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Gosforth Transport Improvements 2013

Residents have told us they are unhappy about traffic conditions and road safety in Gosforth.  In 2007 we asked you in a survey what changes you wanted to see.  Between 2008 and 2010 we used the survey results to draw up plans for improvements covering Gosforth High Street, and the Haddricks Mill and Bluehouse roundabouts. 

We were ready to ask the government for some of the funding but the relevant transport fund was closed down. The rest of the funding was from monies collected from developers to improve these junctions and from our local transport plan. We now have enough money from these sources to start the improvements. 

Extra funding for cycling

In July 2012 we had the chance to bid for money to make improvements for cycle safety in Newcastle.  We decided that the best use of this money would be to add more improvements for cyclists to the work already planned for Gosforth and revamp the existing quieter, parallel route for less experienced cyclists. We put in a bid for £1.3M for cycle improvements in November 2013 and should hear in the next few weeks if we have the money.

What are your priorities

Because we were now able to make more improvements for cycling, we asked you again in November 2013 what your priorities are for traffic movement in Gosforth.  The key messages from the survey were

  • A majority of users of the High Street reside within two miles and many travel there either on foot or by car.
  • Many feel there are enough car parking spaces in Gosforth but one in every three disagrees and thinks there should be more.
  • Over 70% feel that making cycling improvements in and around Gosforth High Street is important.
  • There is solid support for the idea of providing routes for less experienced cyclists.
  • Separate cycle routes are the favoured improvement for cycling followed by signalised crossings to help cyclists crossing roads.
  • 84% of those surveyed said that investment healthier, cheaper and less harmful means of transport was a priority.

We also took into account comments made in the survey on cycle safety in The Times newspaper and from the Newcastle Cycling Campaign petition, information on collisions in the area and work already underway to create a better cycle route from the Great Park to Gosforth Academy. 

The traffic improvements scheme for 2013

Using all of this we have put together a scheme for traffic improvements in Gosforth and there is more information below.  The scheme will bring benefits for everyone particularly those who walk, cycle or use public transport.  The scheme will stretch from Broadway roundabout to the start of the Town Moor, with the quieter cycle route running from Christon Road to the Town Moor via Moor Road.

As we said the money is already available for some of the work but a lot of the quieter cycle route is dependent on the government for extra funding.  We will know by the end of February if we will get the extra money.  If we don’t, we will try to carry out the work as money becomes available.

The overall scheme. (pdf 3.85mb)

The proposals

We have divided up the proposals into work affecting junctions and work affecting longer sections of road.

 The next steps

When you have looked at the plans you can make comments.

The junctions and road sections

Junction 1 Broadway East / West / Great North Road roundabout

We will replace the roundabout with traffic signals and install advance stop lines to give cyclists a head start on traffic.  In addition we will provide a shared surface, used by both pedestrians and cyclists, at the corners between the crossings to allow cyclists to bypass the lights when turning left. We will work with residents whose driveways come out onto the roundabout to make sure they have safe access.

This work is dependent on extra funding from the government.

Plan of Broadway junction (pdf 2.88mb)

Road section A: Broadway roundabout to Hollywood Avenue roundabout

We are looking into of using hybrid cycle lanes to separate the cyclists from the rest of the traffic. Hybrid lanes have a slight height difference between the footpath, the cycle path and the rest of the traffic.

Junction 2: Pedestrian crossing south of Park Avenue round to Harewood Road

We will

  • widen the footpath from Park Avenue to the crossing and make it shared use
  • re-model the central refuge and turn the crossing into a toucan to allow cyclists to ride across
  • widen the footpath around to Harewood Road and make it shared use to allow pupils to cycle from Park Avenue to the schools on Granville Road.

