Stoneyhurst Road 30 July 2020, just before 9am.

Newcastle City Council has now confirmed that legal orders to close local bridges to vehicle traffic will be in place by Thursday 13 August. This is to prevent “inappropriate levels of traffic for small structures, using the bridges as a shortcut through residential streets.”

As with any traffic-related changes these proposals have generated a lot of debate in Gosforth.  To help ensure this debate is an informed one we published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Enabling Safe Walking and Cycling via Local Bridges explaining likely benefits, possible issues and how residents will be able to have a say on the proposals.

Legal orders to close Salters Bridge, Castle Farm Rd (Dene Bridge), Haldane Bridge, Argyle St Bridge and Stoneyhurst Bridge to traffic will be in place from 13 August. This is to reduce traffic and encourage more walking and cycling. Read more at https://t.co/QTfnJWBXHw. pic.twitter.com/Pz7jzN57hd

— NewcastleCityCouncil (@NewcastleCC) August 4, 2020

Since then, we’ve become aware of some further concerns, relating to the consultation process and specifically to the area around Stoneyhurst Road Metro bridge. Where there are legitimate issues it is important that these are raised, but also where residents’ concerns are likely to be unfounded it is important that residents have the necessary information to be able to make this judgement.

This blog is to look at some of those concerns. Where we have included quotes about concerns, these are from comments or email correspondence sent to SPACE for Gosforth.

Summary

1. There’s no justification for the suggestion that 20mph “single track” roads leading to Station Road are dangerous for people who are driving, or that the junctions onto Station Road are in any way different or more dangerous than other similar junctions.
2. Challenges faced by residents in snowy or icy conditions will be no worse than on many other local roads. Residents who can’t avoid travelling and have to use a car still have two relatively level entry/exit routes via Balmoral Terrace and Windsor Terrace.
3. Traffic levels should reduce overall on Audley Road, Sandringham Road, Windsor Terrace, Balmoral Terrace and other local streets. This should improve safety for people who do walk or cycle, including when the roads are icy.
4. Generally the change will result in opportunities for residents to save money, as walking or cycling are much cheaper than driving, with a minimal impact on driving times or distances other than for very short local journeys.
5. Council comms confirm that vehicle capacity at Haddricks Mill has been increased.
6. The Council, and Government, are acting on a democratic mandate to make streets safer for walking and cycling. These changes have a substantial potential to help improve people’s health and wellbeing.

Our thinking & analysis to support these summary statements is below.

In our previous FAQ blog Enabling Safe Walking and Cycling via Local Bridges, we also confirmed that:

• Based on experience when Killingworth Road was closed, we don’t expect any substantial increase in traffic on Station Road. Pollution levels measured at the bottom of Station Road actually improved.
• Emergency Services have confirmed they have no issue with the proposal.
• The consultation approach will be more effective by allowing residents to “try before they buy”.

Update 9/9/2020: The Council have also published a response to Frequently Asked Questions on its SafeNewcastleBridges website.

Concern 1: It isn’t safe to exit by car onto Station Road

“the exits from Sandringham, Audley or Windsor are not the safest ways to get out of the area as they are single track.”

We can find absolutely no justification for the statement that single track roads with a 20mph speed limit, such as those described, present any substantive safety risk to anyone travelling by car. Vision Zero guidelines suggest that cars should be limited to 70kmph/43mph where there is a possibility of a frontal impact between cars, so 20mph is certainly safe enough.

Safety for people walking and cycling (vulnerable road users) is affected by speed and volume of traffic including on Stoneyhurst Road. Safety should be improved on these local streets because of the reduction in traffic levels (see below). As we explained in our blog Enabling Safe Walking and Cycling via Local Bridges, this should help enable more people to  walk or cycle local journeys.

The junctions with Station Road are little different to many other similar junctions, and may actually be safer due to relatively tight corners that require drivers to slow down before turning.

If this does become an issue (which we don’t think it will), one option might be to reset the speed limit for that section of Station Road to 20mph. This would also make it safer for people walking or cycling on Station Road, and would be likely to reduce pollution levels as a vehicle accelerating to 20mph uses less fuel than one accelerating to 30mph. We hope this might be considered as part of the consultation review.

Concern 2: Dene Crescent cannot be used in winter

“the exit onto Haddrick’s Mill Rd from Dene Crescent is lethal in winter even with the grit box”

To look at this we have assessed whether the proposal will lead to more or fewer people using Dene Crescent by car in wintery conditions, and other options for exiting the estate if Dene Crescent is not usable.

The Highways Code Rule 228 is very clear that you should not drive in icy or snowy weather unless your journey is essential. If your journey is essential and you have no choice but to drive, you should “drive with care, even if the roads have been treated.”

This should mean the volume of traffic if icy or snowy should be much lower than on a normal day, especially now many of us are able to work from home. That will be true whether this proposal is implemented or not.

Closing Stoneyhurst Road bridge to motor traffic should also reduce the volume of traffic, as vehicles that would have used Stoneyhurst Road bridge to get to Dene Crescent, possibly by non-local drivers who would be less aware of the dangers, can no longer do so.

Having fewer vehicles using Dene Crescent in winter is a safety benefit in itself. Dene Crescent is also one of only a few residential streets that are on the Council’s published gritting route. Even if that is not sufficient, residents who need to make essential journeys by car have other options and contrary to some claims we have seen, no one is being “forced” to use Dene Crescent.

GoogleMaps states that Balmoral Terrace drops 4m over a distance of about 350m, which is a gradient of not much more than 1%,  which is likely to be less steep than the transverse slope  that is required on roads to allow drainage. It is also likely to be less than the gradient of the speed bumps on Stoneyhurst Road. The gradient on Windsor Terrace is not much greater.

For residents living on Sandringham Road and Audley Road, which according to GoogleMaps have average gradients of about 2.8%, the main challenge will be exiting those roads especially if facing uphill. That would be no different from now though, and would be unaffected by the proposed change.

By comparison nearby Keyes Gardens has a gradient of 3.6%, Hunter’s Road next to Haddricks Mill is close to 7% and many other streets bordering Jesmond Dene are steeper than this.

That’s not to say that driving in winter will be all plain sailing, only that the challenges faced by residents will be no worse than on many other local roads, and that an overall reduction in traffic levels should improve safety for people who do walk or cycle.

Concern 3: “more traffic using Audley, Sandringham, Windsor & Balmoral“

In our FAQ, question 6 we provided evidence to show that there was unlikely to be any substantial impact to local main roads as a result of the bridge closures. This concern is a bit different in that it relates to local streets.

We shared the picture below in our FAQ blog, of nine locations in Newcastle where similar approaches have been taken, and none of these areas are prone to “chaos” or “road rage” as some have suggested will happen on Stoneyhurst Road, in fact quite the opposite. All are very quiet, pleasant streets.

The benefit of the consultation approach, of course, is that we don’t have to agree on what we think the impact will be, as we will be able to see what actually happens once people have had a chance to adjust to the new layout, and residents can provide feedback on that basis.

We sought clarification from the person who made this comment. Their reasoning is that “If the bridge is closed there will be increased traffic as cars cannot disappear instantly from people’s lives. The traffic would have one less exit point so Audley, Sandringham, Windsor or Balmoral would be used”

There are a number of issues with this statement. ‘Cars not disappearing‘ doesn’t mean people can’t change how they travel for particular journeys, and certainly doesn’t justify the statement ‘increased traffic’. We can all help reduce traffic by ‘leaving our cars at home’ and walking, cycling or taking the bus. It also focuses specifically on just one scenario (residents exiting or entering the estate) without taking into account other types of journey on those streets including from through traffic.

To try to explain this a bit more we’ve sketched out four examples of what might happen to show the likely effect.

Example 1 shows the specific journey type referenced to justify the concern. It involves a car journey starting on Audley Road heading west along Church Avenue. Currently the driver might choose to cross Stoneyhurst Road bridge and turn onto Church Avenue by the Grove. A new possible route would be via Windsor Terrace. The diagram below shows these two options but only the parts of the routes up to the point where they exits onto Church Avenue/Station Road.

Example 1: Exiting by car facing south onto Church Avenue / Station Road

By itself this example does suggest that traffic on Windsor Terrace might increase, but it is worth remembering that while the focus of opponents to the proposals has been east of the bridge, the streets on the west side are also residential and will, in this example, have a corresponding reduction in traffic.

If we measure distance driven in the estate before exiting onto a main road there is actually a reduction of 300m or 37% compared to the current route.

This example assumes the vehicle was parked facing south. If facing north, as shown on the map below, that would be an even greater (~82%, 900m) reduction in distance driven within the estate, and one fewer journey on Windsor Terrace.

Example 1b: Exiting by car facing north onto Church Avenue / Station Road

Example 2 shows the opposite where someone returning from the east would currently enter the estate by Audley Road, but with the new layout would travel via the Grove. This reduces traffic on the east of the bridge, with a corresponding increase on the west.

