... or an old chestnut. It can't be nice living on Market Street. Residents there are complaining about the amount and speed of traffic. Traffic at the very bottom bottles up,as well, as vehicles struggle to pass each other at the throttle.
Market Street looks and feels like a residential road. There are fine houses on both sides, But, alas! it is also a town centre street. It isn't some cul de sac located off a quiet residential estate. The clue is Market Street's entire reason for being: it was cut to link the heart of the town and the railway station.
Nevertheless, residents feel pretty depressed about their lot. Something should be done. They call for a one way street, from the Old Station Yard roundabout to the Square. That would put paid to the chaos at the foot of the street: no longer would vehicles struggle there. A one way street may come to pass as part of the mayor's plans for the town. But we also know from previous forays into one way traffic along Market Street that it completely disrupts traffic flows around the entire town. Added to which, it would increase traffic speeds significantly, which cannot be good for pedestrians or those who live on Market Street. And, speeding is already an issue of concern for them.
As things stand, isn't it true that the pinch point at the bottom of the street actually slows traffic down? Could that be a good thing? That it is only a moment's inconvenience causes only minor frustration. And does the congestion it causes bottle up to or around the Old Station Road roundabout or form a queue from the Square? Not at all.
And, a one way system in Market Street would not be popular with everyone, especially cyclists (because there's no room for a contraflow cycle lane).
The buses apparently cause trouble, as well. They get stuck at the throttle and then so do cars behind buses. Then buses stop at the Market Street bus stop, causing trouble all over again. The Market Street desired solution is to move the buses to Wynnstay Road and, if you accept that there'll be a loss of (valuable) on street parking, that's actually possible and may even be a good idea. You'd need to increase parking space. But I bet a reduction in parking in close proximity to the town centre wouldn't go down at all well with shopkeepers and the wider town. Wynnstay Road parking at 90 minutes is a valuable resource so close to things.
So, the next best Market Street solution would be to banish buses to a new lay-by on Station Road, thus securing parking along Wynnstay Road. But in the same way that motorists would resent losing parking at Wynnstay Road close to town, wouldn't passengers struggle with a terminus that's even more remote? Some passengers being generally older are likely to be less able to walk than motorists. Of course, bus users have no power, not in the same way as motorists wield.
So, what's the answer? Even if you pedestrianise parts of the town (which looks unlikely), Market Street is still required to give access to a busier car parks and for deliveries. The answer, then, is that there is no answer, not if the car continues to dominate the town centre. You may be able to tinker but the solution will remain difficult so long as we demand and can afford to run our cars.
And that continues to mean hardship for those who live on Market Street.
Nevertheless, residents feel pretty depressed about their lot. Something should be done. They call for a one way street, from the Old Station Yard roundabout to the Square. That would put paid to the chaos at the foot of the street: no longer would vehicles struggle there. A one way street may come to pass as part of the mayor's plans for the town. But we also know from previous forays into one way traffic along Market Street that it completely disrupts traffic flows around the entire town. Added to which, it would increase traffic speeds significantly, which cannot be good for pedestrians or those who live on Market Street. And, speeding is already an issue of concern for them.
As things stand, isn't it true that the pinch point at the bottom of the street actually slows traffic down? Could that be a good thing? That it is only a moment's inconvenience causes only minor frustration. And does the congestion it causes bottle up to or around the Old Station Road roundabout or form a queue from the Square? Not at all.
And, a one way system in Market Street would not be popular with everyone, especially cyclists (because there's no room for a contraflow cycle lane).
The buses apparently cause trouble, as well. They get stuck at the throttle and then so do cars behind buses. Then buses stop at the Market Street bus stop, causing trouble all over again. The Market Street desired solution is to move the buses to Wynnstay Road and, if you accept that there'll be a loss of (valuable) on street parking, that's actually possible and may even be a good idea. You'd need to increase parking space. But I bet a reduction in parking in close proximity to the town centre wouldn't go down at all well with shopkeepers and the wider town. Wynnstay Road parking at 90 minutes is a valuable resource so close to things.
So, the next best Market Street solution would be to banish buses to a new lay-by on Station Road, thus securing parking along Wynnstay Road. But in the same way that motorists would resent losing parking at Wynnstay Road close to town, wouldn't passengers struggle with a terminus that's even more remote? Some passengers being generally older are likely to be less able to walk than motorists. Of course, bus users have no power, not in the same way as motorists wield.
So, what's the answer? Even if you pedestrianise parts of the town (which looks unlikely), Market Street is still required to give access to a busier car parks and for deliveries. The answer, then, is that there is no answer, not if the car continues to dominate the town centre. You may be able to tinker but the solution will remain difficult so long as we demand and can afford to run our cars.
And that continues to mean hardship for those who live on Market Street.