Spotlight on the Ring Road
The opportunity to talk on the Shane O’Connor Breakfast Show helped swell numbers at our October meeting when Coventry City Council's Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Highways, Colin Knight, joined with member Chris Daniel to present Coventry Ring Road—Love it or Hate it?
The 2009 Talking Bird’s film describing the making of the Ring Road featured member Brian Rednap who was one of the engineers responsible for its construction. Sadly Brian couldn’t make the meeting for health reasons but his contribution through the film was greatly appreciated. One of our newest members, Ben Freeman, was one of the people involved with building the ring road. He appeared on the video and also spoke at our meeting.
Chris Daniel walked the entire length of the road on both inner and outer rings to prepare a picture slide report for the evening. He found the whole experience quite revealing. “My presentation was titled "Embrace and Adapt", said Chris. It was based on the practicality of dealing with the Ring Road as it exists, it functions and the belief it won’t be erased. I perceive an opportunity to build on the original concept with significant scope to improve vehicle, cycle, and pedestrian access into and out of the City Centre.”
Observations included: Connections through the viaducts can be reinforced when they are already light, airy and open. As the Friargate proposal shows the road can be bridged, facilitating much improved connections between the railway station and the city centre. The greening, wherever possible, of the road and its environs can help transform the appearance and thus the reputation of the Ring Road. Car access to the city centre works, but the experience is largely poor, negative and unwelcoming. Coach access is simply awful and the worst possible welcome. Pedestrian interface is a real issue, and its transformation presents a significant challenge. We have created "no go" zones, and the subways and walkways are not fit for purpose. The visual impression is largely negative with a long standing lack of appropriate maintenance and management. The whole fabric is very poor with barriers everywhere being negative both physically and psychologically. Areas that have become derelict and intimidating were highlighted.
Colin Knight stated that the Ring Road "does what it says on the tin". It is essential for free movement of traffic in the city centre and is here to stay. That is not to say that it doesn't need bringing up to date but the road still has capacity to cope in the future. He admitted that some of the plans are controversial, such as Friargate and the plan to put a pedestrian crossing at Bishop Street and in relation to the latter he said that safety considerations would be paramount. He said that plans are currently being developed for the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Ring Road, next year, and these include closing the road for vehicles so that cyclists and pedestrians can again take advantage of this unique view of the city centre.
A lively question & answer session were testament to well received presentations from Colin and Chris. One of our visitors suggested that there are actually twelve accesses through the Ring Road and we could do a marketing exercise based on the concept of the clockface, linked to the city's historic clock making heritage.
Notwithstanding the problems highlighted in the presentations the Ring Road is clearly a functional success and a great design achievement. We look forward to its 40th anniversary celebration next year.