Example 2: Returning home

Again though, the distance travelled in the estate is reduced, in this case by 18%, and in both cases traffic reduces in the area around the bridge itself and the turning into Alnmouth Drive next to South Gosforth First School.

Because of this offsetting, it is unlikely that any one street would see any substantive increase in traffic levels, but actually we’re expecting overall traffic to reduce so we need to look at two further scenarios to see why this is.

Example 3 shows a route that might be taken by someone who doesn’t live on the estate who is using these streets to avoid heavy traffic on the main road. If the change encourages this person to use the main road network instead, which is arguably where they should have been in the first place, then that represents a reduction in traffic on the estate.

Example 3: Using main roads instead or local streets

Example 4 shows someone who currently drives but as the change reduces traffic levels now feels comfortable cycling and can use the bridge to access off-road / quiet cycle routes leading into the city centre or elsewhere in Newcastle.  Again this is a reduction in traffic on estate streets without any corresponding increase on other roads.

Example 4: Cycling instead of driving

Many people have started cycling during lockdown and this change, and changes like it, are important to enable them to continue as traffic levels rise again.

In our FAQ blog we shared evidence that when similar changes have been made elsewhere people walk and cycle more. We also know from national surveys that many journeys that people currently drive are relatively short and that a substantial proportion of people say themselves that they could just as easily walk, cycle or use public transport for those journeys.

All four of the examples lead to less distance being driven on estate streets, which strongly suggests (as has happened elsewhere) that there will be a reduction in traffic levels on the estate despite claims to the contrary. But as we said previously, the benefit of the approach taken is that you don’t have to take our word for it.

“You get the traffic you build for….Years of research conclude that building more roads generates additional traffic, and reducing the amount of road-space evaporates some traffic”. In this sense traffic behaves more like a gas that evaporates than a liquid that displaces. pic.twitter.com/6E1Ozfxyop

— Robert Burns (@robertburns73) August 5, 2020

Concern 4: Increased cost of local taxi journeys

“potentially the fare will be higher as the taxi sits in a traffic jam in Sandringham Rd caused by the closure of the Stoneyhurst Rd Bridge.”

We demonstrated in our blog East Gosforth – Streets for People that for longer journeys this change will make practically no difference to journey times. Very short, local journeys though may become a little longer if a car is used, although in most cases by no more than a few hundred metres. As above, with less traffic travelling through the estate there’s no reason to believe that queues to exit onto Sandringham Road will be any worse than now.

Generally the intention of low traffic neighbourhoods is to encourage people who can walk or cycle shorter local journeys, up to say 2-3 miles, to do so. Everyone benefits from this. For the person making the journey, they save money and get a bit of exercise while they travel. For everyone else, traffic on local streets is reduced so roads are quieter, less polluted and easier to use for those that do need to use a vehicle.

A big social justice issue related to transport is that a lack of alternatives to driving can mean people on lower incomes are forced to dedicate large parts of their income to paying for a car. Strategic point closures to motor traffic, such as at Stoneyhurst Road bridge, along with cycling safety measures on main roads, create an environment where people feel safe cycling, enabling them to avoid the costs of car ownership and driving.

We also need to be aware in our own thinking to avoid status quo bias, where the status quo is taken as a reference point, and any change from that point is perceived as a loss. This means taking care to consider both positive and negative effects of change and weighing them up as a whole. In general enabling people to walk or cycle helps people save money, potentially equivalent to a 8% pay rise.

Another example of status quo bias is the idea that preventing through traffic from using minor streets displaces traffic onto major roads, whereas it is equally or perhaps more valid to suggest that the absence of point closures is the thing that causes main-road traffic to re-route via minor streets.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods do not 'displace' through-traffic onto main roads; their absence displaces main road traffic onto residential roads. Other people's neighbourhoods should not be used as a pressure release valve for the fact that there are too many cars on the road.

— Jon Burke MIEMA CEnv (@jonburkeUK) July 14, 2020

Concern 5: Lack of Capacity at Haddricks Mill junction

Although there is evidence to suggest that neighbouring streets won’t see any substantial increase in traffic, we have seen concerns that the new Haddricks Mill junction does not have sufficient capacity if these changes were to lead to increased traffic on Station Road or Haddricks Mill Road.

While we have many, many concerns about the Haddricks Mill junction, lack of vehicle capacity is not one of them. Arguably it will have too much capacity and will induce extra traffic onto surrounding roads contrary to the Council’s own environmental ambitions.

This additional capacity has been created in two ways: through the repositioning of the mini-roundabouts; and through the use of the pedestrian lights to control traffic flow onto the junction to favour busier routes. We have been told by Council engineers that the new design has a similar increased capacity to the much bigger roundabout that was originally proposed. The Council’s news release has further information on this. 

2016 Haddricks Mill proposals, now superseded.

Concern 6: The use of Experimental Traffic Orders is not “democratic” 

“in democracies, it is usual to consult first and take advice from the electorate.”

Actually the electorate has been consulted on the need to enable active travel, via both national and local elections. The consultation for the bridges can, and should, take an even wider range of inputs including the views of under 18s who are not entitled to vote at local elections but who are just as much users of local streets as anyone else.

The Conservative government, which is funding these changes and setting the conditions as to what can or cannot be done with the money, has a democratic mandate to implement its manifesto commitments including to “support commuter cycling routes, so that more people can cycle safely to work and more families can go out together.” The Conservative Party said it would “create a new £350 million Cycling Infrastructure Fund with mandatory design standards for new routes.” Our blog on party manifestos for the 2019 General Election is here.

The mandatory standards are now reflected in the Government’s funding conditions and require Councils to take urgent action that will be effective to enable people to walk and cycle. So, for example, a suggestion we received to implement “yellow lines around the school and on the bridge and a leaflet campaign to ask parents to use cars less & act with consideration” would not be funded, unless part of a wider scheme because by itself it would not comply with the mandated standards.

Local political parties also made manifesto commitments supporting active travel, and the Council itself has consulted on its proposals for air quality, climate change both of which require a reduction in vehicle emissions, and has specifically sought input from residents on how to enable more walking and cycling.

Residents’ comments made in response to the Council’s consultation on walking and cycling

The purpose of consultation on specific schemes is slightly different. The Council already has a democratic mandate to improve road safety and air quality and enable more people to walk and cycle, and is entitled to put forward proposals that it believes will be effective in doing so.

In this case, the Council is using an experimental traffic order, which allows for changes to be put in place using temporary materials so people can see and experience, and so better understand the impact of the change before commenting. Many of the concerns mentioned as reasons to stop the bridge closure such as air quality, traffic queues or environmental impact would actually be better addressed by allowing the closure to go ahead.

While the Council has had to use this approach due to Government funding conditions stating work must start quickly, it is neither new or unusual. Emergency legislation due to Covid-19 only adjusted how Council’s need to advertise changes and not the process itself.

We set out in our FAQ (question 1) why we think this approach is likely to lead to a more informed debate and therefore a better outcome than holding a full consultation in advance. This should be the case even if you believe the changes will (despite all evidence to the contrary) lead to increased traffic, danger or pollution. As it stands the Council would dismiss those concerns as not being supported by evidence, whereas neither the Council nor opponents of the closure can dismiss what actually happens. As above, and in line with available evidence, our expectation is that this change will lead to quieter, safer local streets.

Priorities

More importantly, this change is about health, to enable more people to walk or cycle safely and to avoid crowding on public transport. An estimated 84,000 people die each year in England and Wales due to inactivity and 40,000 in the UK die due to air pollution. Children, who only a generation ago would have enjoyed a substantial amount of freedom are now driven even short journeys because of the danger from other vehicles. The NHS advises that “As you get older, it becomes even more important to remain active if you want to stay healthy and maintain your independence.” Walking and cycling are amongst the most effective ways of achieving this. Many studies have shown the significant health benefits from enabling people to walk or cycle more, as well as a potential £17bn saving to the NHS.

While the changes proposed won’t achieve all of these benfits by themselves, they are a start. We understand there will be opposition to any change, but we hope people will keep an open mind and consider the potential benefits, as well as any downsides, when evaluating the proposals and providing feedback.

The Council’s feedback website for all five bridges that will be closed to motor traffic is here. Please do click on the link and let the Council know what you think of the proposals.

The post Stoneyhurst Bridge – Review of Concerns appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

The Regent Centre is one of the main destinations in Gosforth along with Gosforth High Street. Built in the 1970s on the site of the former Coxlodge Colliery, Regent Centre was at one time one of the largest office complexes in Europe. Now it includes the Gosforth swimming pool, library and Civic Theatre, as well as being close to several schools and the Regent Centre Metro and bus interchange.

We have taken a look and have come up with a set of proposals to improve walking and cycling access so that office workers, children and families can get to work, school or other local facilities. If you can think of further improvements or other issues that might need resolving please do let us know though.

The map below shows the area we have looked at, including the route of improved walking and cycling facilities connecting St Charles Primary School on the left and Archbishop Runcie First School on the right.

