Here are some ideas MR4P’s members have come up with for improvements to the Mill Road streetscape. There’s also an alternative to a single filter on Mill Road bridge which has some advantages – zoom out on the map to see that.
Move the map about to look for the red / black icons which show the changes we’re suggesting. Click on the icons for more details. Then please comment below to suggest your own changes – or tell us what’s wrong with ours..!
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What’s the rationale behind removing the traffic lights at the Gwydir/Barnabas intersection? I find them helpful for getting priority when cycling across Mill Road as the Kingston/Devonshire crossing can be difficult. Love the ideas generally though!
Hi, it’s a little while since we put this together but I’m thinking we were probably imagining we could do away with them in a situation where there was much less motor traffic on Mill Road in Petersfield (NB would absolutely need South Petersfield rat running to be dealt with first – as indicated in the recommended South Petersfield filters on the map)…
This plan is brilliant. There is a desperate need for cycle parking. It would increase footfall for businesses substantially. The only thing I’d add is more zebra crossings. For example there should be one on the corner of Devonshire road. People have to cross there all the time. There are a couple of other areas along Mill Road where zebra crossings are needed. If we want to be radical, we could even consider making Mill Road one-way for cars (turning the other lane into dedicated cycle lanes both ways). These cycle lanes could be protected or above road level making it safer for cyclists. This would maybe give another 50cm to the pavement also.
Re making Mill Toad one way, sounds great but I can’t see how that would work once the bridge is ‘closed’ to most cars. People living on or visiting roads off Mill Road might be able to arrive but never get back!
One way traffic moves faster than 2 way traffic. There are safety issues on Mill Road and the top priority is to slow traffic down.
Yes, you’re right. Making Mill Road one way would likely necessitate opening the bridge to traffic. It might actually be a worse solution. Just an idea.
Does the suggestion to remove the cycle contraflow on Stockwell Street mean just the clutter at the entry from Mill Road or banning contraflow cycling entirely? Also would the loading bays for the shops opposite the Broadway mean we couldn’t unload directly outside the shops any more (not pavement parking, but currently legal stopping to unload)?
Hi Rosemary, thanks for your comments; re Stockwell Street we just meant declutter it, but still allow contraflow cycling. Re loading bays you raise an interesting question, because in reality (and as currently), delivery drivers will pull up as close as possible to the shop they’re delivering to. Perhaps the implementation of measures to stop the ubiquitous pavement parking by delivery vehicles, but which allowed delivery anywhere on the street (other street infrastructure permitting) would actually be more sensible and practicable than loading bays…?
There seems to be no motorcycle parking. But don’t use the motorcycle parking an excuse to reduce the number of car spaces.
Slightly off Mill Rd itself. Through-routes could be much improved by widening the filter on Argyle St. It’s well used by people both walking and cycling and more width would make it much more comfortable. Similarly the filter between Kingston and Sturton street causes unnecessary difficulties. Just make it a bollard so there is space for two-way flow.
If we got a filter on Charles St then the one between it and Rustat Rd could go. If it stays it too should be redesigned as a bollard allowing two-way flow (already part of Fulborn Greenway design I think).
Some nice ideas.
The bridge itself could be made much more cycle and pedestrian friendly by having a single lane for exempt traffic (controlled by traffic lights), reusing the freed space for cycle lanes and/or wider pavements. Perhaps something to think about once exempt traffic levels are measured, so the size of the resulting queues could be modelled.
I don’t think the idea of a camera for modal filtering at either end of Mill Road would work. Drivers would just cut through side streets to get to the city centre. The prohibitions on turns into side streets which currently exist in Petersfield are never respected by drivers. The only way to control through traffic is to have a bus gate on the bridge. This worked well for the neighbourhood during the pandemic and we shouldn’t make any compromises on it.
Hi Sergio. It looks like a camera on Mill Road Bridge is what we’re likely to be getting. But can you clarify – where in our filtering proposal shown in the map above can cut throughs occur?
I think he means that the cameras only work _if_ you also have the modal filters on Charles St, Tenison rd, Lyndewod Rd and Glisson Rd. Lose any one of those and people will ratrun to avoid the cameras. I’m sure you realise this, but it needs to be explained to people that they come as a set.
This idea of the set of filters plus cameras is interesting, although one camera on the bridge seems simpler/cheaper and achieves much the same effect. The modal filters on Tenison/Glisson/Charles/Lyndewood are a good thing in their own right SFAICS. The only extra you get with this is it lets locals drive across the bridge for short journeys inside the ANPR area. That’s not something we really want to encourage (beyond those with disability exceptions), so I’m not sure why this suggestion would actually be an improvement over a simple bridge filter. But it might be popular with some locals, and if it gets us otherwise
hard-to-achieve side-road modal filters then that may be a good ‘political’ tradeoff 🙂
Generally, a Mill Road design that creates safe and ample space for pedestrians, ie. that disallows street furniture and parking (both bikes and cars) on pavements/walkway… whatever the design will be.
I would like to see more parking for box bikes and tricycles.
My two friends, one elderly and one disabled, who use tricycles need a lot of space and time to be able to park them and ideally some seating close by. They need an environment where they have the time and feel safe and feel not to be in other peoples’ way.
I like your ideas. Thank you for your hard work. Bike parking that prevents pavement parking is a priority. (Majority of pavement parking currently bring undertaken by licensed cabs – so this needs addressing before cabs are granted exception to access). The brief experience of ‘Parklets’ which put ‘People First’ took Mill Rd to a whole new level of community and should be reinstated.
Thank god for new artwork on the bridge!
resurface Kingston Street and Sturton Street. Its a through bike route but the surface is awful particularly at night. Better lighting would help as well
A parklet near Limoncello where the temporary one was erected during the trial would be wonderful.
To reduce risk of vehicles running into parklets they could be shielded with a combination of bike parking hoops and planting.
Great stuff so far, what about east of the railway bridge?
I would like to see change of use of the parking bays in front of urban larder to give increased space for bikes, pedestrians and limiting use of parking for deliveries.
Also the space in front of the Tesco is ripe for improved use by removing bollards to give nice seating (similar to the those in front of co op)
hi Fergus thanks for your ideas. We will be getting our thinking caps on re the east of the bridge shortly! Yes – those parking bays in front of urban larder definitely have potential. Re the space in front of Tesco (who we understand are vacating those premises at some point), the area between the shop window and the pavement is owned by whoever owns the shop, so would need some negotiation… but yes it’s another great space that could be much better used.