St Owen Street cycle contraflow (Traffic Regulation Order consultation) 2022

Background

The St Owen Street cycle contraflow scheme is part of ongoing improvements in Hereford city centre to create a more attractive environment for residents, visitors, shoppers, workers and local businesses, encouraging people into the city and ensuring they have a great experience when they are there.

The St Owen Street cycle contraflow scheme will create a safer cycle route from the east of the city, promoting sustainable and active travel, while at the same time improving safety for pedestrians and motorists.

This scheme has been developed over a number of years, with input from key stakeholders and the public through workshops and consultations.

About the scheme

The St Owen Street cycle contraflow scheme includes:

• An on-carriageway contraflow cycle lane along the length of St Owen Street from Bath Street to St Peter's Square
• Two raised pedestrian crossings points over St Owen Street - one near the Town Hall and one by St Owens Mews. At these points the carriageway is raised and the footway extended into the carriageway to make crossing shorter and safer
• A new signal-controlled crossing at the Bath Street end of St Owen Street where the existing traffic lights are located
• A raised junction area at the junction of Cantilupe Street and St Owen Street

The cycle lane is located on the Town Hall side of St Owen Street, on the inside of the parking bays. This reflects the latest guidance on provisions for cyclists as the lane is located away from active motor traffic.

View the latest guidance for cyclists:

• Highway Code rules for cyclists
• The government's local transport note on cycle infrastructure design

An illustrative drawing of the scheme, including images of typical materials and features of the scheme.

View the St Owen Street design drawings

Why are we doing this?

We are introducing a cycle contraflow to provide a safer route for cyclists travelling across the city and to encourage healthier, active travel.

Contraflows can decrease journey times for cyclists compared to those travelling by car by providing more direct, safer, travel routes. This makes cycling a good alternative to driving.

Contraflows can also reduce inappropriate cycling on the pavement. New crossings along St Owen Street will make it safer for pedestrians, including children walking to school.

Improving options for cyclists and walkers encourages healthier, greener travel, and makes positive steps to improve air quality.

Statutory consultation

What we consulted on

As part of the work to introduce the scheme changes, Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) are required. To make these changes, a statutory consultation on the TROs is needed.

The elements that make up the changes to the TROs that are part of this statutory consultation are:

• Proposed new movement restrictions to allow cyclists to travel in both directions on the entire lengths of St Owen Street and Mill Street
• An update to the movement order to allow all buses to access the eastern arm of St Peter's Square, where it is proposed to have a new limited waiting parking place for buses outside Shire Hall
• A short length of footway to be extended and designated as shared use, on the western side of the junction of Mill Street and St Owen Street. The footway will also provide access to a new updated traffic signal-controlled crossing with a pedestrian call facility
• Rearranged pay and display parking, disabled parking, bus parking, no waiting, no loading and loading restrictions in St Peter's Square, St Owen Street and around its junctions with Cantilupe/St Ethelbert Street and Mill Street to support the scheme. (All restrictions are shown in the documents, whether amended or being retained. All parking places will also be lined parallel to the kerb)
• Proposed raised tables in the carriageway (75mm height, with ramps) intended to help reduce traffic speeds to comply with the existing 20mph speed limit. Two of the raised tables will also provide informal pedestrian crossing points along St Owen Street

Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) documents

You can view the legal documents for these TRO changes below. These include the formal orders, notices and the TRO plans:

• TRO legal documents

The consultation ran from 19 May 2022 to 16 June 2022.

Any representations received by the council may be imparted to third parties.

Herefordshire Council and our partners are committed to working with the local community to deliver improvement schemes, and welcome all queries, comments and feedback. The scope of this consultation is on the specific elements of the TROs as set out above. If you require any further information on this scheme, please contact us at stowenst@balfourbeatty.com