Travel Portsmouth

City centre – additional space to walk and cycle

Opening date: 04/08/2020

Closing date: 24/08/2021

We have been awarded £214,515 in funding from the governments Emergency Active Travel Fund to put a variety of new temporary schemes in place to encourage people to walk and cycle more and to create space for social distancing.

These schemes are monitored to ensure they are working appropriately for residents, businesses and those using them. To make decisions, on whether the scheme needs altering, it should be removed or continue, data is analysed. This includes an analysis of the schemes usage, road safety audits, the latest information from public health and the police.

One of these schemes is the creation of space in the city centre for people choosing to walk and cycle. Through closing roads to vehicles we aim to provide a safe space where people can enjoy walking along safer routes to the city centre whilst social distancing.

Scheme information

What is happening and why?

At the start of this scheme the roads were closed at weekends in April and this approach has been reviewed and changes have been made to reflect the changes in government advice and changing demands in this area.

Additional space has been created for cycling and walking on roads in the city centre to improve connectivity with current cycle routes and create safe space for social distancing, by closing roads to vehicles.

The roads include:

 

Following a review of the road closures a decision was made to open Isambard Brunel Road. This had been closed to all vehicles except buses from Station Street roundabout to Greetham Street roundabout. View the map for further information https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/image-library/isambard-brunel.jpeg.

The roads are closed under a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO). The TTRO can last until December 2021 and a review process is in place. Further information on providing feedback can be found in the ‘Have Your Say’ section.

How will people be affected by these changes?

Cyclists commuting to work, traveling to the seafront or the city centre now have a safer route that connects with current cycle routes.

On Guildhall Walk a vehicle diversion is in place via White Swan Road and Exchange Road.

The closures have been in place since April and will be reviewed at the end of August to make a decision about whether to continue the closures.

Have your say

We welcome feedback from businesses, customers, residents, and people walking and cycling through the area on how the scheme is working. This will help us make alterations and improve the scheme where possible, as well as helping us gather information to inform our review of the scheme. Please share your views by emailing us at EATF@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

Please also share your views by taking part in the Sustrans Space to Move survey by visiting https://www.sustrans.org.uk/space-to-move/. 

Next steps

We will regularly review all temporary road changes to ensure they are working how we want them to during the pandemic. Data will be gathered on the route usage, road safety audit and current information from Public Health and the Police, and we will also review all feedback we receive. The reviews could lead to some alterations or removal of the road closure depending on how well the change works.

If the routes work well in creating a safe and enjoyable space that encourages active travel, we could then look at adapting the designs to make it permanent.  However, this is a temporary change at this stage, and we’ll be reviewing it regularly to make sure it works appropriately for users of the route, residents and businesses in the area.