Plan of remodeled crossing (pdf 308kb)

This dovetails with the work proposed under the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to make the footpath from Park Avenue to Knightsbridge shared use for safer cycling to Gosforth Academy. The work is part of a longer route from Great Park to Gosforth Academy.  We have already installed a toucan on Wansbeck Road and want to

  • sign the route along Park Avenue
  • install a road table across the end of Park Avenue with cycle access onto the footpath
  • resurface the shared use footpath to make it clearer what is public
  • widen the footpath outside Gosforth Academy and move street furniture back to give more room

Plan of work from Park Avenue to Knightsbridge (pdf 884kb)

Junction 3: Hollywood Avenue roundabout

We will

  • replace the roundabout with traffic signals which will include a pedestrian/cycle crossings over Hollywood Avenue Regent Centre and Great North Road.
  • put in Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs) to help cyclists get away before the rest of the traffic
  • install cycle lanes to the Regent Centre junctions
  • widen the footpaths at the corners and allow cyclists to use them to avoid the lights when making left turns

Plan of Hollywood Avenue junction (pdf 1.2mb)

Junction 4: Regent Centre

We will

  • install cycle lanes and Advanced Stop Lines
  • provide new pedestrians crossing points on Christon Road and from the corner of Landsdowne Crescent
  • put an island between the lanes on Christon Road to help people cross
  • narrow the central island on Great North Road to give more space on either side for vehicles including cycles
  • join up and alter the timings of all the traffic and pedestrian signals so that they work together more efficiently

Plan of Regent Centre junctions (pdf 2.56mb)

Road section B – north end: Great North Road to Church Road via Alwinton

We will

  • install a cycle passageway from Christon Road to Alwinton Road
  • improve the cycle route signs on Alwinton Road

Junction 5: Church Road/Salters Road

We will

  • join the two junctions together and create a more traditional crossroads. This removes a whole set of lights for all road users reducing delays
  • install Advanced Stop Lines for cyclists
  • create a proper footpath in front of the parking for the shops in the south east corner
  • link all the traffic lights so that they work together.

Plan of Church Road/Salters Road junction (pdf 1.3mb)

Junction 6: Church Road/Alwinton Road/Moor Road

We will

  • install traffic lights with Advanced Stop Lines and crossings for pedestrians and cyclists
  • widen the footpaths at the corners and allow cyclists to use them to avoid the lights when making left turns
  • link the traffic lights to the lights on Great North Road to help the traffic flow more smoothly.

Plan of the Church Road/Alwinton Road/Moor Road junction (pdf 668kb)

Road section B – south end: Church Road to Moorfield via Moor Road

We will

  • extend the residents parking zone proposed for the Roseworth Crescent area along Moor Roa
  • work with residents on a DIY Streets scheme to look at other ways of controlling parking and traffic

Moor Road is already being resurfaced with cycling budget money and a contribution from the ward committee.

Junction 7: Moor Road/The Grove

We will

  • install a road table across the junction to slow traffic
  • give priority to traffic on Moor Road so that traffic on The Grove has to give way this slow down speeding traffic and improve the road safety around the junction.

Plan of the Moor Road/The Grove junction (pdf 180kb)

Junction 8: Moor Road/Moorfield/Great North Road

We will

  • install a road table across the junction to slow traffic
  • improve the surface
  • make it clearer where cyclists and pedestrians should be

Road section C: the High Street

We will improve the traffic management controlling the parking and loading along the high street to allow traffic to flow more smoothly.

There are a number of ways of doing this.

We could designate this as a Red Route to prevent any vehicles except buses stopping here outside specified times.  This will allow us to reserve some areas for parking and loading but would need to apply this over a long length of road.

An alternative would be to provide a bus and cycle lane with a single general traffic lane in each direction.  There would still have to be careful management of parking and loading.  This option will allow for greater flexibility in its application over the course of the road.

The next steps

We will take into account all of your comments and finalise the plans.  If a proposal needs a legal order you will be able to comment on it further through the normal consultation procedure.  We will publish the letters and the legal order plans on this webpage.

You can keep up-to-date with cycling across the city through the e-newsletter Cycling News.  You can sign up here.

You can make comments through the Gosforth Traffic Improvements Survey at www.letstalknewcastle.co.uk

You can contact us directly at  transportdevelopments@newcastle.gov.uk

Page last updated: 11 April, 2013