Transport Study, Knaphill & Brookwood
Project Section:
Transport Planning & Infrastructure DesignClient:
Surrey County Council, Woking Borough Council and Sainsbury’s SupermarketsThe study was commissioned by Surrey County Council and involved working jointly with Woking Borough Council, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Limited and the Health Authority.
Scheme Objectives:
The purpose was to identify improvements for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users along with measures to reduce the severance caused by the A322 Corridor using a range of consultation techniques.
Mayer Brown’s Role:
Current patterns of traffic movements were established in the Knaphill and Brookwood Hospital Areas, making use of the County’s Traffic Model supplemented by Automatic Traffic Counts (ATCs) carried
throughout the study area to identify the presence of extraneous and local traffic.
We hosted a major public consultation including a range of workshops and focus group sessions, Members’ briefing meetings and a travel diary survey. Design, distribution and analysis of approximately 6,000 questionnaires formed part of the work. The travel diary results assisted in identifying current travel patterns for all household members and to canvass opinion on how residents and businesses rated transport facilities in the Brookwood Hospital Area. An excellent response in excess of 20 percent was achieved.
Throughout the study period, great emphasis was put on making a detailed evaluation of deficiencies in the transport network by field inspection, particularly of the pedestrian and cycle networks and integration between modes of transport. This has formed a solid basis for many of the proposals including:
- An existing local rail station to be upgraded to a bus/train interchange with improved access for all transport modes and new forecourt area.
- A bus terminal to be upgraded to a bus interchange with internet shopping outlet, improved access for buses, pedestrians and cyclists.
- A most successful Bus Quality Partnership to increase bus frequencies, improve fleet quality, re-routeing and extending several services in the area. The Partnership was introduced with immediate effect and all its performance targets have already been exceeded.
- Bus stops to be upgraded and new ones to be added along bus routes including proposals to systematically maintain and enhance information provision.
- Cycling facilities to be upgraded to a consistent level throughout the area, especially on identified main routes.
- Urban design to be improved in residential roads currently subject to rat running traffic. Proposed measures include design improvements to pedestrian routes (crossings), speed tables, scale reduction of junction layouts, landscaping and a Home Zone.
- Knaphill town centre image to be further improved. Proposals include improved car park access, more adequate loading facilities and urban design enhancements.
Study proposals took into account results of consultation, liaison, findings of current studies such as the Heavy Goods Vehicles Working Party report and the County Council’s Safe Routes to School report. Mayer Brown designed in detail and prepared the contract documents for a significant proportion of the proposals several of which have now been implemented.