Cycle access in the Carfax – our proposals

Our proposals for cycle access in the Carfax

Horsham District Council has an aim that “for Horsham residents, workers and visitors cycling and walking will be the natural choice for most short journeys”. The council also has an objective that it will “increase levels of cycling and walking for utility journeys”. (LCWIP 2020)*

Making local journeys without the car has many benefits for everyone:

• It’s healthy, as people are more active.
• People want to do it – survey after survey reports that most people in the UK would like to be able to travel more easily without a car.
• It reduces congestion.
• “Active travel” (i.e. making journeys without a car) gives more independence to young people, many of whom do not own a car.
• It can reduce pollution levels – much local pollution comes from vehicles (even electric ones).
• It combats climate change – carbon and particulate emissions from vehicles has not reduced over recent decades. Fewer car journeys means reduced emissions. For cycling to be a realistic option for people in Horsham it is essential to be able to cycle both to and through the town centre.

A key destination in the town centre is the Carfax. There are two main routes in from the north – via North Street/Chart Way/Copnall Way and from Medwin Walk – but neither of them are easy on a bike.

There is existing demand for this as people already cycle on both routes.

These routes could be made “cycle-friendly” and reduce possible conflict with pedestrians with the following changes:

• Permit two-way cycling through the Carfax (without a dedicated cycle lane).
• Permit cycling through Medwin Walk to join the Carfax road by the taxi rank.

This document shows how this could be achieved quickly and with minimal impact to other road users. We propose a phased approach, with simple changes brought in first and more costly work to be a second phase when further funds can be identified.

Cycle access in the Carfax and the Town Centre Public Realm Strategy – a recommendation

The Public Realm Strategy has far-reaching plans for reducing road widths in the Carfax and reducing private car access during the day. It also recognises the need to enable town centre cycling.

The changes proposed in this document could be implemented quickly and cheaply on a trial basis and then refined as necessary, ready to be integrated with the more major hard landscaping that will be done for the public realm scheme.

The Horsham District Council LCWIP published in late 2020 states the following in relation to town centre cycling (p47): “The nascent Horsham Town Centre Public Realm Strategy may present an opportunity for further feasibility studies on….the Carfax.”

We recommend that the Public Realm Strategy should, as an early action, commission a feasibility study on two-way cycling through the Carfax using the proposals in this document.

How would two-way cycling work through the Carfax?

The Carfax is already a 20mph zone and vehicle speeds and traffic flows are both low, making it suitable for cycles to share road with motor traffic without the need for a segregated cycle lane.

This type of road design already exists and operates successfully in Horsham on Park Terrace East. See also the photo example of Cheap Street in Bath in Appendix 2.

This approach is positively supported by the Department for Transport. LTN 1/20 states that “allowing contraflow cycling….should be the default approach in traffic management”. (section 4.2.8). See more detail in Appendix 1.

What changes would be needed?

The proposed changes (starting from Chart Way) are summarised here. Further details and pictures are given below.

• Add a marked two way access point for bikes at the Carfax/Chart Way junction. A smoother access point could be created when the Carfax is resurfaced.
• Remove the traffic island at the Carfax/Copnall Way junction.
• Remove the “Cyclist dismount” signs at the Carfax/Copnall Way junction and add contraflow cycling signs.
• Add signage to permit cycle access on the “second” spur towards Market Square next to Barclays Bank.
• At the corner by the Crown pub add a 2 metre bollard/kerb protected space beside the pub for southbound cycles to give protection from buses turning this corner.
• Middle Street/West Street/Carfax junction: add informal zebra crossing type lines (i.e. not an actual zebra crossing) to imply priority for pedestrians at this point.
• Junction with Blackhorse Way/The Causeway/South Street: change the priority at the junction, so that traffic from Blackhorse Way gives way here. This is to protect southbound cycles from turning buses.

