The Farnham Society Traffic Management Group (TMG) studies traffic and movement in Farnham. In October 1998 the TMG produced a report on options for the A31 bypass and the town centre and held an open forum to discuss them. This led to the 3rd lane on the A31 under Firgrove Hill Bridge, the lengthening of the slip road from the A31 to Station Hill, and part traffic signal control for the Shepherd and Flock Roundabout. It is now a good time to revisit earlier ideas and develop proposals for the town centre.

The Town Council commissioned a report from consultants in 2005 for the Town Centre known as 'Farnham Sustainable Town Initiative'. The TMG agree with many of the statements in the report, but find it lacking in ideas that could or should be implemented. There is likely to be steadily increasing travel demand in the area. Furthermore, there are two major projects which, if implemented, will have a major bearing on traffic movements in Farnham, namely A31 Hickleys Corner underpass and the East Street Redevelopment. The proposals in this paper could be introduced with or without either of these projects.

The key objectives must be less overall traffic in central Farnham, less time spent in traffic queues, easier walking and pavement conditions, better bus services to link housing areas to shopping, schools, medical and leisure sites, less roadside pollution and the maintenance of a town centre where people wish to shop, do business, meet friends and enjoy the facilities. Developments in the last 20 years have created housing, schools, shops, and health and leisure centres which are not connected by public transport. Farnham needs a review of overall accessibility within the town and its adjacent communities and of public transport operations.

The skill will be to create a better town centre for residents, shoppers and businesses without draconian measures to limit road traffic. It is easy to want certain things such as wider pavements, less congestion, more convenient crossing points, greater safety and perception of safety, easier access, controlled deliveries. Not all are possible given the existing layout without restricting traffic volumes substantially. It must be recognised that there is no possibility of providing new roads in the urban area for the foreseeable future.

At present walking is good in places -Long Garden Walk, through the churchyard, along Castle Street, but bad in the Borough, Downing Street, East Street and South Street. Pavements cannot be widened unless traffic flows become one lane with consequential substantial additional traffic congestion, delays and pollution. Several narrow pavements still have signposts blocking the pavement. Do these really need to be in the pavement? Many buildings have rainwater drains which flow on the surface across the pavement.

3.2 Public Transport

Public transport is very limited, infrequent and under- used. It is concentrated on rail services to London, and local buses to Aldershot, Haslemere, Winchester, etc. The rail station is away from the town centre and the location of many new shops and facilities make it difficult for those without a car to use them. There is no encouragement to use public transport.

Actions

The large one-way gyratory system around central Farnham is a cause of traffic delays, additional traffic mileage, and excess speed especially along South Street. It no longer serves the original design purpose. Two-way roads are usually safer, have shorter journey distances for users, are less polluting, and are generally perceived by pedestrians as roads that are less dominated by traffic. The existing signing of the A325 from the Coxbridge and Shepherd & Flock roundabouts is through central Farnham. This traffic should be routed via the A3l By-pass, which would return the signage to what it was before the Runfold diversion was built. Deliveries in the Borough and Downing Street, and the railway crossing gates in Station Hill are the causes of much traffic delay.

There are options for the town centre which improve conditions for all road users.

The enforcement of on street parking and deliveries is a constant problem. Access for deliveries to many shops has to be from the street. In the Borough and Downing Street especially these deliveries cause traffic problems. Parking in the evening in West Street has become a serious problem and a constraint on safe traffic flow and access for emergency vehicles.