Traffic Patterns

Traffic flows around Shrewsbury's 
Air Quality Management Areas
Traffic flow analysis

The following traffic flow analysis is based on information supplied by Shropshire County Council during May 2003. The information is based on actual traffic counts carried out over a 12-hour period in 2001 and 2002 by consultants 'Count On Us' on behalf of Parkman Consultants. All data have been factored to produce 24-hour annual average figures, and to take account of traffic growth between 2001 and 2002.

AQMA 1: Town Centre - Castle Gates, along Smithfield Road to Frankwell Island

Breakdown of traffic type

The breakdown of traffic type in this area reveals the following:

79% car, reducing to 64% at Castle Foregate/Gates junction (range 64-84%)
13.5% HGV/OGV, increasing to 25% at Castle Foregate/Gates junction (range 10-25%)
4.5% bus/coach, increasing to 15% at the Smithfield/Barker Street interchange (range 1-15%)
1% motorcycle (range 0.5-2%)
2% push bike, increasing to 3.5% at the Barker Street/Smithfield Rd interchange and 7% at Castle Foregate/Gates junction (range 0.5-7%)
The following can be stated concerning traffic flows in this area:

Smithfield Road - vehicles from the east

The main feeds of traffic into Smithfield Road from the east are from Ditherington along Castle Foregate (6,800 vehicles) and along Ellesmere Road (5,500 vehicles). Of these, 5,000 vehicles carry straight on into town along Castle Street, with the rest turning along Smithfield Road (6,800 vehicles). There is a higher percentage of LGV/OGV's entering the area from this direction at 25% of total traffic volume, compared to an average of 13.5%. This reduces to 10% of total traffic volume along Smithfield Road towards the Welsh Bridge, suggesting that the majority of LGV/OGV's are servicing the town centre.

7% of this volume of traffic consists of push-bikes (220 bikes), the highest percentage at any point within this area, although in terms of actual numbers this increases to 370 on Frankwell Island and Barker Street (higher numbers, but lower overall percentage of total vehicle movements).

In total, 7,000 vehicles travel along Smithfield Rd from the east in a 24-hour period. Only 100 of these vehicles are busses or coaches.

Rousehill and Raven Meadows

During a 24-hour period, 1,500 vehicles enter Rousehill from Smithfield Road from the east, and 3,400 from the west.

4,450 vehicles leave via Raven Meadows, suggesting that almost all of the traffic entering Rousehill leaves via Raven Meadows, perhaps using the car park. The graphs below give an indication of the traffic flows at this point, suggesting that there is a peak flow during commuter hours, presumably entering and leaving the car park at Raven Meadows.

There may also be a high number of shoppers using the car park, as suggested by the double peak flow of traffic entering and leaving via this route.

Cars entering the area

Bus Station

In a 24-hour period, 650 busses/coaches enter and leave the bus station on Smithfield Road out of a total of 22,500 vehicle movements along this stretch, a small percentage of traffic (less than 5% of total volume of traffic). As previously mentioned, only 100 enter the bus station from the east.

Barker Street

From Barker Street, 12,300 vehicles enter the area in question. Of these, 7,700 turn east along Smithfield Road and 4,600 carry on over the Welsh Bridge.

At this point, 15% of the traffic consists of bus/coaches (545 vehicles), most of which turn in the direction of the bus station. Only 3% carry on over the Welsh Bridge.

It is interesting to note that 370 push-bikes use this stretch (3.5% of overall traffic volume) and perhaps they should be better catered for at this junction.

Welsh Bridge

In a 24-hour period, 21,000 vehicles cross over the Welsh Bridge, 10,000 of these coming into town from Frankwell Island. In addition to this volume, 1750 vehicles enter Frankwell car park in a 24-hour period, as illustrated in the graphs below:

Frankwell Island

Frankwell Island has 3 main feeder roads, and one residential entry road. The latter has approximately 600 vehicle movements in a 24-hour period and services the residential area of Mountfields.

Almost 13,000 vehicles enter Frankwell Island from the Welsh Bridge, an additional 7,000 from New Street (A488) and another 4,500 from Frankwell (A458) bringing the total on the roundabout within a 24-hour period to 24,500 vehicles.

12,000 vehicles head towards the direction of the Welsh Bridge from the roundabout, 10,000 crossing over the bridge and almost 2000 entering the car park area. The second busiest area is along the A488, New Street, where 8,000 vehicles leave the roundabout and 7,000 join. In comparison almost 5,000 leave the roundabout at Frankwell (A458) and 4,500 join.

In total, almost 13,000 vehicles enter Frankwell Island and leave either via Frankwell on the A458, or along New Street along the A488.

13% of the traffic volume consist of LGV/OGV's and only 2% consists of bus/coaches. A high number of push-bikes use this area (370) although it is only 1% of the overall traffic volume. Perhaps better facilities could be provided for cyclists at this point.

AQMA 2: Heathgates Island

Breakdown of traffic type

The breakdown of traffic type in this area reveals the following:

81% car, (range 64-86%)
16.5% LGV/OGV, (range 12-36%)
1% bus/coach, (range 0.2-3.2%)
1% motorcycle (range 0.7-1.8%)
0.5% push bike, (range 0-3.2%)
Heathgates Island has a higher total vehicle count than the town centre at 45,000 vehicles within a 24-hour period. There is a slightly higher percentage of LGV/OGV movements at this location in comparison with the town centre area, but a lower percentage of bus/coach movements.

Summary of vehicle origin:

11,000 are from the Witchurch Road (A5112)
13,500 are from Telford Way (A5112)
6,500 are from Sundorne Road (B5062)
14,000 of these are from the direction of the town centre along Ditherington Road (A5191)
The following can be stated concerning traffic flows in this area:

Witchurch Road

The majority of vehicles entering Heathgates Island from this direction turn along Telford Way (5,800) or carry along Ditherington Road towards the town centre (5,000). Only 300 vehicles turn along Sundorne Road.

Telford Way

The majority of vehicles entering Heathgates Island from this direction turn along Ditherington Road towards the town centre (5,200), along the Whitchurch Road towards the edge of town (5,700) or along Sundorne Road (2,700).

Sundorne Road

The majority of vehicles entering Heathgates Island from this direction turn along Telford Way (3,000) or Ditheringotn Road towards the town centre (3,000). Only 400 vehicles turn along Whitchuch Road.

Ditherington Road

The majority of vehicles entering Heathgates Island from this direction carry straight on along the Whitchurch Road (5,000). Almost 3,000 vehicles turn along Sundorne Road, and almost 5,000 along Telford Way. 1,500 vehicles drive around the roundabout and back down Ditherington Road, the majority presumably originating from Mount Pleasant Road (where there is a 'no right turn' filtering vehicles onto the roundabout).

AQMA 3: A49 through Bayston Hill

There is currently no data available for traffic flows through Bayston Hill on the A49. However, brief data has been supplied for the A49 through Leebotwood, from which assumptions will have to be drawn for the time being.

A total of 10,3000 vehicles passed through Leebotwood during 2002. These vehicles break down into the following percentage categories:

74.2% Car
11.9% LGV
11.9% HGV
0.6.% Bus
1.4% Motorcycle
0% Cycle
There is no data available for the A49 at Bayston Hill. However, Shropshire County Council are in the process of purchasing a new traffic management modeling package which will contain information on the trunk roads, including the A49 stretch in question. An assessment of the situation in Bayston Hill may then be able to be carried out in more detail.

Glossary

Abbreviations:

AQMA - Air Quality Management Area

LGV - Light Goods Vehicle

OGV - Other Goods Vehicle