Central Ward Mini Holland

Like Bransholme, Central Ward has a lot of existing bike infrastructure. Also like Bransholme, a lot of people who bike round Hull might not even know about it. Unlike Bransholme, Central Ward is not neatly defined by a series of boundary roads, has four main arterial roads running through it, and includes part of one of the City’s main industrial areas. Therefore, both the road layout and catering for more journeys that are travelling through the area, rather than just round the area, make planning much more complicated. However, options and choice are always important and this proposal presents a vision for an alternative way to develop a Mini-Holland in Hull. As the arterial routes through the ward have recently undergone upgrade schemes, the proposal does not include changes to these roads (other than addressing the overlooked issue of crossings for cyclists) but will easily tie-in to any future upgrades. As well as providing for the population of the ward, the proposal will accommodate shifting active travel journeys from the arterial roads to parallel routes.

The proposal can be explored more by clicking on the map below; there is a key explaining what the colour of each line means on the left hand side of the map and clicking on each of the lines displays basic details about that section.The proposal can be explored more by clicking on the map below; there is a key explaining what the colour of each line means on the left hand side of the map and clicking on each of the lines displays basic details about that section.

As with the Bransholme proposal, this scheme makes use of a lot of what already exists and the upgrades planned as part of the Cottingham Route scheme. Although a smaller area than the Bransholme scheme, the importance of controlled crossings is highlighted by a similar number being required here. These will provide key links, along with specific lengths of new path, to fully connect the ward. There is also more emphasis on modal filters to better control traffic flow on the edge of the city centre. one potential drawback of this scheme is it being more difficult to prioritise parts to incrementally achieve the overall vision.

With any Mini-Holland scheme, there are a few aspects that are common across all of them and should be considered as part of the proposed scheme:

  • 20mph speed limit as a default across the whole scheme, with roads engineered to best enforce the limit.

  • Cyclists segregated from the carriageway along bus routes as a priority.

  • An appropriate uplift in supporting infrastructure, such as secure bike parking across the schemes.

  • Branding and signage to support journeys in and through / across the area.

  • Streetscene / placemaking to enhance resident buy-in and enhance the wider societal benefits i.e. tie-in with SUDS, increasing urban nature, etc.

Some of the headline numbers (all approx) for this scheme are:

  • Extremely rough guesstimate at cost - £6.5million (based on an average of £500,000/km upgraded or new segregated path; £30,000 per controlled crossing).

  • Hull CC path upgrades already proposed (as part of Cottingham Route improvements) - 1km.

  • Hull CC controlled crossings already proposed (as part of Cottingham Route improvements) - 2.

  • Other existing path to upgrade - 1.8km.

  • Provide priority over side roads / accesses on existing paths - 3 instances.

  • Footpath to upgrade to shared or segregated use - 2.5km.

  • CycHull proposed new bike or shared paths - 5.5km.

  • CycHull proposed controlled crossings - 40 (24 are upgrades to Toucans already on the existing arterial route schemes [Beverley Rd, Anlaby Rd, Freetown Way, Ferensway, Spring Bank] and will improve these schemes by allowing cyclists to cross and change direction on these routes).

  • CycHull proposed modal filter upgrades - 3.

  • CycHull proposed new modal filters - 5.