This route connects into the current north-south cycle route that comes from Parklands down the Great North Road, turns into Christon Road and the goes south via Alwinton Terrace. The Great North Road cycle route also needs improving north of Christon Road where there are only narrow painted lanes, and south to connect into Gosforth High Street. Taken together this is the “Gosforth Plus” cluster of destinations we identified in our top level Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) assessment for Gosforth.

One of the strangest features of the Regent Centre is the enormous roundabout. Measuring on Google Earth, this is about 55m across, or about the same area as eleven tennis courts. The road width is about 9m, which is about enough space to park two buses and two cars all side by side. As it stands this is a massive wasted space and the very wide road encourages dangerous speeding traffic.

These super-size dimensions are an opportunity to create a new usable green space without impacting vehicle access, roughly as laid out below.

This new green space connects to the library and swimming pool, and could include benches or play equipment, or additional trees and planting. It’s in a great location that could be used for families to sit and relax after visiting the pool, for office workers to relax during their lunch breaks or for the gym to run outdoor exercise sessions.

It also means one less road crossing for people walking east to west and a much more direct route. Vehicle traffic would still have access as the current north and west sides of the roundabout would become a two way road. This could be implemented very quickly using a few planters to mark out the edge of the new road in advance of permanent landscaping.

Outside the Gosforth Civic Theatre and Eagle Star House there is a bit less space but still sufficient to have separate walking and cycling routes. We have spoken to the developers for Eagle Star House and the Civic Theatre who are both okay in principle with the proposal.

This is what the route could look like by Eagle Star House, with children able to travel by bike safely away from the traffic to St Charles School or to the swimming pool or library.

On Christon Road, on the east of the Great North Road, there is also space to widen the pavement to include a separate lane for cycling, mostly for the use of children on the way to Archbishop Runcie and Gosforth Central Middle schools to keep them safe from school traffic and vehicles accessing the industrial estate.

The current Great North Road crossing is entirely inadequate at busy times because the Council has designed the junction to have a two-stage pedestrian crossing to increase vehicle traffic, but which requires people crossing to cram into a narrow ‘sheep pen’ in the middle of the road.

In the picture below, people on the left have given up even trying to fit into the ‘sheep pen’ and are just using any bit of pavement available. The picture also shows that the crossing is already used by children on bikes.

If this were a single stage crossing, there would be plenty of space for both walking and cycling, and the crossing itself could be adapted by simply removing the railings giving more space for everyone to cross. This would also reduce the danger to children stuck at the edge of the crossing.

We mentioned above the need to improve connectivity north for cycling. There is plenty of space available here to create protected cycle lanes that would be suitable for all ages and abilities. The picture below shows unused space in the middle of the road and there are also railings on the right of the picture that could be removed.  Arguably there is over-provision for vehicles at this location as all that should really be needed is one all-vehicle lane in each direction and an additional south-bound bus lane.

In this proposal we have included more green space and provided new safer walking and cycling routes to schools. These were the top two responses to the SPACE for Gosforth Your Streets – Your Views survey with close to 90% support from residents for both. The changes, if implemented, should also result in a safer crossing of the Great North Road and more places to sit, especially at the new roundabout garden green space.

It is just a proposal though and we are sure it can be improved further. If you have any suggestions please do let us know via the comments below.

This is a video we made in 2016 to show what cycling is like at the Regent Centre.

The post Regent Centre appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

SPACE for Gosforth has produced some air pollution banners for local schools for Clean Air Day 2019.

Air pollution is a serious issue in Gosforth due to high volumes of traffic travelling through Gosforth High Street and Haddricks Mill junction.

Children aren’t responsible for this pollution but they are affected by it, not just when travelling by car or on main roads, but also outside schools and in car parks where there are lots of vehicles in a small area.

As adults, and as parents, this is something we can do something about. No one wants their children to be breathing in dirty air from other people’s exhaust fumes.

If you have just seen one of the banners and want to find out more, you’ll find more information below, including links to data sources.

If you want to know more about the health risks of air pollution and what you, the Government and Newcastle City Council can do about it, please also read on.

1. What’s the problem with school traffic and air pollution?

According to the Department for Transport, school traffic makes up one in four vehicles on the road at peak times. And yet children are amongst the most likely to be made ill by air pollution.

According to the British Lung Foundation “Children are more vulnerable to breathing in polluted air than adults. For their size, they breathe more air each minute than an adult. Buggies and prams put them at the level of car exhausts.“

The Royal College of Physicians estimate that in the UK 40,000 deaths a year are linked to air pollution and that air pollution impacts the development of unborn children with additional risk of miscarriage, is linked to asthma, diabetes, dementia, obesity and cancer, and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes for those in later life.

Children who are taken to school by car will also be exposed to more air pollution than children who walk or cycle, even if they walk or cycle on the same polluted streets. This is because pollution from vehicle exhaust fumes is more concentrated in the middle of the road. According to the Governement’s Air Quality Plan, vehicles are responsible for 80% of roadside air pollution.

2. What is the Government doing about air pollution?

In July 2017 the Government instructed local authorities to produce new plans to meet air pollution targets for nitrogen dioxide (chemical name NO₂) in the shortest possible timescales.

Although air quality had been improving, legal limits in force since 2010 have still not been met and in 2016 the UK High Court ruled that the Government’s plans at the time were so poor as to be illegal.

In the North East, illegal levels of air pollution are still being recorded in Newcastle, Gosforth, Gateshead (by the Tyne Bridge), North Tyneside (the Coast Road), Durham and Sunderland.

Illegal Air Pollution in Newcastle city centre in 2017

The approaches that are most effective at reducing air pollution are reducing vehicle volumes e.g. through access restrictions or road charging, or cleaner engines.

The Tyneside Councils’ proposal included two alternatives for charging: a Charging Clean Air Zone or tolls on the Tyne bridges. The later option also included access restrictions where older more polluting buses, taxis and HGVs would not be allowed in Newcastle city centre.

3. What can I do?

If you can manage it, a walk or cycle to school is a great way to start the day. Children who walk or cycle to school have been found to do better in class because they arrive refreshed, fit and ready to learn.

It’s not just good for the children either. A study of 250,000 UK commuters showed that adults who walk or cycle substantially reduce their risk of cancer and heart disease.

If you do need to use a car please consider “Park and Stride” – parking away from the school and walking the last few hundred meters. If the school has a dedicated car park, please don’t idle your engine and let other parents know why they should turn off their engines as well.

If you are worried about walking on polluted streets, it may be possible to find a quieter route, but even if you can’t it has been shown that the health benefits of cycling and walking ‘outweigh air pollution risk’.

Air Pollution Colouring Picture

4. What else could the Council do?

We know, when thinking about walking or cycling with children, it isn’t a simple matter of choice and that there are real and serious barriers that make it harder for families to walk or cycle.

SPACE for Gosforth has spent the last three years looking at how to make it easier and safer for residents of all ages and abilities to walk or cycle around Gosforth.

We know from Council measurements that some residential streets have high levels of traffic and speeding vehicles and that speeds over 20mph dramatically increase risk for children. We have done a “blind walk” on Gosforth High Streetthat highlighted lots of issues for people with visual impairments.

We have found research that shows where parents will allow their children to cycle, and that for the most part current road layouts don’t meet that standard. We have assessed local streets for whether they support inclusive cycling for people who cannot use a standard bicycle.

There are also pleny of good local examples of low-traffic neighbourhoods where it is safe for children to travel and to play out.

Safe routes and low traffic neighbourhoods

Your voice is important. If you want streets that are safe for children, please do speak to your school and let Local Councillors know about what would help you and your family.

If you live in or travel through Gosforth you can join SPACE for Gosforth, sign up to our email list or join in the discussion on Facebook or Twitter.

Thank you for your support.

The post NO2 Air Pollution appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

We’ll be taking a slow ride to Exhibition Park, stopping off at the trains, back through the streets of Gosforth and ending up at the rather wonderful Chaia Tea Bar who have promised a special treat for the kids.

We are meeting at Gosforth Central Park War Memorial and the ride shouldn’t take much more than an hour or so. It’s not a race and there will be no rush! We’d like to keep everyone together. We should be all done by midday. All ages and abilities welcome, we’ll be on quiet streets all the way there and back.

We’re deliberately zig zagging around some streets as it’s not often that a group get to cycle around in relative safety, and we’re fortunate to have some lovely tree lined streets in Gosforth.

Route map for SPACE And Chaia | Family Bike Ride by Peter Macdonald on plotaroute.com

Please note that our ride won’t be on closed roads and there won’t be Marshals – riders take part at their own risk and children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

However, there’s lots of safety just in numbers and we’ll give everyone an idea of what to expect with a few tips on staying safe before we head off.

We have registered our ride as a “Ride Social” on British Cycling’s Let’s Ride page – click here for the link to the “Ride Social” Terms and Conditions.  It would be great if you could register on the ride to give us an idea of numbers.

