Brighton's transport policy plan

The consultation period has closed now but this is what I wrote.

PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES
Traffic management in the city works against the pedestrian. The town is cut in half and cut off from the sea front by torrents of traffic. Waiting times to cross roads are too long. A pedestrian walking across the centre of the city can spend half the journey time in waiting to cross the road. Traffic lights take too long to change to the pedestrian phase, which often remain against the pedestrian even if there is no traffic in sight. The result is that most people do not wait for the green man and cross anyway. This is a major source of accidents.

Traffic calming is needed on the sea front and in the Steine south of St Peter’s Church. Even a limited restriction between the piers would be an improvement on the present situation eg 1200 to 1800 on Sundays in July and August.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Bus flows on the main bus corridors are above the level at which it is generally considered that operation would be more economic by trams. As oil costs rise, the balance will increasing tip in favour of electric traction over the period of the transport plan. The present volume of bus traffic is also environmentally problematic due to congestion, noise, and, despite the use of much improved technology, pollution.

The main cost is for relocation of underground services, and from this point of view it is unfortunate that these have recently been renewed. What needs to be done at this stage is to plan a network of routes, so that any further renewals of underground services will be correctly placed in the event that a decision is made to replace buses with trams.

Trams are also an important environmental management measure in their own right, since they control and prioritise the use of the road space. It is necessary only to travel to Croydon to see how successfully trams can be integrated into an otherwise pedestrian environment.

One issue that could usefully be resolved at an early stage would be to decide on the track gauge. It may be that a metre gauge system would suffice, as is widespread in continental towns of a similar size to Brighton, and larger.

VOLKS RAILWAY
Whilst this is primarily a working museum, it could make a minor but useful contribution to transport in the city. Obvious enhancements would be extensions into the Marina and to the Palace Pier, and realignment to remove the sharp curves. With additional vehicles, possibly using Parry flywheel technology, the service could be extended into the Steine with a new terminus near Marlborough House. With further on-street running, the line might be extended westwards, even as far as the King Alfred.

A possible enhancement might involve re-gauging to metre gauge, a standard European tram gauge and procuring additional vehicles, which might include historic trams. If a decision was made for a city-wide metre gauge system, this could then be fully integrated.