As part of Gloucester County Council’s overall ambition to create linkages between its quays area and the city centre, a shared space area was made within the central precinct of the town.
Network and traffic manager at the county council, Lawrence Elcocks, explained: ‘In terms of linkages, it was all about making the best use of the current network, where the overall project was also about making a good feature of the docks themselves.’
But the shared space scheme was a steep learning curve for the local authority, and one accompanied with new, fresh challenges. The shared space leading from Southgate Street into Kimbrose Square was created as the surface had fallen into a state of disrepair.
The first big issue discovered by the council was related to the entry into the shared space, and the breakdown of barriers between the highways surface and pavement. Elcocks continued: ‘This was the first of its kind in Gloucester, and we learned a lot. It is quite difficult - there are three types of traffic converging, and especially, there was an issue between the carriageway for cars and the pedestrian space.
‘We need to create a way of delineating between the traditional road space and when drivers enter the new, shared area. At the moment, it comes too quickly and is too wide. Some pedestrians are simply brave and walk out, but others, such as the elderly and disabled, are more cautious.’
His plans include making the entry to the shared space more obvious from a longer distance, and creating a promenade along the riverside, adjacent to the road. ‘We need to get drivers into the slow driving mentality before they enter the shared space area.’
Elcock admits to tracking the work at the Ashford shared space scheme, which has now been up and running for more than 12 months, to ‘follow a pattern of understanding’ about the issues that Kent County Council faced with its own project.
Still, there are other issues Elcocks believes may have an impact on the general highways environment.
‘It is interesting to look at the public art. We have installed some quite arresting pieces in the shared space, and this could be an influence - the drivers are distracted by it.’
Despite these safety concerns, though, there have not been any major traffic incidents, just a few ‘near misses’ - similar to the Ashford scheme. In fact, in certain modes of transport, the environment has become much more hospitable.
Elcocks continued: ‘Cyclists can now use the road, as it is much quieter than it used to be. Principally, the creation of the linkages to the quay was for pedestrians, but since the bypass was completed, the town centre roads are quieter and more suitable for cyclists.’
The removal of traffic from the shared space area had another effect, which was not anticipated in advance.
Elcocks explained: ‘As the volume of traffic dropped so dramatically, we took out the traffic lights just down from the square, and installed a roundabout. This reduced maintenance costs. The contractor did a good job. It was keen to keep the shops open, as we knew the street works would make this a tough time for traders.’
But now, alongside ‘dramatically improved’ footfall, another inadvertent benefit occurred, which has everything to do with economic growth and development.
‘The traders are coming out and cleaning the street around their shops. They now take real pride in the public realm since it has been smartened up. There are chairs and tables outside shops too - it really has created a café-culture, which is brilliant.’