If you have any questions please do email us at [email protected]

The post SPACE and Chaia Family Bike Ride 2018 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

There are lots of cycling activities in and around Gosforth over the summer including family cycle rides, children’s cycle coaching, Dr Bike sessions, challenge rides and even a Shakespeare play by a cycling theatre company.

If you know of any other related events please do let us know so we can add them into the programme, and keep checking back as we’ll be updating the list with more activities as they are confirmed.

Dr Bike*

Come along to a free Dr Bike session and get your bike fit for the summer.  During the Dr Bike session, the mechanic will give the bikes a general check over and will give advice and recommendations if needed.

HSBC UK Let’s Ride Newcastle

Sunday 29th is the annual HSBC Newcastle City Ride – where a loop around the City Centre is closed off to vehicles – so totally safe.

SPACE people are planning to ride in together, meeting at Gosforth Central Park War Memorial at 10:30 leaving at 10:45. We’ll be heading down through Jesmond on quiet roads and the new cycle paths near Jesmond Metro.

Link to our route below, do come and join us, always nice to ride in a large crowd.

Route map for Newcastle Let’s Ride Meetup Route 2018 by Peter Macdonald on plotaroute.com

The City Ride itself starts by the Civic Centre and does a loop around the centre of Newcastle including pitch-side at St James’ Park. Further details on the Let’s Ride website.

The BIG BIKE Revival 
The Big Bike Revival has been running for four years to inspire the 42% of people who own bikes, but who don’t cycle, to start riding. With events across England and Scotland, people attending benefit from free cycle checks, servicing, cycle maintenance workshops, cycle training and accompanied rides.

Cycling Without Age

Cycling Without Age – Newcastle upon Tyne will be joining us at Gosforth Central Park. He’s a video from BBC Newcastle showing what they are all about.

https://twitter.com/bbcnewcastle/status/960560802326564866

The Handlebards – Twelfth Night @ The Cycle HUB, Saturday 11 August 6.30pm

The world’s first cycling theatre company, The HandleBards, pedal from venue to venue with all the set, props and costume necessary to perform environmentally sustainable Shakespeare across the globe.

The post Gosforth Summer of Cycling 2018 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Elections for Newcastle City Council are due to be held on 3 May 2018, with new ward boundaries as a result of the recent Local Government Boundary Review.

Gosforth is now split across four wards: Fawdon and West Gosforth, Gosforth, Dene and South Gosforth, and Parklands. Each of these new wards will be represented by three councillors and voters in each ward can vote for up to three candidates.

With lots of new faces we’re keen to find out what the candidates think, in particular about how they plan to address transport-related issues in our community. To do that we’ve come up with five statements or pledges and we have asked each of the candidates whether they support these or if not what they plan to do instead.

Below the candidate’s responses, which we’ll update as they are received, we have also written a bit of background about why we have chosen these particular statements.

Please keep checking back in advance of the elections on 3 May and if one of your candidates has not yet answered please do encourage them to do so. The very least we should expect from future local councillors is a willingness to engage with local residents and share their vision for the future of Gosforth.

THE SPACE FOR GOSFORTH PLEDGES

The five pledges we have asked candidates to support are:

1. Streets that are safe (and feel safe) for children to walk and cycle to school, to the shops or to the park.

2. Air pollution in Newcastle brought within legal limits as soon as possible.

3. Residential streets that are pleasant, safe and attractive places to live and where children can play out.

4. Rapid implementation of temporary changes to trial interventions to support these objectives.

5. Constructive community engagement about how to address the public health impacts of travel and the benefits of active travel.

Please see below for more on why we have chosen these pledges and what they mean in practice.

RESPONSES

Candidates are listed in the same order as on the Newcastle City Council local election website. Where a response is shown as a link, please click on the link for further details of the candidates response.

Candidates elected on 3 May 2018 are shown in the table in bold and underlined. Thank you to all the Councillors and candidates who responded either directly or by sharing their manifesto commitments.

Dene and South Gosforth Ward

Fawdon and West Gosforth Ward

Gosforth Ward

Parklands Ward

WHY HAVE WE CHOSEN THESE PLEDGES?

Pledge 1. Streets that are safe, and feel safe, for children to walk and cycle to school, to the shops or to the park.

Everyone should be able to travel safely whether they walk, cycle, use public transport or drive and should feel safe while they do so, but this isn’t currently the case in Gosforth. Often, traffic is fast and heavy, which is intimidating to many people.

Children are less able to look out for themselves and are more likely to be injured or even killed in the event of a collision, so focusing on children, whether travelling independently or with an adult, is a good way to make Gosforth safer for everyone.

Children are also more vulnerable to air pollution and children driven to school can be subject to up to ten times worse air quality than children who walk or cycle, and the extra vehicles make it harder for everyone else who needs to drive. Children who walk or cycle also get the benefit of the exercise – with the NHS recommending that children need at least 60 minute of moderate or vigorous exercise every day.

When we say streets ‘that are safe and feel safe’ we mean streets where children can and do walk and cycle to school, to shops or to the park, and where parents feel comfortable to let them. Ultimately it will be for local residents, and in particular parents, to judge whether a street is safe for their children to walk and cycle. We hope to work with Councillors who sign up to this pledge to engage with local parents to determine what is needed to achieve this objective.

While it is right that children are the priority, the map below shows the locations of where 248 people have been killed or seriously injured in the north of Newcastle in the last 10 years (2008-2017). As with other UK cities including Liverpool and Edinburgh we hope Newcastle will also adopt a “Vision Zero” target i.e. zero deaths or serious injuries on Newcastle’s roads.

Crash-map showing locations of 248 people killed or seriously injured in the north of Newcastle 2008-2017

Pledge 2. Air pollution in Newcastle brought within legal limits as soon as possible.

In the last official figures from 2016, both City Centre and Gosforth Air Quality Management Areas were in breach of the legal limits that should have been met by 2010. Bringing air pollution within legal limits as soon as possible is actually a legal requirement and Newcastle City Council has been mandated by DEFRA to produce a plan to do this by the end of 2018. Our expectation is that legal limits in Newcastle can be achieved by 2020 however that will depend on the detailed modelling currently being undertaken by the Council.

Air pollution affects everyone but it affects the young and the old the most. In Newcastle it has been estimated that 124 lives are lost every year as a result of illegal air pollution just for nitrogen dioxide with particulate matter likely to be responsible for more still. As well as causing early deaths, air pollution is also known to be a major cause of heart disease, lung disease, cancer and has been shown to be responsible for birth defects and cognitive delay in children.

In a recent report, the Royal College of Physicians has recommended that to protect public health, the UK adopt even more ambitious targets than the current legal limits and we hope Newcastle will adopt and work towards meeting those more challenging targets.

Given this is a legal requirement that the Council must meet we expect all candidates will sign up to this pledge.

Official 2016 Air Quality Measurements from the South Gosforth Air Quality Management Area

Pledge 3. Residential streets that are pleasant, safe and attractive places to live and where children can play out without fear of traffic.

Streets aren’t just about movement of traffic. They are also where we live, shop and socialise, and for children also where they are most likely to play outside near their homes.

Many streets in Gosforth are suitable for children to play out but many are not. We’ve seen and published data showing that some residential streets in Gosforth that aren’t designed or intended for through traffic have high volumes of vehicles, sometimes averaging three or more every minute throughout the day, with a high proportion travelling in excess of the speed limit. As a result we don’t see as many children playing out as we might expect and certainly a lot fewer than we when were children ourselves. Parents cannot be blamed for keeping their children indoors with such high volumes of traffic.

Low-traffic neighbourhoods with streets that are safe for children are better for everyone with less noise, less danger and cleaner air.  It’s even been shown that people living on streets with less traffic have more friends and a better social life than those that live on streets with heavy traffic. This is no laughing matter when loneliness is now considered such a serious issue that the Government has appointed a Minister for Loneliness to create a national loneliness strategy.

As with pledge 1, it will be for local residents to judge whether a street is pleasant, safe and attractive and where children can play out without fear of traffic. We hope to work with Councillors who sign up to this pledge to engage with local residents who have concerns about  traffic-related issues to look at options for how this objective can be met for their street.

Graph showing traffic volumes on Linden Road with a high proportion of speeding vehicles (brown and red).

Pledge 4. Rapid implementation of temporary changes to trial interventions in support of these objectives.

If Pledges 1-3 are to mean anything there must be some meaningful and urgent action as a result. Often changes involving traffic are controversial with long and heated debates about the likely consequences of a change. Yet other cities have shown that there is a different way, with trial interventions that can be implemented quickly that let people experience what will happen without any permanent commitment being made.

Using trials as part of a range of interventions helps inform the debate as people can see the benefits for themselves, and if there are issues with the trial then they can be stated factually with councillors and residents then able to work together to resolve or mitigate those issues.

