Steer was commissioned by Waltham Forest Council to develop designs from feasibility through to detailed design to transform the ‘Walthamstow gyratory’, the Selborne Road and Hoe Street junction and the area around Walthamstow Central Station and Bus Station.
Steer developed proposals to ensure that the improved transport network can act as a catalyst for the Council’s investment programme; supporting growth and the planned delivery of 2,000 new homes within the area and making the town centre a more pleasant, accessible and safer area for everyone.
Key objectives included:
- A network of direct joined up cycle routes
- Better places for everyone
- Safer streets & more people travelling by bike
- Future-proofing road infrastructure
- Better balance between movement & place
- Reduce impacts to the bus network
- Management of long-term development aspirations
- Integration with WTC Placemaking Framework
How we helped the client
The team produced an Existing Conditions Report to scope out existing constraints and issues with the original gyratory, which included poor integration with existing cycle infrastructure. The original road network also crosses a railway line by means of two separate bridges, one of which is structurally weak. This presented the opportunity to improve the area and rebalance the space for non-road users.
As lead designer, our team developed numerous concept options to balance the conflicting pressures and reconfigure junctions to contribute to improving the quality of the streetscape.
Through feasibility designs, stakeholder engagement and consultation, we developed a single solution to prioritise cycle, pedestrian and public transport movement over private car use.
The main feature of the design involved the removal of the complex gyratory layout and inserting a third bridge deck in between the two existing structures and relocating northbound traffic movements onto this new structure.
We identified opportunities to enhance the public realm and integrate off-carriageway cycle facilities by pedestrianising the structurally weak northbound bridge thereby avoiding demolition and additional construction costs.
Our team also developed advanced works information to widen the bus station exit to two lanes to improve capacity and bus reliability to help protect bus journey times throughout the main construction phase.
Image courtesy of what if: projects Ltd