Congestion management, active travel, better mobility and public transport and overhauled parking charges are on the cards.
Shrewsbury has unveiled a decade-spanning masterplan which it hopes will help solve increasing traffic on its roads, which is leading to air pollution and rising emissions.
‘Many of the challenges that the town faces come from private motor vehicles that are using the town centre to travel from one side of Shrewsbury to the other, offering no benefit to the town centre itself,’ said Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Partnership – which includes Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council, and Shrewsbury BID.
‘The plan is designed to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport above private motor vehicles,’ the organisation’s summary continued. ‘To achieve this, it is crucial that we decrease the volume of motor traffic within the town centre. Much of the traffic passing through the town centre fails to contribute to the town’s economic prosperity, and creates congested streets and air quality concerns.’
The masterplan involves multiple schemes which will work together to achieve the desired end result. These include:
*Limiting or preventing through traffic in Shrewsbury town centre
*Providing access to sustainable travel modes into the town centre and essential local facilities
*Tackle ‘severance’ caused by the River Severn and railway infrastructure
*Enhance park and ride options
*Develop a more resilient public transport network with better bus provision for central areas
*Introduce sustainable transport for cross-town connectivity
*Safeguard and improve service access for businesses and event sites
*Redistribute road space to provide more room for business and event activity, pedestrians and cyclists
*Boost the environment and air quality
*Enhance rail connectivity locally, regionally and nationally
You can read the full masterplan here.
Image: Mick Haupt / Unsplash
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