Clearly not all issues can be resolved straight away but we hope to work with Councillors  and other members of the community to identify and prioritise the areas of greatest concern, where trials might receive the most support and have the greatest benefit.

Pledge 5. Constructive community engagement about how to address the public health impacts of travel and the benefits of active travel.

Making streets safer and cutting air pollution should be objectives that everyone supports, but it is still important that the council and local councillors engage with the community to ensure that residents understand what the issues are and have a chance to help solve those issues. Air pollution in particular is invisible and we’ve found that many people haven’t been aware that it has been, and continues to be, a problem in Gosforth. Nor are people generally aware of the very serious health impact of sedentary lifestyles which cost taxpayers billions of pounds every year and are responsible for even more early deaths than air pollution.

Likewise it is often challenging to put ourselves in others’ shoes, to understand for example what it is like to be a child on Gosforth’s streets, what it is like to be a parent cycling or walking with children (or even alone) on busy streets during the rush hour, or what it is like for residents or visitors with disabilities or conditions for whom travel is a challenge. It is only by having this broad engagement that we can ensure that Gosforth’s streets are safe and accessible for everyone.

These five pledges are based on SPACE for Gosforth’s objectives which you can see here. They don’t cover all the SPACE for Gosforth objectives but we welcome input from candidates about how they will go about meeting other aspects of those objectives to make streets in Gosforth more healthy, liveable, accessible and safe for everyone of all ages and abilities.

If you don’t live in Gosforth please feel free to ask your local candidates to support these pledges as well. We know very well that Gosforth isn’t the only area that suffers from these issues.

You can follow SPACE for Gosforth on Facebook or Twitter. If you support the SPACE for Gosforth objectives please do join us. Information about how to join SPACE for Gosforth is here.

The post Newcastle City Council Elections 3 May 2018 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

• Consultation
• Street Trees and Bus Shelters
• Newcastle City Council Update | 8 January 2018
• Newcastle City Council Update | 9 February 2018

Newcastle City Council have published their final plans for the Broadway to Brunton Cycle Lane and construction is due to start soon in a series of phases to minimise disruption.

As we said in our review of the initial consultation, residents’ feedback showed that there was broad support, with most people agreeing with the aims of the scheme but with a number of detail points that needed addressing. In this blog we take a look at the consultation process and the changes made by the Council as a result of that feedback.

Residents’ feedback on the proposals from the Commonplace website.

The new cycle route should be suitable for residents of all ages and abilities and, apart from two short sections, the use of shared space where people walking and cycling are expected to use the same space has been avoided. The new crossings will make it easier for local residents to cross the Great North Road, especially at the Three Mile Inn where currently there is only a footbridge that is not useable for people with mobility issues.

As well as increasing the choice for how people can travel, wider benefits for the community include better health for those who walk or cycle, better air quality for everybody and fewer cars on the road for those who travel by car or bus. The new cycle lanes will also help people access local shops and potentially allow families to cycle to schools, including Broadway East following its proposed relocation to The Great Park. Current middle and high schools for children in this area are all south of Broadway and there are no alternative routes.

https://youtu.be/6ryvzvla1sQ

“Fly through” video of the original proposal produced by Newcastle City Council.

Consultation

The initial consultation, based on the City Council Transport Development Process, was via the Commonplace website at the end of 2015 where comments can still be viewed. In addition the Council held three community drop-in meetings in Brunton Park where residents could submit comments on paper forms. According to the engagement report over 900 people visited the Commonplace website with 120 attending the drop-ins.

To publicise the consultation the Council sent letters to everyone living in Brunton Park, Melton Park and Melbury (the purple boundary on the map) as well as to statutory consultees including  local councillors, MPs, emergency services, bus and taxi companies, disability groups, walking and cycling groups (though not SPACE for Gosforth), the Federation of Small Businesses and the Chamber of Commerce, the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association.

SPACE for Gosforth also shared a blog with some thoughts on the proposals via our Facebook, Twitter and other local social media sites.

Local councillors in the Parklands ward shared news on the proposal via the Parklands Focus newsletters, reporting in issue 41 on a meeting supported by the Council transport department that was attended by 150 local residents. Further updates were provided in issues 42 and 43.

We also know that North Gosforth Parish Council discussed this matter regularly at their meetings and met council officers on a number of occasions to discuss the entrance to the service road and other concerns. Minutes of parish council meetings are posted on community noticeboards.

There was further opportunity to comment in August 2016 when the Council sought views on an amendment to the entrance to the GNR service road north of Polwarth Drive to respond to concerns raised by residents on that road.

A separate consultation was held for the toucan crossing by the Three Mile Inn in November 2016, which SPACE for Gosforth also wrote about here. This consultation, in part because of concerns about the adjacent footbridge, was also shared widely on social media and via  two Chronicle articles: Fears over plan to ‘axe’ Gosforth footbridge crossing one of Newcastle’s busiest roads and Community is divided over plans for pedestrian crossing at key city route.

For both the cycle lane and toucan crossing a further and final stage of consultation was held on the legal traffic orders. At this stage letters were sent to those directly affected by the works (in the blue boundary on the map), residents with whom the Council had discussed plans, as well as to statutory consultees, with adverts placed on local lampposts and in the local press and on-line via the Let’s Talk Newcastle website.

Objections submitted at this stage were considered by the Traffic, Regulatory and Appeals Sub-Committee (RASC). The minutes for these meetings can be found here for the cycle lane and here for the toucan crossing. This completed the consultation process.

Design Changes

A number of design changes were made to the scheme as can be seen by comparing the initial design, available here, with the final version published on the Council website.

Two overall changes have been made. One is that the final plan does not include the original proposal to reduce the speed of this road to 30mph from 40mph, although a 30mph limit will be in force during road works. We believe the Council still intend to do this but via a separate proposal.

The second is that in a number of places the cycle lane has been re-aligned to be alongside the footpath although still in its own space. We understand this was partly to reduce costs but also helps to minimise tree loss across the scheme. It will also make it more comfortable for people cycling being further away from traffic.

The Three Mile Inn Toucan Crossing

The following plan was published as part of the consultation for the Three Mile Inn Toucan crossing to help people cross who are unable to use the bridge due to mobility issues and for those that wish to cross with a cycle. This also showed updated plans for the adjacent bus stops and a statement saying that the footbridge would be removed once the Toucan crossing is installed, though the consultation itself was only in relation to the crossing.

In this original plan, additional pavement space was included for people waiting for or alighting from buses. People walking or cycling past the bus stops would go behind this new pavement with continuous lanes unlike further south where the space behind these boarding areas is shared. Although relatively new for Newcastle this arrangement is thoroughly proven in other UK locations and in countries with more established cycling cultures.

Three Mile Inn Toucan Crossing – Original Plan

The final plans however show that the footbridge will not be removed as part of this scheme, no doubt in part due to the Keep Our Three Mile Footbridge Petition. If the footbridge requires maintenance or removal in future this will have to be funded out of general council budgets.

While the south-bound bus stop design is unchanged, on the north-bound side the separate lanes have been merged to be shared as the support struts for the retained footbridge mean there is insufficient space for separate walking and cycling paths. This appears to be an inadvertent negative consequence of the petition, although if the bridge is removed in future it would be possible to reconfigure this area to have separated space as was originally planned.

Three Mile Inn – Final Plans

McCracken Park to Polwarth Drive

This section is the most changed between the original and final plans. Comments on the original plan focused on car parking for residents living south of the roundabout, lack of (and provision of) two way cycling and access to the service road. The latter was a subject of a petition documented in the Chronicle Petition against ‘dangerous’ Great North Road cycle route to be heard by Newcastle City Council.

Polwarth Drive roundabout – Original Plans

The Council, we know, had a number of discussions with residents of the GNR service road about access. Following an automated traffic count that showed very low volumes of traffic, the Council agreed to leave this open for access but with a raised hump to slow vehicle speeds off the roundabout to ensure safety of all who might be cycling.

Traffic Volumes and Speeds on the Great North Road Service Road

The final plans also show:

• On-street parking provision south of the roundabout.
• The toucan crossing now has dedicated and separate walking and cycling paths rather than shared space and is moved slightly closer to the roundabout. This means the south-bound bus stop is slightly closer for people coming from or going to Brunton Park.
• An extension to the 2-way cycle lane to McCracken Park so people leaving McCracken Park can travel directly to Brunton Park and not have to go via the Three Mile Inn crossing.
• The geometry of the roundabout has also been changed to reduce the speeds of vehicles entering Polwarth Drive from the south.

Polwarth Drive roundabout – Final Plans

Newlands Avenue to Norwood Avenue

The GNR crossing between Newlands and Norwood Avenue is the other part of the scheme that uses shared space. This has been retained to avoid tree loss at this location that would have been required with a wider separate paths. The wiggle is for a similar purpose to route the path around an existing mature tree.

In addition, there is a new section of 2-way cycle track to allow people from Newlands Avenue to travel north directly rather than have to go south first via the crossing south of Polwarth Drive, which would have been a considerable diversion.

