11 Oct 2024
It seems County Hall won’t take anything off the table when it comes to proposed improvements to Victoria Street.
HCC is working with SADC on a community-led initiative to transform the route between the city centre and St Albans City railway station.
Ideas thrown into the mix include more trees and planting, new places to sit, improved signage and wayfinding, artwork and storytelling features, wider pavements, protected cycle lanes, cycle parking, better bus stops and accessibility measures.
According to the councils, the aim is to create a new-look Victoria Street which is responsive to the real needs of the local community.
A public survey on the proposals is currently underway, and running until November 12.
It says: “High levels of traffic and congestion, narrow footways, missing crossings and other issues are causing safety concerns for vulnerable users walking or cycling on [Victoria Street}, as well as causing bus delays.
“Improvements to the street could help to make it easier, safer and more enjoyable to travel, live and shop locally. It will transform the street between the station and city centre and help to welcome visitors to our city.
“What do you want people to see when they step out of the station for the first time? How do you and your family want to feel while travelling along Victoria Street? How could we make the street better for local businesses? What do you want to see on Victoria Street?”
One of the businesses participating in the survey is The Maltings Shopping Centre, which has pedestrian and car park entrances on Victoria Street.
Centre director Richard Marrett said: “The Maltings are engaging with St Albans council regarding potential improvements to Victoria Street of which we support in principle. Victoria Street is a vital route into the city and we would welcome amendments that would enhance the visitor experience to the city centre including increased signage and street scene investment.
“That being said however, to remove two-way traffic from any section of the road between St Albans City Station and Chequer Street would be catastrophic for city centre businesses.”
Local resident Anthony Graham, whose son Charlie uses a wheelchair, said the core issues with Victoria Street were a lack of dropped kerbs and a narrow pavement around the bus stops.
He worries that more people cycling could prove difficult for wheelchair users, citing the situation in London where Lime bikes are left scattered on pavements, blocking the way.
He said: “Forward thinking councils have the opportunity to address accessibility issues for wheelchair users whenever they undertake road and pavement improvement activities at no extra cost, simply by making dropped kerbs at all crossings part of the original specification.
“We all heard what Ed Davey said about his disabled son during the General Election; this provides the perfect opportunity for our Lib Dem council to turn his words into action and deliver a basic human right for disabled residents.
“This should then become the blueprint for all road/pavement works going forwards and eliminate the discrimination of preventing wheelchair users freely moving around in their own community.”
Anthony explained how when a new pavement was laid going towards the bridge at Jennings Road in the early summer no dropped kerb added at the end, and if councils had a bit more foresight, improvements could be made for wheelchair users at no additional cost.
St Peter’s ward Green councillors Juliet Voisey and Simon Grover have also responded to the consultation.
They said: “We are really pleased to see that Victoria Street will be getting this makeover especially being the major gateway into our city for visitors from the railway station.
“We have the opportunity to create a vibrant bustling community space for residents, businesses and visitors alike.
“There are a host of fantastic initiatives to green up the area that major cities across the globe are doing. These include: turning concrete exteriors of flats/offices into leafy habitats and evergreen living walls, adding vegetation to rooftops and balconies, growing plants on walls, creating pocket-sized parklets/green space areas for residents to sit or children’s play equipment, having bus stops with living roofs and solar panels, mini urban meadow planters, bee bricks, bird and bat boxes, installing water features/fountains.
“These all have immediate impact and create better wellbeing for residents.
“A huge benefit of this could see the priority of sustainable transport over cars chugging through our city centre. Victoria Street is a major bus route, but also heavily used by cyclists and commuters.
“Options could include cycle pods for residents to store bikes and bike hire areas. Creating a sociable community space will benefit businesses along the route. In Bogota, Columbia the city closes a major road on Sundays and opens it to everything sustainable. It has evolved into a festival atmosphere with ‘Fun Stops’ along the route offering music, dance, snacks, roller skating and bike lessons for children.
“We’re excited to work with the community and hear their ideas too.”
The local women’s group Soroptimist International St Albans and District would like to encourage women to complete the survey and submit their views to improve Victoria Street in St Albans.
Spokesperson Jane Slatter said: “We have conducted two safety surveys in St Albans in the past to find out how safe women feel in and around the area. The results clearly showed that women do not feel safe on the streets or on public transport at certain times of the day, and generally they will modify their behaviour to avoid putting themselves at risk.
“If the street was improved and became busier then women would be less likely to avoid it. Improved street lighting is important, particularly for the winter months. We campaigned for street lights to be left switched on overnight on roads likely to be used by women using public transport late at night/early in the morning. The new LED lights don’t throw much light where pedestrians are walking and make areas feel much more unsafe.”
Meanwhile, back in February, county councillor Chris White said HCC was considering the installation of bus gates in Victoria Street, restricting access at the St Peter’s Street junction and preventing cars from travelling in that direction.
The gates would be located very close to the top of the street, not far from the junction, with the potential to interfere with The Maltings surgery more than the shopping centre.
If it went ahead, it would have meant another east-west route through the city centre would be blocked to cars, vans, motorbikes, lorries and taxis, and was likely to shift traffic down London Road/High Street and Hatfield Road/Catherine Street in order to compensate.
But HCC has stressed that while options such as pedestrianisation and bus gates have been raised in the past, they have no specific plans for either at this stage.
A spokesperson added: “We are looking to make improvements to Victoria Street because both Hertfordshire County Council and St Albans district council have identified it as a key route for walking, cycling and bus travel, and as well as being an important road for cars. There are also road safety concerns about the junction with Alma Road.
“We don’t have any specific plans or designs, and our first step is to find out what improvements residents, businesses, road users and other local stakeholders would most like to see, as well as establishing what they wouldn’t want. We can then use this feedback to design an improvement scheme for Victoria Street that will best deliver what the local community want.”
To comment on the proposals before the deadline of November 12, visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/VictoriaStreet
