Traffic Management - Winchester Town Access Plan

The management of traffic is a key issue and one that impacts on all of the WTAP's objectives in one way or another. The road network in Winchester is dominated by the one-way systems, which were originally instigated to cope with traffic travelling through Winchester before the completion of the A33/A34 Winchester bypass. The system has largely remained intact, and a review is required to assess how efficiently the system manages the modern day pressure of traffic levels, congestion and air quality.

Looking at the volumes of traffic that passes through the City it is difficult to see how effective changes can be made without causing major issues. However, in many similar examples of where bold initiatives have been undertaken in other Cities, it has shown that people do change their habits without having major effects on the economics of an area.

There was great concern ahead of the fairly recent road closure of Southgate Street due to utility works however; in reality the impact was not that great. The longer term effects of traffic management schemes on the local economy do, however, need careful consideration and as such it may be appropriate to undertake schemes on a trail basis in order to assess the environmental benefits alongside the economic issues.