Life is getting easier for those who want to walk.
The city centre has over a mile of pedestrianised streets and a Clear Zone where cars are restricted. There will soon be special pedestrian routes, linking city communities to the centre.
A quarter of all journeys are on foot. Over the last few years much has been done to make the city a more civilised place for pedestrians. We want a city with a continental feel, where people can stroll freely, stop for alfresco refreshments and enjoy new public and civic spaces. The redevelopment of the Market Square will open up many possibilities. When it is finished, the square will have water, trees and cafes. It will become the place to meet friends, make new ones, linger over entertainment, or simply watch the world go by.
To encourage walking, there have been many other changes to the city, too. The centre has more than a mile of pedestrianised streets, for instance, And a Clear Zone that restricts cars and gives walkers priority. The Clear Zone is very important for reducing pollution and improving the quality of the air we breathe in the city centre, too.
The inner ring road, built in the Sixties, severed many of the city’s cultural and historic landmarks from the city centre. The Turning Point project, now nearing completion, has reconnected the Castle, Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham Trent University, the Theatre Royal and, of course, the Victoria Centre. The threatening subways that ran underneath the ring road on Maid Marian Way on Parliament Street have now been filled in and pedestrian crossings installed. Overall 35 miles of footpath in the city have been improved over the last three years.
The City Council is now improving many of the main walking links into the city centre. The routes will be safe, clear and convenient, with new paving, lighting and signs. They will run between inner city communities and the city centre, making traffic dominated areas much more pleasant for pedestrians.
The routes that will be improved over the next five years include Arkwright Street, between the Southside regeneration zone and The Meadows, Canning Circus, including Alfreton Road, the Hockley between St Anns, the Eastside regeneration zone and the city centre and Station Street, making a key link between the Eastside and Nottingham Station.
