Portsmouth City Council is looking at creating an Active Pompey Neighbourhood in Southsea, which would involve reduced traffic and increased pedestrianisation, and is seeking public views on the proposal.
The proposed area would encompass Fawcett and Lawrence Road on the west, Bath Road to the east, Goldsmith Avenue to the north and Albert Road to the south. This would reportedly be the first trial of its kind in the city.
The council is asking residents that live in or regularly visit this area to disclose their preferred travel options, namely when they walk, cycle or drive. This is to help the authority ascertain the best ways to reduce non-localised traffic and congestion and to improve peoples’ experiences of the roads and pavements.
Some of the suggestions for road safety improvements includes modal filters, which involve putting planters in the rode to restrict traffic, traffic calming, one-way streets, increased numbers of trees and plants to make walking more pleasant and new crossings for those walking or wheeling.
The area has been selected as a pilot for the Active Pompey Neighbourhoods scheme to build on existing traffic-reducing measures used successfully in others parts of the region.
The chosen location also includes four primary schools and one secondary school, so views are being sought from parents, students on carers on how school journeys could be improved.
Lynne Stagg, councillor and cabinet member for traffic and transportation, said: “We have chosen this area because we have had many comments from residents over the years about through traffic and concerns about safety.
“We have listened and want to work with everyone that lives, works or travels through this area to solve this problem.
“We want people to be able to leave the car at home when they can for short journeys, and this new Active Pompey Neighbourhood is another step towards making that choice easier.
“We’d love to hear from anyone that lives in or travels through the area about how they feel about non-local traffic and how we can all work together to improve walking and cycling in the neighbourhood and how we can help make them feel safe and active.
“We are making these plans together. If they are successful, people will feel empowered to walk and cycle more in their neighbourhood and they’ll benefit in many ways, they’ll feel healthier, air quality will be improved and they’ll save money.
“This area could also be a model for other areas of the city in the future.”
What’s more, the proposition of an Active Pompey Neighbourhood aligns with the council’s ambitions to improve air quality and encourage greater use of public transport and more active travel.
The survey is open from 17 October until 13 November 2022. Once the results have been analysed, the council intends to suggest design changes, before seeking further views.