Newlands Avenue to Norwood Avenue – Final Plans

Brunton Lane

At Brunton Lane the shared space on the crossing has again been replaced by separate cycle and walking paths. In addition footpaths into Glamis Avenue that were shown as being removed in the original plans have been retained. The only other difference is a minor change to the west side of the crossing so people cycling are directed straight onto the service road.

Brunton Lane – Original Plans

Brunton Lane – Final Plans

Requests for change not incorporated into the final plans

Not all feedback led to changes. In considering feedback, council officers have to take account of safety and comfort of road users (especially vulnerable road users), council policy, scheme objectives and budgets. Even if a proposed change is extremely popular it still might not be accepted if, for example it might put some groups in danger or cost more than is available in the scheme budget.

The table below sets out the main requests that were not taken forward and the reasons for that decision. As a number relate to one-way vs two-way cycling, it is worth noting that in cities and countries where cycling is more established, a road this wide would almost certainly have two-way cycle tracks on both sides of the road so that people cycling always have a direct route without having to cross the road (and potentially require traffic to stop) multiple times.

Street Trees and Bus Shelters

While the formal consultation finished in March 2017 with the RASC meeting for the Three Mile Inn toucan crossing, late changes have been sought in the last few days before work is due to commence by individuals running a local Facebook group in relation to two stone bus stop shelters marked for removal and, according to their site, 13 trees of which about half would be scheduled for removal in any case due to being in a poor condition. [See Update 8/1/2017 below for Council figures relating to trees]

At this late stage we believe the Council has no duty or obligation to take these points into account. Almost certainly contracts will have been signed for contractors to undertake the work, and equipment and other resources scheduled to be ready for work to commence. Any delay at this stage could increase costs for the Council, which may need to be funded by local taxpayers.

Having said that, if it is possible for the Council to consider these points without delaying completion of the scheme or incurring additional costs for taxpayers then we have no reason to object to that. Street trees in particular are an important part of the character of Gosforth and can help mitigate a number of the public health issues suffered by residents as a result of an excess of traffic. If it is possible to retain healthy mature trees then we would support that.

Extract from the original plans

It is worth noting that both issues were considered as part of the consultation. The two stone bus shelters were specifically marked for removal and trees were mentioned by quite a few residents in their feedback mostly (but not all) in favour of retaining trees where possible.

We hope therefore that the Council will be able to present a reasoned and balanced view as to why these aspects of the scheme are as proposed so that we can all be properly informed as to the pros and cons of retaining the existing street trees and bus shelters vs replacing the bus shelters and planting additional trees to replace those that would be removed.

Lessons

Our main disappointment on this scheme is that it has taken so long from the original consultation to work commencing. With significant benefits promised, certainly compared to comparable more expensive traffic schemes, and with broad community support it should be expected that the work could have been complete far quicker. The city of Seville in Spain transformed its entire city in less time, with 50 miles of new protected all-ability cycle lanes and an eleven-fold increase in cycling.

That said, the incorporation of feedback into the scheme has clearly led to improvements compared to the original plans and we support the importance of the Council engaging with residents to seek input and support. There will always be calls for more communication and engagement, both of which we support, however we also recognise that there must be a point of diminishing return beyond which the cost of further consultation will outweigh any potential benefits.

Ultimately there is a need for leadership by councillors and council officers to learn these lessons to make sure future schemes are designed in a consistent manner both to meet best practice and to take into account known issues of community interest and concern.

Just as importantly we need leadership to create a sense of urgency to resolve issues with air quality, health and a lack of choice for how we travel that are currently designed into our environment.

Update 8/1/2018

Newcastle City Council have released a statement published in the Chronicle which clarifies the number of trees affected and, which relate to the cycle route and which are to be removed for unconnected reasons:

“We have designed dedicated cycle facilities on the Great North Road, between Broadway and Brunton Lane, in order to make the area – a well-used cycle route, including by people riding to schools – safer for those on bikes.

“As part of the development we have identified that three trees, of differing ages and quality, would need to be removed for the project. A further eight trees, while not required for the project, may also be removed for other reasons, one of these trees we consider to be dangerous due to its condition.

“Two stone bus shelters, which are unpopular with many passengers – though apparently popular with others in the community – would also need to be removed and would be replaced by shelters that include seats.

“One of the three trees that need to be removed is a very young tree that we would replant and we would then be planting two more trees for every one that is removed.

“A petition from people objecting to the loss of trees and bus shelters will be presented to a meeting of the city council on Wednesday [10 January 2018]. Work will not start until after councillors’ response to the petition has been taken into account.”

Update 9/2/2018

On Tuesday 24 January SPACE for Gosforth attended a meeting organised by Newcastle City Council in response to the Gosforth Traffic Facebook page petition relating specifically to the removal of trees and the two stone bus shelters on the east of the Great North Road.

This is the Council’s update giving a summary of actions agreed at the meeting including the opportunity for the North Gosforth Parish Council to adopt the stone bus shelters and a number of other points raised by residents during the meeting. The update also includes copies of the slides presented at that meeting.

Further information and updates are available from the City Council website for the scheme. Work on the scheme started on Monday 29 January, initially including the introduction of a temporary 30mph speed limit and application of new lane markings on the road.

Broadway to Brunton Update February 2018

A petition, organised by Gosforth Traffic, a social media community site, that challenged the removal of trees and stone bus shelters was presented to the January meeting of the City Council. At the direction of Cllr Ainsley, Cabinet Member for Transport and Air Quality, a meeting was subsequently arranged between council officers and local ward councillors, petitioners, and other community groups who had been in touch about the Broadway to Brunton scheme including Save Newcastle Wildlife and SPACE for Gosforth.

The actions arising from the meeting on Tuesday January 24^thwere:

• to have a site meeting on Newlands Avenue with local residents;
• to investigate an alternative compound location;
• to consider fencing off around the group of 9 trees on the eastern side of the carriageway in the vicinity of Glamis Avenue;
• to provide background data on collision statistics;
• to contact the Parish Council regarding the potential for an asset transfer of the stone bus shelters; and
• to consider writing to all local residents to inform them of the scheme and what would happen next.

Following this meeting, and the subsequent site meeting we have had further correspondence by email and have responded below.

Whether or not all residents in the surrounding area will be sent a letter to provide them with a full update on the scheme?

At this point, no they will not. We will be posting information online and also providing updates to people whose email addresses we have. We will be sending out further updates about the scheme as we progress to future phases of works.

Can we use an alternative site compound?

 Yes, an alternative site compound is being used.

 What is the timeline for removal of trees?

The trees are currently programmed to be removed in the week commencing Monday 12.02.18 (weather and existing workload permitting). Even if not removed next week, all trees that need to be removed, will be before the end of February.

The sapling located in the central reserve that was identified for replanting was replanted on Monday 05.02.18. Following further investigations, another tree has been identified for removal, this tree is not being removed to facilitate the scheme, it is being removed due to structural defects making it potentially dangerous. This is a tree at the entrance to Melton Park / Newlands Ave and was identified when council arborists were on site in the two weeks following the meeting.

The survey of the central reservation trees as discussed at the meeting will be undertaken when the funding is confirmed, hopefully during the summer months and any removals and replanting, plus the east verge planting, will take place during the next planting season November 2018 to February 2019.

What information is available on trees?

Please see presentation slides attached. As noted above an additional mature tree adjacent to and south of Newlands Ave junction has been identified as being in a dangerous condition and will require removal at the same time. As discussed at the meeting, the Council will also remove the tarmac around the group of 9 trees and fence these off for the period of the works to support them.

What is the situation with the bus shelters?

As discussed at the meeting, the Parish Council are keen to explore taking on responsibility for these shelters. Since the meeting, Officers have been in touch with a Parish Councillor who was at the meeting and a briefing pack has been issued to all Parish Councillors earlier this week.

At the site meeting, residents discussed their concerns over changes to the height of crossing over Newlands Avenue – has anything been done?

Following on from the site meeting, we do intend to install the raised table at Newlands Avenue but with amendments to the design to take into account comments we have received. The raised table will now have a 14m long approach ramp that will only provide an increase in gradient from 6.3% to 6.8%. To mitigate this marginal increase we will resurface the carriageway in a material with higher skid resistance than the existing road. In addition, we will review the requirement for a grit bin in this location when we undertake our annual review of bin locations in preparation for the following winter.

Residents have concerns about the specifics of the design giving indication that people on foot or bikes have ‘priority’ as they pass over the junctions. Why is the Council providing this priority?

The type of crossing proposed at Newlands Avenue, where people on foot and bikes do have priority, can be found in many UK and European cities and elsewhere in Newcastle.  We are trying to promote a more tolerant mix of road users, where vigilance and awareness of our most vulnerable is expected and understood. Such measures help to reduce speeds and the principle of slowing motor vehicles at crossing points to and from residential areas is reasonable.

