Ramsgate Highway Improvements
Highway & Pedestrian Movement Scheme
Thanet District Council’s proposed highways improvement scheme for Harbour Parade, Albion Hill, Harbour Street and Madeira Walk in Ramsgate.
Introduction
The aim of this scheme is to improve some roads in the area to:
- help manage traffic flow
- provide better access for pedestrians who walk from the seafront area into the High Street area of the town.
- These improvements will also include better provision for pedestrians and cyclists who cross at key parts of the route by reducing the dominance of vehicles. By making these changes, the aim is to create a more welcoming space which will encourage pedestrians to move between key areas of the town, which overall will contribute to the wider regeneration of the town centre.
These proposed enhancement activities form part of Thanet District Council’s successful Future High Street Funding bid; a government funding programme to help rejuvenate the UK’s high streets and town centres.
These improvements will be funded by the Future High Street Fund with an aim to create a safer, more accessible and appealing environment for both local residents and visitors.
Why do we want to do this work?
The aim of the scheme is to provide an attractive environment with less vehicle dominance which encourages footfall to disperse from high density areas around the harbour, seafront and surrounding roads and filter further into the town centre.
- To increase the number of pedestrians and visitors who would go to areas like the harbour and seafront to also walk into the retail areas and town centre.
- Enhance the pedestrian environment through the creation of additional crossing points. This will complement previous interventions including increased and improved pedestrian public realm and street lighting to Harbour Parade/Harbour Street.
- Reduce the dominance of roads and vehicles within the area.
- Reduce vehicle speeds approaching the seafront area.
- Create a change in character by defining physical boundaries. The overall aim is to create a distinctive look and feel for the Harbour area in its entirety.
By improving these links, and creating a more inviting and welcoming environment to flow between key parts of the town, we aim to provide clear benefits and aid the regeneration of the town.
The final scheme proposals consist of the following:
- Provide improved crossing facilities at Military Road and Leopold Street, to help reduce carriageway dominance to the roundabout adjacent Military Road.
- Remove the existing pedestrian guarding at the Albion Hill/Harbour Parade/Madeira Walk junction, to reduce carriageway dominance.
- Introduce a raised highway carriageway with material change to the surface of Harbour Parade. This will provide a defining location to Harbour Street and creating a distinctive look and character for the Harbour area.
- Install a signalled junction and crossing point at the Albion Hill/Harbour Parade/Madeira Walk junction.
- Reduce bus layby capacity to the north side of Madeira Walk.
- Create a 20mph zone to the seafront area and town centre.
New Crossing Point
Pedestrian movement to be encouraged across Royal Parade with the addition of a new Zebra crossing point at Military Road/Harbour Parade. This will provide much needed links from the Harbour and Town.
Junction Change
Current vehicle dominance will be reduced through changes to create a new junction in lieu of the existing roundabout. More pedestrian space will be created to both the north and south. An improved link to the carriageway for cyclists to rejoin the highway will also be achieved.
Carriageway Change
Raised carriageway and providing a change of surface material will encourage vehicle awareness and a reduction in speed to meet the 20mph zone.
Signalised Crossing
It is proposed to replace the existing pelican crossing to Harbour Parade with a wider crossing zone. This will enable increased pedestrian flow from south to north, facilitating easier access between the town and harbour areas.
Raised Table and Material Change
The character of the seafront will be improved and recognised by a change of surface material and carriage height.
Raising of the highway will further improve the visual linkage of the seafront to create a more pleasant pedestrian environment.
Junction Change
The junction will have reduced highway dominance with the transition zones and the change of carriageway height. The crossing will be enhanced with the provision of a new crossing point with a pedestrian island to aid crossing.
New Crossing Point
Improved pedestrian movement to be encouraged across Madeira Walk with the addition of a new crossing point with pedestrian island to aid crossing. . This will provide a much needed access link between Harbour Parade and Albion Hill and encourage traffic calming.
Guard Railing
The removal of guard railing to the junction at Madeira Walk and Harbour Parade. This will provide an open pedestrian environment, reducing highway dominance when combined with the other interventions.
To enhance the character of the seafront and reduce the vehicular dominance, a 20mph zone is proposed.
Extending this zone south along Harbour Parade will provide an improvement to the existing cafe culture and harbour area. Extending the zone to the north to York Street and Harbour Street and further to the pedestrian zone areas of the town centre provides an improved town centre environment.
