Three Bridges Station Improvement Scheme – our response

Crawley Borough Council is consulting on improvements to the Three Bridges Station area. We sent the following response.

Our interest in this consultation is that Three Bridges Station is close to Horsham District and used by many Horsham people. We welcome the plans overall as a positive move forward to make it safer for people on bikes.

General points

1. Three Bridges is a key ‘junction’ of several important cycle routes (London to Brighton NCN20/21, part of Avenue Verte, access to Worth Way, access into Crawley itself), so we strongly support the principle of improving access by cycle both to the station and the surrounding area.
2. It is vital that any road infrastructure changes are designed to high standards. Relevant guidance for the standards includes the Interim Advice Note 195/16 Cycle Traffic and the Strategic Road Network (Highways England 2016) and London Cycling Design Standards (Transport for London 2014).
3. Planning principles should include the following (from IAN 196/14):

• ‘Infrastructure shall provide sufficient capacity to accommodate growth in volumes of cycle traffic.’
• ‘Current levels of demand for cycle trips are not always a good indication of potential future levels of demand.’
• Design to consider different type of bikes which might use the facility eg cargo bike, wheelchair friendly tandem etc – using the ‘cycle design vehicle’ concept.
• Junction design is crucial, as this is where most collisions occur.

Specific points

1. We support improving the cycle infrastructure under the bridge east from the station. High standard design is vital at this point as this route is heavily used already by pedestrians. We would propose that a kerb-separated cycle track (3+m width) is needed rather than a shared use path. If this is not provided there will be a significant increase in cycle/pedestrian conflict under the bridge.
2. There needs to be safe access from the new cycle path under the bridge across the station forecourt to the existing cycle parking at the Haslett Avenue East station entrance.
3. The new path under the bridge should link seamlessly with the cycle path on Station Hill.
4. We support the plan for the new station entrance on Station Hill, and the extra cycle parking there.
5. The Station Hill cycle path must continue safely past the new station entrance, and provide safe access to the station cycle parking from both directions. We propose that the design should be a flat continuous surface for pedestrians and cycle traffic, clearly indicating that they have priority over vehicles both in and out of the entrance.
6. We support the proposed cycle link via Williams Way to Furnace Green. This would be a great benefit as it opens up access directly into the station from the whole south of the town i.e. Maidenbower, Furnace Green, Tilgate and the eastern neighbourhoods (Broadfield in particular) via the subway under the A23. Some of these routes are longer to the station but they all avoid the Three Bridges complex and deliver you right into the bike parking without traffic.

This could open up opportunities for people to cycle to Three Bridges rather than, say Crawley, for better service options e.g. Brighton without changing train.

It would also link up to the National Cycle Network routes NCN20 going south and to the NCN21 via Oriel school bridges.

Overall, the Three Bridges project has potential to be a significant improvement for people using the station and the local area by bike. It does still leave the gap west from the station to Stephenson Way, and hopefully that is also planned to be looked at in due course.

Additional comments

Please see the following pictures to illustrate the proposal for a continuous foot/cycle way across the Station Hill station entrance. The first two pictures are from Holland, the next two are from the UK (Walton on the Naze). The principle is that the surfacing gives clear visual clues that the people walking/cycling have priority in this area and that drivers must give way when entering/leaving. This could be easily adapted to work on Station Hill.

Surfacing gives clear indication that people walking and cycling have priority

Drivers must give way when entering and leaving the area

Continuous footway gives priority to people (Walton the Naze, UK)

Drivers must give way (Walton on the Naze, UK)