Sheffield to focus on three main components for its travel transformation plans

In three years’ time, Sheffield will become a city that stands out from the rest as it aims to create a transport connectivity that is both effective and sustainable.
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With up to £50 million funding the city council has secured from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund, focus will be given on improving the cycling, walking and public transport facilities.

The three main components, said the council, will help the city use the space for different purposes while addressing the issues concerning climate change.

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And these new schemes will take off under a newly-launched project dubbed ‘Connecting Sheffield’.

The visualisation of Town Hall Square. Picture by Sheffield City CouncilThe visualisation of Town Hall Square. Picture by Sheffield City Council
The visualisation of Town Hall Square. Picture by Sheffield City Council

In a briefing with the press on Tuesday (November 3), Matthew Reynolds, the council’s Transport Planning and Infrastructure Manager said one of the key ambitions is to encourage cycling.

“It is all about creating easy-to-follow routes, which are logical and no back streets. They need to be of high quality which is up to safety standards.

“We encourage everyone to cycle, regardless they are die-hard cyclists or not, so that they feel more included in this discussion.”

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Predominantly in the city centre, Mr Reynolds said the council aims to create high quality environment where people feel safe and encouraged to walk around their local area.

Visualisation of Arundel Gate to Eyre Street. Picture by Sheffield City Council.Visualisation of Arundel Gate to Eyre Street. Picture by Sheffield City Council.
Visualisation of Arundel Gate to Eyre Street. Picture by Sheffield City Council.

“What we are trying to do is to connect it with the existing completed project such as the Grey to Green,” he said.

Public transport also plays a crucial part, particularly in the recovery phase of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“With all these restrictions still in place, public transport should be made a realistic option. Sheffield needs to have access to public transport that is more effective, reliable and punctual,” he said.

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Acknowledging that the project needs to be delivered by March 2023, Mr Reynolds said the council is working “incredibly hard” so they can deliver within the time scale amid the uncertainties surrounding the national lockdown.

Connecting Sheffield is a long-term approach that aims to transform the transport infrastructure that people use to get around the city as part of their everyday lives. Picture by Sheffield City Council.Connecting Sheffield is a long-term approach that aims to transform the transport infrastructure that people use to get around the city as part of their everyday lives. Picture by Sheffield City Council.
Connecting Sheffield is a long-term approach that aims to transform the transport infrastructure that people use to get around the city as part of their everyday lives. Picture by Sheffield City Council.

“In terms of the delivery period, that is the challenge - there is no question about that. This is a tall order,” he said.

The council has now urged the public to participate in the individual scheme consultations which are due to launch in the coming months.

For more information about Connecting Sheffield, visit here.

Key Corridors

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Explaining the first phase of the project, Mr Reynolds said main focus will be given on key corridors that consist of the city centre, Kelham and Neepsend, Nether Edge, Darnall, Lower Don Valley & Rotherham and South West Bus Corridor.

“The city centre is one of the core areas. It is the economic hub of the city region and people connect to it whether for work or for retail.

“We want to see some sort of local plan and the local growth in there and how the city centre functions for the future.

“It has gone through a lot of changes recently and our focus is on how to get people to travel from Kelham in a more sustainable way.

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“Nether Edge has got high density to cycle, so we are looking at putting infrastructure which we can get more people to cycle.”

Meanwhile, the Darnall and the Lower Don Valley areas have both strategic transport links with Rotherham and Meadowhall.

He said this is the reason the council needs to improve the travel route connection as it has become an educational hub developed by Sheffield Hallam University.

“Meanwhile, the South West Bus Corridor is focused on easing the congestion in the area,” he said.

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All of this, he said, will be incorporated by making the city centre the public realm where they bring The Outdoor City into the city.

This includes creating environment that is attractive for residential and commercial property development, while more space for pavement cafes, benches and open places for events will be made a reality.

“We also would like to improve Sheffield’s urban drainage ecosystem within the city centre to make it more resilient to flooding,” he said.

New Bicycle Parking Hub

As more people adapt to a more active lifestyle, the council also aims to build a new bicycle parking hub in the city centre.

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“We know that safe and secure bicycle parking facilities that can accommodate bikes including trikes for people with disabilities is crucial.

“The Heart of the City II regeneration project is due to include a new bicycle parking hub which complements the Midland Station Hub,” said the council.

Although this is not part of Transforming Cities Fund, this project will fall under the Connecting Sheffield approach, complementing the new cycle routes and improved city centre routes.

The cycle hub will also use app technology to book spaces and plans to develop other similar bicycle hubs at key locations across the city are in the pipeline.

Reducing bus journey times

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The new project will also look at reducing journey times across the city as a whole, said Mr Reynolds.

“The bus routes go through the city at some point. If we can improve the journey times in the middle, then it has network benefits across the city and this is significant in operating the bus routes in a more coherent way.”

The council is also planning to incorporate the use of technology to reduce bus journey times.

“We want to make the signal technology, which is now based on timers, to be more intelligent.

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“When the bus is running late, the bus can send a signal to the traffic light and tells it’s running late and it lets it go through.

“So we will use technology to improve the user experience,” he said.

Although the priority is to encourage people to leave their cars at home, the council will maintain access for those who still drive to the city.

“We can’t assume everyone jumps on a bike and puts on trainers and goes for a run or takes the bus.

“People will still need access to the city centre by cars so it is critical that these transport strategies to be integrated.”