Why is the Council not undertaking an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) to remove the bus lane during the works or change the operating hours to being peaks hours only?

It is important to note that an ETRO is only an appropriate use of power if there is the intention to make the Traffic Regulation Order permanent at the end of the ‘experiment’. Bus Lanes are in place to enable buses to get priority and are generally placed in locations to enable advance access to key junctions. The review of bus lanes we’ve recently undertaken does not recommend moving toward operation only in peak hours however despite this we note your request and will give it further consideration during the period of the delivery of this scheme.

Why are bus lanes out of action?

As noted at the meeting, the first elements of work are to remove the road markings and then re-lay them. We cannot do this work in live running lanes so the lane has been suspended while our sub-contractors undertake this work to remove, and then re-apply road markings. When this is done it will have created sufficient space for us to keep the running lanes at two for the majority of the work.

What is the work you have been doing in the past week?

We have been preparing the eastern side of the carriageway for the installation of a cycleway, in line with the scheme designs. The petition and subsequent discussions have been on aspects of design and the future of the stone shelters.

Please can we have a breakdown of costs?

Please see the Finance section of the report that accompanied the Delegated Decision.

http://democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/documents/s121681/REPORT.pdf

Where is the funding coming from?

Please see the Finance section of the report that accompanied the Delegated Decision.

http://democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/documents/s121681/REPORT.pdf

Please can you explain the increase in costs?

 We do not agree that there has been an increase in costs. The scheme has been estimated at various stages and an appropriate contingency level given at each stage. The report referenced above outlines the cost of the scheme.

Please can you provide the data that you using to justify the safety improvements?

Data on road traffic collisions can be found here. We use an algorithm that ‘clusters’ locations of collisions and resulting injuries which enables us to understand how different areas of the city are performing in terms of road safety. The algorithm takes into account the number of injuries in different years and we use a ‘rolling’ five year average to ensure that the impact of collisions and resulting injuries are understood but that one incident in a location does not disproportionately distort consideration of ‘hotspots’. Example maps are attached that show the position before the series of changes on Great North Road took place. We have included maps that show injuries to all users of the highway network, and also those specifically on bikes.

Please can you provide details of cycle counts and locations of counters

Information is attached that shows cycle counts for the stretch of cycle route between Broadway Roundabout and Hollywood Avenue. If you would like further information on cycle count data please go to https://gis.gateshead.gov.uk/gatesheadmaps/ctf/app.html. On this website you can view an online map that shows counters and data that can be retrieved directly.

These were the slides that were presented at the meeting on 24th January

The post Broadway to Brunton Cycle Lane – Consultation Review appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

2018 is an important anniversary for Newcastle upon Tyne as it marks 10 years since Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) were declared for the city centre (which includes parts of Jesmond and Heaton) and for South Gosforth in 2008.  The city centre AQMA replaced an earlier AQMA in this area.

Newcastle City Centre AQMA

Both Air Quality Management Areas were declared due to levels of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide exceeding legal limits.

Nitrogen dioxide has been linked to a wide range of diseases and other health conditions including cancer, low sperm counts, dementia and cognitive delay in children.

Newcastle City Council recently released figures for nitrogen dioxide levels in 2016, and these showed that a previous trend of nitrogen dioxide levels decreasing in Gosforth has halted and that nitrogen dioxide levels in Gosforth have once again risen to above legal limits.

The South Gosforth AQMA

Members of the public can obtain real time information about levels from pollution from Newcastle University’s Urban Observatory. SPACE for Gosforth has written several previous blogs highlighting high levels of nitrogen dioxide in both AQMAs:

• Black Friday, Smoggy Saturday… (on Gosforth)
• Black Friday Part 2 – Newcastle City Centre
• Pollution Update – February 2017
• The New Newcastle Air Pollution Plan
• Air Quality Update 2016

Air pollution monitoring in 2015

As well as nitrogen dioxide pollution, previous monitoring carried out by SPACE for Gosforth in 2015 suggested that there might also be a problem with particulate pollution on Gosforth High Street.

2018 will also be an important electoral date for the city of Newcastle upon Tyne as residents in all wards will have the opportunity to elect all their three councillors due to the boundary changes. 

Locations where Defra have ordered a reduction in emissions

At SPACE for Gosforth we believe that this election offers residents of Newcastle upon Tyne the opportunity to raise the issue of our filthy air with candidates of all parties and to ask how they would tackle this issue.

Poor air quality affects everyone who lives and works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is not an issue that our elected representatives can ignore, as they have been ordered to take action by Defra to reduce air pollution on the key city arteries of the Tyne Bridge / Central Motorway, the A1 and the Coast Road. This was following the defeat of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the High Court by the environmental law firm Client Earth.

Nitrogen dioxide levels on Blackett St last July – only legal when the road was closed to traffic!

Client Earth has launched further legal action against Defra this year, so it is entirely possible that as one consequence of this action Newcastle City Council may be required by the Government to do even more.  It is also worth noting that Newcastle City Council is currently controlled by the Labour Party, and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, has recently publicly stated that tackling air pollution is a national priority for his party should they form a government.

Air pollution monitor on Gosforth High St

The seriousness of this issue, both in its impact on public health and due to the legal obligations that are falling on Newcastle City Council, means that it is one which every candidate for public office in our city needs to understand fully.

In 2018 we hope to hear more from both elected councillors and candidates about what they will be doing this year to ensure that councillors, council officers and others in Newcastle take decisive and effective action to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide in our city.

Ten years is too long for the health of the public to be put at risk in this way – our ambition for 2018 is that this tenth birthday for both AQMAs is also their last.

The post 2018 – 10 years of the Gosforth and City Centre AQMAs appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Local charity Recyke y’Bike is a well-established part of the North East cycling scene. Their activities include reconditioning donated bikes to sell at their shops in Byker, Durham and The Journey in Newcastle city centre. They also support local schools, youth groups, other charities and asylum seekers by providing reconditioned bikes. We asked their general manager, Karl McCracken, to write a guest blog about the charity and how people can get involved.

Recyke y’Bike Byker.

Recyke y’bike is one of those charities that always seems to have been around. But we’ve only been here for just over a decade. What we do is really simple – people donate bikes to us and we put them to good use. It’s been pretty successful too, with over 2,000 bikes a year coming in. Of those, nearly 600 go to projects in Kenya and the Gambia, enabling people to get to school, or to work, and raising funds for orphanages and schools. A further 200 or so are given away locally, going to schools, youth groups, other charities and asylum seekers.

 

Recyke y’Bike receive a wide variety of bikes as donations

Dealing with thousands of bikes a year takes some doing. We have around 40 volunteers who help out. They come from a range of backgrounds from retired professionals to those who have mental health problems, learning difficulties, or drug and alcohol issues. Helping them find their way in society is one of our charitable objectives – it’s not all about the bikes!

 

The volunteers help get the bikes ready for our professional mechanics to work on them. Broken bits are taken off, the bikes thoroughly cleaned, and then replacement parts fitted. The mechanics then do the final tune-up and end-to-end safety check.

Inside the Byker workshop

We raise our own funds rather than relying on grant funding. We do this by selling bikes, providing low-cost transport to people in the North East. The average price of a bike from our shops is a little over £100, and in terms of the number of bikes, we’re one of the biggest independent bike shops in the region.

Asylum seekers with Recyke y’Bike staff

Giving bikes away to asylum seekers is something we’ve always done.

Prior to being accepted as a refugee, people arriving in this country who are fleeing war, torture, or persecution (for anything from race to sexual orientation) are distributed to local authorities. They’re housed, and given £37 a week to live on, which has to cover all non-housing expenses. They also have to regularly sign in with the Home Office.

Inside the Journey – Recyke y’Bike’s City Centre branch

That last point can be particularly onerous. I met an asylum seeker at Recyke y’bike last autumn who’d been housed in the West End of Newcastle, and had to travel to South Shields once a fortnight to sign in. With his limited budget, he chose to walk the 30 mile round trip rather than lose out on a day’s food by buying a Metro ticket.

A bike can really help in a situation like this, which is why we give away around 50 bikes a year to asylum seekers. We work with a number of agencies, and each month we put on a day for them to come to our workshop, learn a bit about how to look after a bike, and fix things like punctures. That way, we know they’ll get more value from the bike. We also hope that some will go on to be volunteers with us.

Chris Boardman arriving to open the Journey in 2015

 

As a charity, we rely on the generosity of people in the North East. There are lots of ways to help, from donating any unwanted bikes, or volunteering, or even just doing something as simple as telling your friends about us.

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At the same time as we engaged with the Garden Village Residents group, Newcastle City Council published an open consultation to hear views on Salter’s Bridge. The consultation closed on 6th November 2017.

Garden Village – A Little History

The homes in Garden Village were first built in the 1920s to house the railwaymen who worked for London North Eastern Railway Company (LNER) in the adjacent railway yards.  At the time LNER was the second largest railway company in the UK.   LNER gave their workers the opportunity to own their own homes in Garden Village, repayable over a 20 year period.  In addition, some leisure facilities were built for the residents including a tennis court and bowling green, which exist to this day.  The Bowls Pavilion was opened in 1928. 

