Stoke-on-Trent Transforming Cities Fund
Since 2021, TMS has been involved in auditing the highway improvement works for Station Road and College Road, which form part of the Stoke-on-Trent Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). We were commissioned as part of the Stoke TCF, to carry out Stage 1 Road Safety Audits in August 2021 and have recently just completed the detailed design road safety audits for the project.
Stoke-on-Trent were awarded £29 million by the Department for Transport though the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) in recognition of the council’s commitment to driving economic growth through investment in sustainable public transport. The funding sets out to transform how people move around the city, address current infrastructure challenges, and create better connections between the railway station, city centre and key employment sites across the area.
(Artist impression taken from Station Road Consultation link)
The schemes on Station Road and College Road aim to promote active travel across Stoke-on-Trent. They are designed to make it safer, quicker, and easier to walk and cycle between key arrival and destination points in the city. They will also link into other schemes connecting to Shelton New Road, Newcastle, and the city centre.
Together, the schemes aim to increase the number of people cycling, improve safe and inclusive access for cycling, contribute to improved air quality, improve health and wellbeing of residents by supporting sustainable and active travel, and support the regeneration and economic growth of the city.
The works along Station Road and College Road include:
- A short section of bus gate in front of the station entrance, with access for buses, taxis, and cyclists only.
- Removal of the roundabout at the junction with College Road to provide priority for buses between the Station and College Road.
- New zebra crossings over Station Road on each side of the train station.
- Narrowing of the carriageway to 6m along Station Road from College Road to Leek Road to reduce vehicle speeds and provide more space for pedestrians outside the station.
- Relocation of the Josiah Wedgwood Statue to the other side of the road in front of the train station entrance, to allow for the carriageway realignment.
- Removal of on-street parking outside of Federation House to create wider footways for pedestrians.
- New single-lane approach on Station Road toward the junction with Leek Road, to provide room for wider footway.
The audit team are looking forward to seeing the project complete and returning to site to carry out the Stage 3 Road Safety Audits in the future.
At TMS, we carry out a huge amount of Road Safety Audits each year in the Stoke and Staffordshire area. If you have a scheme that requires a Road Safety Audit in this region or anywhere else in the country, then please call us on +44 (0)24 7669 0900 or please email Lorna Styring.
(NB: Header Image – Artist impression taken from Station Road Consultation link)