Strategic Cycle Routes in Portsmouth Jon Spencer CTC Right-to-Ride Representative Portsmouth 14 th April 2010

Goals of the Report To present an objective assessment of the major North-South routes into & out of Portsmouth To provide a baseline for the city council's proposed cycle network To highlight the importance of good quality arterial routes To highlight areas for improvement The report can be downloaded from:

PCC Strategy Cycling will be promoted as a healthy and low stress alternative to the car and as a transport mode which is fully integrated with the local public transport system. Strategic cycle routes and enhancements for cyclists at junctions will provide the backbone to the city cycle network enabling cyclists to safely and quickly cycle to all parts of the city.

DfT & CTC Design Hierarchies 1.Pedestrians and disabled people 2.Cyclists 3.Public transport users 4.Motorcyclists and taxis 5.Commercial and business vehicles 6.Car borne shoppers 7.Car borne commuters and visitors 1.Traffic reduction 2.Speed reduction 3.Tackle problem sites 4.Redistribute the carriageway 5.Provide segregated facilities Last Resort – convert footways to cycleways Hierarchy of UsersHierarchy of Solutions

Routes There are three major cyclist's routes in to and out of Portsmouth. Eastern Road Milton to Farlington, largely OCR. Copnor Road Milton to Cosham, largely on road. Pilgrim's Way The Hard to Cosham, largely on quiet streets & OCR All of the routes may be varied somewhat

Eastern Road – Route ACL North on Velder Ave (Nothing Southbound) Toucan Crossing at Kirpal Road OCR North to Havant Road Recross at Fitzherbert Road

Eastern Road – Assessment CriterionRatingNotes AccessibilityPoorCould easily be improved with better signing ConnectivityPoorCould be improved with better signing and modification of junctions. SafetyFairSegregated facility but at times dangerously close to fast traffic. UtilityFairThe large number of cyclist give way points significantly lengthens journey times. Surfaces could be improved.

Copnor Road – Route On Road Route except: ACL at Copnor Bridge Bus lane on London Road OCR Portsbridge Roundabout to Cosham

Copnor Road – Assessment CriterionRatingNotes AccessibilityPoorCould be improved with signing and designation of appropriate routes to major destinations. ConnectivityFairCould be improved with better signing and better exploitation of existing facilities such as the A27 bridge at Peronne Road. SafetyPoorOnly suited to experienced & confident cyclists. Hazards from heavy traffic on narrow sections and excessive parking. Poor UtilityFairThis is a speedy route in and out of the city. However, the off-road section at Hilsea is badly designed, confusing and awkward to use.

Pilgrim's Way – Route ACL/on road to Edinburgh Rd OCR to Flathouse Quay On Road Flathouse Quay OCR to Buckland ACL/On road to Rudmore OCR & quiet roads to Stamshaw OCR Stamshaw park On road to Mountbatten Thence OCR

Pilgrim's Way – Assessment CriterionRatingNotes AccessibilityPoorThe route is fairly easy to find from the end points but confusing and difficult to follow. ConnectivityGoodThis route connects most of the important locations in the city, however there is room for improvement in signing. SafetyPoorThere are some sections of this route, notably at Portsmouth Greyhound Stadium, Rudmore Roundabout and Hope Street/Market Way that are positively hazardous. UtilityPoorThe route is tortuous and time consuming. Surfaces are poor and little thought has been given to cyclists needs in design.

Conclusions Arterial cycle routes in and out of the city are the essential starting point for a cycle network Current strategic routes do not support PCC aims to create a cycle network There is no consistency of design Each route falls short of DfT standards Cyclists are ignored or given lowest priority at junctions Road surfaces are good; OCR surfaces less so Signing is very poor. None of the routes offers a compelling alternative for car commuters

Next Steps PCF is wants to help PCC develop: Consistent design principles for city cycling A long term plan to bring each route into line with these principles  Noting that a big bang approach is not feasible  Including maintenance strategy & schedule for OCR The development of a well-used cycle network permeating the city from the strategic routes Plans ‘on the shelf’ to exploit future developments – e.g. Tipner Interchange, The Hard, …

Quick Wins In the meantime, what can be done quickly? Review signing introduce consistent signs along each route Take full advantage of existing & underutilised pieces of infrastructure (e.g. Peronne Road Bridge) Prepare a prioritised plan of required improvements by area to be ready to take advantage of opportunities for implementation as part of other developments or highway works.