You can find all the plans and development of the village here including the original site plan in 1928.  The village also had the dubious pleasure of housing the first sewage works in Gosforth at the foot of Hollywood Ave! 

On the map below the first houses built can be identified with a red roof built in a triangle.  You can find more about the history and personalities of the village here.

When originally built the only route in and out of the village was via Killingworth Road and Salter’s bridge, and the village itself was surrounded by fields.  This is a similar model adopted post-war with nearly all new housing developments.

Salter’s Bridge is listed as an ancient monument dating back to medieval times.

The population of Garden Village from the last census in 2011 was 1469 people living in 620 houses, of which 304 are children and 432 are aged over 60.

If you would like to join the Garden Village Action Group or just be kept up to date with progress then please email: [email protected]

Our Approach

Our first meeting was held on 18 September 2017 in the Garden Village Association Hall, which attracted some 55 people (basically filling the small hall!).  The objective of the meeting was to help the residents form themselves into a community group, work out how they would communicate with the rest of the residents (many do not have access to the internet) and think about/document the Garden Village they would like to see.

To help the residents SPACE proposed the process below, which the meeting thought was a good starting point to create structure and an agreed way forward.

One of the benefits in following this process is that it stops debate around solutions (of which there could be many) and concentrates minds on the issues and available policies and data.

This is a similar process that has worked well at the Blue House Working Group meetings.  Our role was purely to facilitate this discussion.

The aim was for the discussion not to be about purely whether Salter’s Bridge was opened or remained closed to vehicles, but a longer term view on aspects of the village the residents would like to see improved.  Understandably, for lots of different personal reasons, there were some people who wanted it to be opened and some who wanted it permanently closed.  It was time better spent understanding the reasons for the division of opinion.

The residents broke up into smaller groups and discussed what they liked and what they’d like to change about Garden Village and subsequently shared their thoughts with the rest of the meeting.  There was collective agreement that everyone wanted a safer and healthier village.  The same positive comments were repeated, that it was a great place to live but could be much better.  Lots of people have lived in the village for many years.

Key Issues for Residents

This information was collated and the following were agreed as the key points:

• A safer Garden Village – a reduction in the volume of vehicles passing through
• A Garden Village with less noise and air pollution
• A reduction in the speed of vehicles travelling on Hollywood Avenue
• Better access for pedestrians to South Gosforth and Longbenton
• Improved cycle routes for all
• A more inclusive Garden Village
• A park for the children
• More benches for residents
• A reduction in people parking in Garden Village who do not live here
• Protect Salter’s Bridge as a listed bridge
• An eye on the future – development of the Gregg’s factory

Creating Measures of Success

From these aims it is possible to derive a series of categories to help narrow down issues and support developing a series of “Measures of Success” (i.e. reference points for when later looking at options and plans).

• Safety
• Pollution
• Accessibility/Mobility
• Communications/Developments
• Facilities

This then allows the resident group to develop quantitative and qualitative measures by answering questions such as:

• What are the historic/current vehicle volumes?
• How to reduce aggressive driving behaviour?
• What makes for a safe environment for children, older people and people with mobility issues?
• etc

The next step is to support answering the questions through a bit of research.  From then on it’s time to look at plans and find solutions that address the measures of success.

Communicating with all residents

In addition, SPACE helped the residents form themselves into a team with agreed objectives, recommended tools and plans on communicating with the rest of the residents.

Inevitably, this means a lot of door knocking and talking to neighbours about what the group is trying to achieve in the long term for their community.

We have had several follow-up meetings with the team, the door knock exercise has been done  and in addition the residents were made aware of Newcastle City Council’s Let’s Talk Consultation on Salter’s Bridge. The consultation closed on 6th November 2017.

A further village meeting is being scheduled with residents to report on progress in the next few weeks.

SPACE’s view on the recent consultation

As SPACE are currently helping the Garden Village residents group through the above process, we do not think it appropriate at this stage to make a statement on whether Salter’s Bridge is opened or closed.  Clearly currently having the bridge closed has dramatically reduced the volume of traffic on Hollywood Avenue and as a result the street is safer, quieter and with cleaner air.

There are a number of options that the Residents Group would like to explore before putting their preferred choice forward to the City Council.

It is unfortunate timing that the Council chose to publish the Let’s Talk Consultation on Salter’s Bridge just as the Garden Village group was being formed and working through the adopted process above.

In addition, the questions in the consultation were framed around a binary choice of whether the bridge should remain closed or be reopened.  While access across Salter’s Bridge can be viewed as the key issue, it’s not the bridge that creates problems but the sheer volume of through traffic that uses Hollywood Avenue.  The consultation does not address this critical concern.

A safer Garden Village | Vehicle Volumes on Hollywood Avenue

The average daily total of vehicles using Hollywood Avenue is 8,127 (2008, source:  Newcastle City Council Monitoring 5 day average 12-19 March 2008). There have been no recent vehicle counts but it is reasonable to assume that this number has increased during the last eight years.

To put this into perspective the Great North Road, south of Brunton Lane, a dual carriageway, has an average daily total of 20,091 (2015, source: Traffic & Accident Data Unit).

The following chart highlights the issue of speeding drivers on Hollywood Avenue with only 6% keeping to the 20mph limit.  One of the worst streets in Gosforth.

The photograph below shows the daily scene on Hollywood Avenue when the Regents Centre junction rework was in progress.  This photograph highlights a number of issues on the scale of the problem:

• The volume of through traffic
• The negative impact of stationary and slow moving traffic
• Air pollution impact (even worse for those sitting in their cars)
• Noise pollution impact
• Negative impact on the quality life for residents (in particular children and older people)

Evening Chronicle – 26 February 2015 – click on image for article

After the roadworks were completed the scale of queuing traffic diminished but it is reasonable to assume that the volume of through traffic has remained the same (or indeed grown) and the problem persists.

Safety for Children and Older People

It is clear that an average daily total of 8,127 vehicles will have a negative impact on safety in Garden Village and in particular for people living on Hollywood Avenue.  The volume of vehicles makes it difficult and dangerous for people trying to cross the road.  In addition many families would like to see their children playing outside safely.

The “Playing Out” group provides 10 good reasons why playing out is good for children:

1. Children need to play.
2. The street is a blank canvas.
3. Children like to play near home and have traditionally done so.
   A 2007 poll found that 71% of adults played out on their street every day compared to only 21% of children today.
4. Children need ample space to play energetically.
5. Playing in the street increases community cohesion.
6. Street play creates new opportunities for socialising and friendships.
7. Children learn valuable skills when they play out.
8. Playing in the street allows for ‘semi-supervised’ play.
9. The street is the “starting point for all journeys” (Tim Gill, 2007)
10. Streets constitute the vast majority of public space in the city.

Courtesy of Playing Out

As has been highlighted above the large volume of vehicles has an impact on everyone’s safety, not least when trying to cross the road.

In addition, at Salter’s Bridge the pavement is very narrow.  It is not possible to use the pavement with a buggy or wheelchair.  Managing small children in this environment is stressful and presents considerable risk.

In our blog post “Lots of children want to cycle to school, but hardly any do” SPACE highlighted the issues facing children who wanted to cycle to school.  Hollywood Avenue with the volume of vehicles using it just at the time when children would head to and from school makes it a dangerous activity.

In addition Salter’s Bridge is known for aggressive driving behaviour and is very narrow.  This deters parents from allowing their children to cycle to school, and increases the likelihood of more vehicles on the road as parents choose to drive their children.

Summary of the impact of a through route for people living in Garden Village?

• Safety – Hollywood Avenue (and all streets in Garden Village) are defined as 20mph zones. As we have highlighted in a previous article covering issues for East Gosforth, this speed limit is frequently exceeded and not enforced. This creates a serious hazard to everyone living in the area but in particular for children and older people.
• Air Pollution – more vehicles invariably means more pollution and the consequential impact on health.  SPACE has covered the impact of pollution extensively here.
• Noise Pollution – more vehicles also causes an increase in sound. In particular, when vehicles are stop/starting which happens frequently on Hollywood Avenue with parked vehicles and traffic calming on both sides of the road.
• Damage – Perhaps not a common event, but everyone will have had experience of broken/clipped wing mirrors and unexplained scratches to their own or neighbours’ vehicles.
• Quality of Life – there is a negative impact on people’s lives as a direct result of the above points leading to fewer social connections with neighbours and less of a feeling that your street is yours. (Driven To Excess: Impacts of Motor Vehicles on the Quality of Life of Residents of Three Streets in Bristol UK, Joshua Hart and Prof. Graham Parkhurst)

SPACE will continue to support the Garden Village Residents group as they work together through the process above.

You can email SPACE at [email protected], add comments to this post, or make comments on our Facebook page.

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