Low-Traffic City Centre
Maintaining private vehicle access to local residents and businesses only within the city centre with through-traffic access to be removed. The city centre environment to be further enhanced by a 20mph zone.
Movement blueprint for wakefield city centre
The survey showed differing feedback on the pedestrianisation of George Street, Northgate and Cross Street. Instead of fully pedestrianised areas, the masterplan proposes traffic calming measures, with potential reduction of carriageway width and widening the pavement for improved pedestrian and cycling links, without removing access to shops and homes. The ambition is for Wood Street to be pedestrianised. We have included further details which can be reviewed in the Chapter 5: Movement blueprint of the Draft Masterplan document.
The blueprint promotes a street hierarchy which prioritises walking, cycling and public transport. A low-traffic city centre would remove through-access for general traffic, which would enable significant improvements to urban environments throughout. As well as reducing traffic on the main streets, Westgate, Kirkgate and Northgate, this low-traffic environment would further provide an opportunity to improve public realm on other key streets in the city including Wood Street, George Street and Cross Street.
Maintaining private vehicle access to local residents and businesses only within the city centre with through-traffic access to be removed. The city centre environment to be further enhanced by a 20mph zone.
Rationalising streetscape with public realm improvement promoting a pedestrian and cycling environment with opportunities for greening from Northgate through Kirkgate, along Cross Street and the northern section of Wood Street, as well as preventing general through-traffic on George Street.
Consider removing general vehicle access, while allowing for dedicated servicing hours and pedestrian and cycle only access on Cross Square and the southern section of Wood Street.
Improve the walking environment with continuous footways, new crossing points, street signage and urban greening in a series of key walking routes to the centre to enable a ‘walkable Wakefield’ and an inclusive environment, recognising the needs of people of all ages and abilities.
A cycling network which will provide a combination of high-quality segregated and protected cycle facilities on the city’s main roads.
Upgrading the quality of crossings and public realm at the key gateways into the city centre, allowing easier accessibility for active modes (walking and cycling) of travel through gateways.
Existing bus network would be maintained through the city centre with enhanced access controls to reduce the impact of vehicular traffic on bus service reliability.
Develop a new city centre parking strategy (complementary to the low-traffic city centre) with a consolidated parking strategy and optimised car parking at key locations at city centre gateways.
At key locations to align with parking sites around the city centre.
