A better place for all
Background and overview
The transport package for Warwick town centre has been developed following a transport strategy review for the Warwick and Leamington area carried out in 2014/15 and received public support through a consultation undertaken in 2016. The transport package can be summarised as follows:
- Traffic management proposals to introduce one-way routing on The Butts and High Street / Jury Street to ease vehicle flows and provide opportunities to reallocate road space to other users;
- Gateway improvements – reconfiguring the layout of highway junctions including Westgate, Eastgate and St Johns junctions to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists and enhance the historic built environment by reducing the footprint of junctions and enhancing the public realm;
- Improved connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists, including wider pavements and new crossing points for pedestrians and dedicated provision for cyclists with new cycle lanes / shared use cycleways and cycle-contraflow on some one-way streets;
- Priority signals for buses to allow ease of access from Warwick bus station.
A bid to fund the works has been submitted and we anticipate the outcome of this bid in February 2020.
The transport package will complement a number of schemes delivered in Warwick town centre during 2018/19 and 2019/20, including:
- 20mph zone for the town centre – including traffic calming features on Priory Road to help enforce the 20mph speed limit and the introduction of a shared use cycle/footway on Priory Road;
- Improvements at Northgate junction, including improved pedestrian facilities and an enhanced public realm.
Northgate Junction
Work is complete on the public realm scheme at Northgate which has improved the setting of a key gateway into the town by reducing the footprint of the existing traffic island junction and introducing informal crossing points to make it easier for pedestrians to cross. The scheme also includes a number of traffic management changes including a right turn only into Northgate Street from Barrack Street and prohibiting a right turn into Northgate Street for Eastbound vehicles travelling from Saltisford/A425. A public consultation was held in summer 2016 to seek the views of residents, local businesses and stakeholders to several transport proposals for Warwick town centre. For further information see the ‘Northgate’ link.
20 mph zone and Priory Road infrastructure works
The 20mph zone for the town centre has been introduced, with 20mph road signs being installed on entrances to the town centre. This is alongside changes to Priory Road to reduce speeds and provide a new shared use footway/cycleway. A zebra crossing along Cape Road has been installed as part of the Safer Routes to School programme.
