A414 Corridor Consultation

Your views on traffic and parking in the town
Toady
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by Toady » Mon 14 Jan, 2019 9:34 pm

I'd agree. An Inquiry is a dead cert. But there's something like 3 years worth of survey, option design work and consultation (including consideration of alternatives) to be done before even an application could be made for Highway and land acquisition powers. And at that point the County would need to be able to demonstrate the project was capable of being funded.

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Steve
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by Steve » Mon 14 Jan, 2019 9:57 pm

Toady wrote:
Mon 14 Jan, 2019 9:34 pm
I'd agree. An Inquiry is a dead cert. But there's something like 3 years worth of survey, option design work and consultation (including consideration of alternatives) to be done before even an application could be made for Highway and land acquisition powers. And at that point the County would need to be able to demonstrate the project was capable of being funded.
Unlikely to open before 2030 IMHO. In the meantime the congestion and pollution will increase further unless other measures are taken.

codek2
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by codek2 » Tue 15 Jan, 2019 7:04 am

Steve wrote:
Mon 14 Jan, 2019 3:57 am
I dare say it'll go to a Public Enquiry. Hopefully it'll be in Hertford so that everyone attending can experience the congestion.
hehe yes, good point :)

jbond
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by jbond » Tue 15 Jan, 2019 6:39 pm

Parts of the EHDC District plan depend on a strategic solution to Hertford and A414 traffic. And the EHDC Infrastructure Delivery plan document is particularly optimistic about this.

Transport
Hertford Strategic Solution
HCC
£155,000,000 -£175,000,00
By 2024
Unfunded
There is currently no funding agreed for this scheme.
This is most likely to be in the form of a bypass.

2017
https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/media/3083 ... y_Plan.pdf
https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/evidencebase

No route, no funding, vague costing, essential for the EHDC district plan, delivery by 2024. So that's all good then.

I have a particular interest in the middle section where it crosses the railway, and emerges in the gap between the Hornsmill Estate and Bayfordbury woods. The plan was for a tunnel or bridge under railway and there's just room to route down to the Hornsmill road through the rough field and without destroying any of the Pinetum. It would then cross the Hornsmill road between the Railway bridge and the Riverside Garden Centre. Remembering that the Lea regularly floods just there every few years. The tunnel/bridge under the railway would be around or a little north of the current footbridge.

Toady
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by Toady » Tue 15 Jan, 2019 9:12 pm

"No route, no funding, vague costing, essential for the EHDC district plan, delivery by 2024. So that's all good then."

Makes Brexit look like a stroll down the Champs Elysees..

jbond
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by jbond » Thu 17 Jan, 2019 8:27 am

Too many thoughts about all this, this morning. Mainly, they should stop chasing unicorns around SciFi mass transport systems, unfunded bypasses and so on. And do the small stuff they promised in the 2010 Hertford-Ware urban transport report. Things that might actually make a difference, like providing safe, lit, secure, pleasant walkways between the Foxholes estate and Presdales/Simon Balle. Providing a walking route between Crane Meads and Ware station that doesn't cross the road. Providing fast, cheap transport between Hertford East and Hertford North.

We're lucky to live in an area with a dense network of footpaths, bridlepaths, towpaths, and the Beeching railway lines. But we keep running up against ownership and funding issues on upgrading them. Especially where the route crosses country and admin boundaries. So for instance, the towpath from Bishops Stortford to Harlow, to Broxbourne keeps meandering between Hertford and Essex as it crosses the river and it's owned by the Canal & River Trust that has no money. Dutch standard cycle/walking paths is a big goal, but upgrading the towpaths and cycle routes to Harlow/Stevenage standards is possible. It's not even hugely expensive at least in comparison with the bypass. We should have been doing this progressively over the last 20 years. The routes are already there from Bishops Stortford to Broxbourne, Hertford to the Thames, Hertford to Welwyn and on to Luton. But to be truly useful for utility cycling instead of recreational, they need to be paved, smooth, lit and without gates. So who's going to pay for that?

Then there's the routes like the old Bunt Line. A lot of it still there but with a horrible surface. A lot of it is closed off by private land. But the route connects up a whole ribbon of the smaller villages with a safe, off road path. Some of those private landowners are going to benefit from the windfall of EHDC approved housing development. Shouldn't a condition of that windfall be to release the Bunt Line land back into public access?

But mostly, I'm frustrated by the process. We had the usual one way communication of an enthusiastic Councillor presenting a proposal, a council employee buried in civil service speak, well meaning members of the public and an impenetrable consultation process. And comments on that consultation will get compiled, documented and then forgotten. What actually gets done will be small and pointless.

codek2
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by codek2 » Thu 17 Jan, 2019 8:38 am

LOL look at this:

https://hertford.net/local-news/?id=130

Questions about the impact of driverless cars, LOL seriously who asked that? *facepalm*

Not surprising those who attended are against it. they'll be all the people living on the route, or those that dont drive.

I dont think lack of budget is a blocker though - these things have to be designed/worked through, once you play the game and follow the process the government will eventually stump up. Especially in this case as it's a prerequisite to the new developments around welwyn etc.

codek2
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by codek2 » Thu 17 Jan, 2019 8:40 am

jbond wrote:
Thu 17 Jan, 2019 8:27 am
Too many thoughts about all this, this morning. Mainly, they should stop chasing unicorns around SciFi mass transport systems, unfunded bypasses and so on. And do the small stuff they promised in the 2010 Hertford-Ware urban transport report. Things that might actually make a difference, like providing safe, lit, secure, pleasant walkways between the Foxholes estate and Presdales/Simon Balle. Providing a walking route between Crane Meads and Ware station that doesn't cross the road. Providing fast, cheap transport between Hertford East and Hertford North.
I'd love to see a sensible way to cycle to hatfield station - not far, but at the moment from what i can tell anyway there's no safe way to do it.

TullochArd
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by TullochArd » Thu 17 Jan, 2019 12:45 pm

codek2 wrote:
Thu 17 Jan, 2019 8:40 am
I'd love to see a sensible way to cycle to hatfield station - not far, but at the moment from what i can tell anyway there's no safe way to do it.
Cole Green Way (Bridle Way - no traffic except occasional horse)
West along Cole Green Lane (cycle route)
Take first exit South at Roundabout down Howlands (this is the busiest part)

Option 1
Take first exit South at Roundabout down Ascots Lane after new QEII Hospital
Take first exit South at Roundabout down Gypsy Lane towards Hertford Road
There is a cycle path that runs Wst along Hertford Road (detached from traffic - very safe)
Get on A1000 and go South down A1000 (off road cycle lane)
Get on (quiet) Old Hertford Road then you can cut through the houses up to Hatfield train station

Option 2
Carry on to the A1000 rounabout
Take first exit South at Roundabout down A1000 (off road cycle lane)
Get on (quiet) Old Hertford Road then you can cut through the houses up to Hatfield train station

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Steve
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Re: A414 Corridor Consultation

Post by Steve » Thu 17 Jan, 2019 2:33 pm

codek2 wrote:
Thu 17 Jan, 2019 8:38 am
Questions about the impact of driverless cars, LOL seriously who asked that? *facepalm*
Doesn't seem unreasonable given the timeframes we're talking about

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