May 29 2013
By Kaiya Marjoribanks

Plans to create a partial one-way traffic system around much of Stirling’s city centre are being put out to consultation.

Stirling Council roads officials are seeking views on their proposals for Murray Place, Maxwell Place, Station Road, Goosecroft Road and Barnton Street.

The plans are aimed at making the city centre more attractive to walkers and cyclists and include taking over the front of the railway station from Network Rail to transform it into more of a `gateway’ for visitors to Stirling.

And Maxwell Place would also be opened up to one-way traffic which would then merge with one-way traffic coming along Barnton Street and Murray Place and heading towards the city centre.

Roads improvement manager Brian Roberts said: “We would be looking to take out one of the flows of traffic in Murray Place. There, all the bus stops would be along the front of businesses on the side where the Red Cross shop is, while on the other side where Oxfam is there would be a taxi rank.

“Footways would be widened and there would be the opportunity of further parking spaces in the evening.”

He added: “It is about improving the management of the bus and taxi provision and loading bays and the pay and display.

“At the moment there is a lot of conflict between the different type of users and we hope these proposals will help deal with some of the confusion.

The main changes under consideration are:

■ Barnton Street: One-way traffic with parking maintained on both sides; footway improvements to create more pedestrian space with less clutter; reduced traffic congestion and a more pedestrian friendly layout.

■ Goosecroft Road: continuous footway link alongside Goosecroft Road; new bus stances with shelters for passengers waiting to board outbound journeys (site boundaries have been established with developer to accommodate wide footways); two-way traffic maintained but lane widths reduced on approach to the Station Road roundabout.

■ Maxwell Place: Open access from Goosecroft Road to allow one-way travel towards Murray Place; revised parking layout to consider deliveries and customer needs.

■ Murray Place: One-way traffic towards Station Road with simplified road layout; improved bus stops mainly catering for passengers drop off; new larger taxi rank in central location; wider footways for improved pedestrian access; removal of as much clutter and signage as possible; revised traffic orders giving improved arrangements for buses, taxis and loading; high quality materials and street furniture incorporating trees and soft landscaping where possible.

■ Station Road: `Boulevard-style’ wide pavements and trees; new development is likely to have loading requirements – loading bay accommodated on-street; dedicated contra-flow cycle lane.

■ Railway station forecourt: Enhanced pedestrian route linking the station entrance with repositioned pedestrian crossing on Goosecroft Road; relocation of the taxi rank to the station building side of the forecourt.

Mr Roberts added: “Yes, we are trying to address some of the traffic and conflict issues but this is really also an opportunity to enhance the area and make it more attractive to pedestrians.

“I think we can mitigate against the increased speeds that sometimes occur in a one-way system.

“There would be some sort of traffic calming and enhancement to the junction of Maxwell Place with Barnton Street. Goosecroft remains two-way.

“This is a masterplan that allows people to start the debate and look at the potential.

“It is important we get in there and get the ideas down and that people see this as a platform for discussion and traders and residents see it as an opportunity for change.

“It would be done in several phases, probably over a number of years.

“But we are not doing things in isolation. This will complement the plans already announced for King Street and further along Murray Place and vice versa.

“It is part of the City Transport Plan which is really about how we deal with transport in the wider sense so people can walk and cycle and not just drive. It is ‘joined up thinking’.”

For more details of the plans go to www.stirling.gov.uk and search for “Proposed roads improvement schemes consultations”.

■ What’s your view of the proposed traffic changes: email john.rowbotham@trinitymirror.com

By STEPHANIE A. JAMES

Staff Writer

Preliminary design work of what the Old Courthouse Road corridor could become was presented to the Appomattox Town Council recently.

Officials want to make the one-mile of corridor from Farmer’s Bank at the intersection of Confederate Boulevard to property just before the Surrender Grounds bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

Also, they want to provide alternative ways for people to come into town.

Transportation engineer Bill Wuensch and architect Richard Price, who conducted a one-mile stretch of the road, explained that they compiled ideas for the corridor after soliciting suggests from the public.

Wuensch said that stakeholder meetings attracted 45 people and has received positive feedback.

“This is a rare occasion that everyone was behind it,” he said.

County planner Johnny Roark mentioned a comment of someone who described the setting of how Old Courthouse Road is now.

“Coming into town into 24 feels like you are coming into the back door of the community,” said Roark.

Roark added that he wanted that back door of the community to become the front.

In February and March, there were stakeholder meetings in which the public were invited to attend.

During the meetings, some of the ideas included creating bike lanes and landscaping along the corridor.

Previous suggestions for the area include installing light posts, benches and landscaping along the corridor.

The two presenters described the designs as a starting point.

Price explained that they have been working on the project for months. The initial work began in January when traffic counts were made to determine the travel patterns of those entering in and out of the corridor.

Three themes were developed referred to as gateways, neighborhood greens, and historic villages.

In terms of beautifying the area, Price said that they want to come up with a unified theme of landscaping.

Price recommended that placing nodes in the area so that it would not be a long corridor.

After Price and Wuensch’s presentation, Council members voiced their opinion about the design work.

“It is impressive. I think we need a new look,” said councilwoman Claudia Puckette, adding that a changed appearance is the way to go if the town is focusing on tourism.

Councilwoman Mary Lou Spiggle agreed.

“I think that it is a wonderful beginning to future expansion,” she said.

Mayor Paul Harvey said that he liked that a lot of ideas from the public were incorporated in the designs.

Final designs will be released in June.

At the end of the process, local officials will receive information on what grants are available to implement the ideas presented.

Previously, during meetings the two presenters used such locations as Historic Williamsburg to show how it is an attractive place for walking and bicycling.

During the examination of the corridor, Wuensch and Price incorporated previous studies. Those studies included the Appomattox Heritage and Recreational Trail Plan, Region 2000 Greenways, and the Virginia Outdoor Plan.

The study was funded by VDOT and managed through the Local Government Council.

About a year ago, the study was initiated after developers expressed interest in developing the area after the museum opened in March 2012.

Dana Winters
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