Medwin Walk

• Permit cycling along this route and through to the Carfax road (by the taxi rank): add blue cycle signs at both ends (and possibly painted bicycle signs on the ground).
• Outside the Swan Walk entrance: add informal zebra crossing type lines (i.e. not an actual zebra crossing) to imply priority for pedestrians at this point.
• Make further changes when greater funds are available – see below for detail.

The proposed changes in more detail:

• Add a marked two way access point for bikes at the Carfax/Chart Way junction. A smoother access point across the gutter could be created when the Carfax is resurfaced.

• Remove the traffic island and the “Cyclists Dismount” signs at the Carfax/Copnall Way junction.
• Add contraflow cycling signs.

• Add signage to permit cycle access on the “second” spur towards Market Square next to Barclays Bank.

• No change needed where the road narrows for pedestrian crossings e.g. by the Nationwide. Traffic would give way to each other as necessary (as happens elsewhere in town on two-way streets without enough space for vehicles to pass each other). A neater solution could be designed when the Carfax is resurfaced.

• At the corner by the Crown pub. This is a right angle bend where vehicles swing across. A safer solution would be to add a 2 metre bollard/kerb protected space beside the pub for southbound cycles to give protection from buses turning this corner.

• Middle Street/West Street/Carfax junction. This can be busy with pedestrians. Add informal zebra crossing type lines (i.e. not an actual zebra crossing) to imply priority for pedestrians at this point. This type of treatment is often used in car parks.

• Junction with Blackhorse Way/The Causeway/South Street. Buses coming from Blackhorse Way pull right across the width of the road at this point, which could create conflict for southbound cycles. A simple solution would be to change the priority at the junction, so that traffic from Blackhorse Way gives way here.

Medwin Walk

This is a key cycling and walking route into the Carfax from Albion Way, London Road and the park.

Initial changes could include:

• Permit cycling along this route and through to the Carfax road (by the taxi rank): add blue cycle signs at both ends (and possibly painted bicycle signs on the ground).

• Outside the Swan Walk entrance: add informal zebra crossing type lines (i.e. not an actual zebra crossing) to imply priority for pedestrians at this point.

Medwin Walk is relatively wide, especially if the covered areas beside Boots are removed. So an option when funds are available would be to have a marked two-way cycle track. An option could be similar to this track in London:

LTNs are great for pedestrians.

This person with a mobility aid doesn’t have to contend with heavy traffic to cross the road to walk to the shops in Old Bethnal Green Road. pic.twitter.com/NxRYjwfl2a

— cul-de-sac-ney (@iambrianjones) February 17, 2021

The junction with Albion Way would also need improvement. An interim change could be removing the hedge at the end of Medwin Walk to give cycle access to Medwin Way.

Appendix 1

LTN 1/20 and “contraflow cycling”.

Contraflow cycling is two-way cycling on a one way street i.e. drivers can go one way only, but people can cycle in both directions.

This approach already exists on Horsham streets such as Copnall Way, Park Terrace East and on Wickhurst Lane in Broadbridge Heath. It is also positively recommended by the Department for Transport. The DfT’s latest infrastructure guidance document LTN 1/20 states that “allowing contraflow cycling….should be the default approach in traffic management” (section 4.2.8).

6.4.21 There should be a general presumption in favour of cycling in both directions in one way streets, unless there are safety, operational or cost reasons why it is not feasible.

7.3.5 Where speed is low in urban areas, contraflow cycling without a dedicated cycle lane has been found to be successful even on narrow streets with on-street car parking. The following minimum carriageway widths are recommended:

• 2.6m with no car parking
• 3.9m based on car passing cycle, no car parking
• 4.6m with car parking on one side of the road
• 6.6m with car parking on both sides of the road

Appendix 2

Photo examples of contraflow cycling with no segregation in the UK:

1. Park Terrace East, Horsham

2. Cheap Street in Bath

3. New Road, Brighton

* Horsham District Council’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (2020)

Is this the best solution? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.