street. As Jericho Street is already blocked at the Northern end, this would make the streets on two sides of St Barnabas almost completely traffic free at key times. Cardigan Street could be left open, allowing staff and residents a way in and out. But any other traffic entering would face a dead end. Ideally the bollards would be automated, rising and retracting at the right times. Or a passcode or key would allow approved users to operate them. South Walton Street The Walton Street Barrier would re-open, but all rat-running will have been eliminated by the four ‘modal filters’. Coaches will also no longer be able to take this route, although a bus service and school coaches should still be allowed through. The introduction of a bus gate on Worcester Street would reduce through traffic dramatically, meaning that only low volumes of residential traffic will use south Walton Street. This should eliminate idling as traffic will not need to wait at the junction. St Bernard’s Road, Leckford and Kingston Roads Traffic volumes in these streets would be greatly reduced as only residential traffic from Juxon Street and further north, together with deliveries, will be using these streets as a through route.