By 2031 there will be 175,000 more people living in Hertfordshire using the transport system, not to mention the growing populations outside the county travelling to and through the county.
The Conservative County Council is planning ahead to put sustainable plans in place to support this growth.
The A414 corridor is the strategic east-west transport route in the County which runs from Harlow to Hemel Hempstead. At the moment there are very few opportunities for continuous travel by public transport which means that people have to use their cars to make even short journeys along the corridor. There are also limited opportunities for walking and cycling, with poor and discontinuous routes in many areas. With the need for so many new homes planned for Hertfordshire (of which, 50% will be along the A414.) this needs an holistic transport plan to housing plans and the growth of Hertfordshire.
The recently adopted Local Transport Plan sets the County Council’s long term transport strategy and provides a framework to guide all future transport planning and investment. The focus is on routing traffic to the most appropriate roads, providing a real alternative to the car for inter-urban travel in the form of a new cross-county public transport system and providing choice for local residents by improving opportunities for walking and cycling.
Councillor Derrick Ashley said, "We need to achieve a change in travel behaviour in Hertfordshire so people choose to travel by other modes for journeys that don’t need to be made by car. There is huge potential for this within towns and between adjacent towns. A combination of policies and improvements will be required to tip the balance in favour of non-car modes, and it will be to everyone’s benefit that by 2031 we have evolved our transport system to be less dependent on the car."
Herts County Council have published the strategy and are consulting on it. Part of this is improved sustainable access to St Albans City Station along Grosvenor Road and Ridgemont Road. Other recommendations are to London Road to widen the footpath outside the cinema, improve cycling and to improve the Watson's Walk/London Road junction.The county council is asking people for their views on improvements to the A414 that set out how it can manage this extra strain in the future while improving links for pedestrians and cyclists, and making public transport options more attractive. The consultation is open until Saturday 23 February 2019.
To comment on the A414 corridor strategy, please go to https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/consultations/transport-and-highways/a414-corridor-summary-of-consultation.aspx.