Study to unclog Winchester's arteries (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Study to unclog Winchester's arteries

7:30pm Wednesday 4th February 2009 in News

CIVIC chiefs are waiting with baited breath for a report on making Winchester’s traffic flow more smoothly.

Consultants from Mott MacDonald are carrying out a study funded by Hampshire County Council.

Its findings are not yet public, but could include giving pedestrians more priority, creating 20mph zones, or even scrapping the one way system.

Winchester City Council’s cabinet met today (Wednesday, February 4) to discuss the looming report.

Cabinet member for planning and access, Cllr Keith Wood, said: “The first draft will be available soon. We’re very keen to get it into the public domain as soon as we can, as it will effect the way that traffic goes through Winchester.”

One proposal already on the table is ‘shared space’ where street furniture is removed and pedestrians have more priority over cars.

“I think shared space is something that could work very well,” said Cllr Wood.

The report will be published later this year, just as work is due to be in full swing to build Winchester’s second park and ride scheme.

The project, next to junction 11 of the M3, is scheduled to start in April and finish in spring or summer 2010.

It will provide just over 800 spaces, compared to 785 at the existing scheme at Bar End, which has already been extended.

Hampshire County Council is spending £7m on the new site. The city council will decide in the coming months what route the buses should take. They are likely to use St Cross Road, Romsey Road, or both.