Connected but distinct – continued
Existing and proposed public transport network
Bus-only corridors will be strategically located on the internal road network, with bus gates prioritising bus movements throughout the development. These could also be considered across local villages to help speed up bus times and reliability.
Frequency of services will be increased to key destinations such as St Albans, Radlett, Borehamwood, Watford, Barnet, Enfield and North London.
This in turn will increase services and public transport options through Colney Heath and London Colney, South Mimms and Shenley.
Welcome packs and other incentives and events will promote bus travel, with regular and frequent services subsidised by our planning commitments until services become viable.
What about Coursers Road?
Stopping people from rat running through local roads and encouraging more people to use buses with quicker journey times can require some radical choices. One option to help us achieve these big shifts in how people get about would be to put a bus gate on Coursers Road.
This would mean you could access the new development from either end of Coursers Road, but not use the road as a through-route. This might just be at peak times, or all the time. It would impact on local drivers, but also significantly cut the traffic through Colney Heath that uses the route as a short cut. We want to know your thoughts as we explore these options.
Primary vehicle accesses
What about the car?
Bowmans Cross will be designed to discourage use of the car.
However we know people will still need to use and access the development by car. There are three primary vehicle accesses to Bowmans Cross (shown on the map):
- Three-arm roundabout on B556 Blackhorse Lane
- Three-arm signal-controlled junction at Coursers Road (West)
- Three-arm signal-controlled junction at Coursers Road (East)
Each of these accesses will serve a third of the development, but there will be no connection between each section to ensure people cannot ‘rat run’ through the development. The only connections running through the development will be by bus, bike or walking.
The local road network
We want your experience and views to help shape the sustainable travel strategy, which will commit future residents to swapping their carbased journeys for bus and cycle use. This will deliver a network of cycle and other connections not just within the development, but across the local area: from people’s homes to where they need to go.
With the approach agreed, we will then be able to run projections on how the development would impact the local road network. Once that is completed, we would discuss and agree the investment needed in the local roads to create the capacity needed for these additional car journeys with the Transport Authority (Hertfordshire County Council).
This process will include conducting investigations at key locations, where we know there are current pinch points at key times (see map right), and working with local communities and partners to design solutions. We welcome your feedback on these locations, and your experiences of local traffic issues, to ensure we develop the right approach.
We have started work on a few options for the Bell Roundabout, and have plans on the table for you to talk through with the team or leave comments on. These should ideally include your current experiences and what you would like to see considered in future.
The local road network