BUSES IN PEDESTRIAN AREAS - REDCAR HIGH STREET

The evolution of the scheme, its experimental implementation and public attitude surveys are described of a bus priority scheme introduced in a township in Teeside (England), where the High Street was turned into a pedestrian precinct with an exception for buses and delivery vehicles. The problem in the High Street was one of physical design and safety, the choice lying between wall to wall paving or the retention of a specific bus carriage way. The ability to control the speed of buses was of prime importance. The two-part proposal matched the distinctive characteristic of the High Street. All extraneous traffic was to be removed and the eastern part of the High Street was to be turned into a car park by reducing the very wide carriageway and providing 90 deg. parking on both sides of the road. Foot paths were to be widened and laybys and crossing facilities would be provided. In the western section, all vehicles except buses and some delivery vehicles would be removed and the majority of the area turned over to pedestrians. Delivery vehicles had to be accommodated because not all the shops had rear service facilities. High powered amenity type lighting would be introduced as an added inducement. Extensive consultations with shopkeepers local members, residents associations etc. indicated conflicting views about the scheme. The constraints to which the design was subject are listed and discussed. The total cost of the scheme was estimated at 6500 pounds sterling. Operational experience indicated that buses were travelling too fast through the narrow sections. The future of the scheme is seen to depend on the cooperation of bus drivers in the matter of speed. The results of an opinion survey are tabulated and the public attitude related to car accessibility and public parking versus environment improvement is discussed. On the basis of the favorable results the scheme will be extended over a larger area and made permanent.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at PTRC Summer Annual Meeting, Warwick, England, 8-12 July 1974.
• Corporate Authors:

  Teesside County Borough Council

  Department of Engineering
  Teesside,   England 
• Authors:
  • MADELIN, K B
• Publication Date: 1974-7

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 8 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transportation; Central business districts; Costs; Delivery service; Experiments; Implementation; Lighting; Parking; Pedestrian malls; Public opinion; Surveys; Traffic control; Urban areas
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Research; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00263758
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: #Q4
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 31 1974 12:00AM