Imagine a traffic free Dale Street and the demolition of the Churchill flyover
Imagine a traffic free Dale Street. Imagine that the Churchill flyover is finally demolished.
Once thought unthinkable by some, it may yet become a reality - sooner than you might think.
There would be cheers from many to see the end of the flyover that is widely considered a blight on Liverpool city centre (but necessary at the moment).
From Sunday vehicles travelling along the side of the flyover into Dale Street will only be able to turn right into Hatton Garden while road works are carried out.
The council estimates that half the traffic traveling along Dale Street is headed for the Strand it wants drivers to use the Leeds Street dual carriageway which is effectively an inner ring road.
"Encouraging some of these vehicles to use more appropriate routes, such as Hatton Garden onto Leeds Street, could reduce the traffic by a quarter on one of the oldest streets in the city centre," states the council in a press release announcing the move.
"Removing the traffic onto Hatton Garden will also reduce the number of traffic light phases at this junction so there will be more 'green' time for traffic entering Dale Street from Crosshall Street which is a key public transport route.
"Dale Street is a vital link between the Commercial District and the rest of the city centre so fewer vehicles will make pedestrian movement safer, as well as increasing the safety of the workers delivering the road improvements.
"The closure, which will block one of three flows of traffic moving onto Dale Street, is temporary.
"However, its effect will be closely monitored and consultation will begin to consider a permanent solution for the junction.
"If the closure is made permanent, it will allow the creation of a large pedestrian/public space outside the magistrate courts which will increase pedestrian safety while the reduction of traffic volume on Dale Street will further improve road safety as well as reducing noise and vibration, improve air quality, and create a better public transport route."
This is likely to be just the first part of the council's agenda to reduce traffic in Dale Street.
It is true to say that it is heavily used by buses which would present a problem for fully pedestrianising the road.
But the next logical step in reducing traffic would be the closure of the Churchill flyover...
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Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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Personally I love the flyover, I think the views to the left as you drive down it are brilliant, it's a great way of swooping into the city and I'd be really sad if it was gone.
In my experience the congestion on Dale Street isn't only about the total volume of traffic. Parking and buses are a major cause of the congestion too.
If you're ever on Dale Street in the morning you'll see huge numbers of Arriva buses going down it, rarely with more than two or three passengers on them, and they take up two lanes as they make the turn onto the Strand, which causes congestion up Water Street and back onto Dale Street. If bus routes and timetables were reconfigured Dale Street would get much better.
Also in the mornings you get a lot of delivery vehicles and bin wagons parking on Dale Street, often opposite each other, effectively reducing the road down to one lane, this again causes a lot of the congestion.
I think a cheaper, better, way of reducing Dale Street congestion would be to look at parking enforcement and bus routes and timetables.