Residents and business owners in Dumfries are now invited to have their say on new ideas designed to not only make streets in the town centre safer and easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle, but also to improve access for deliveries.
Dumfries and Galloway Council has worked with SWESTRANS (Southwest Scotland Regional Transport Partnership) and DPAG (Dumfries Partnership Action Group), to consider how the town centre area can be improved to encourage more people to travel in an active way.
As recognised in the council’s Active Travel Strategy 2022-2032, evidence shows that when more people choose to travel this way, they can benefit from improved health and wellbeing, while whole communities can benefit from reduced pollution and congestion, as well as the economic boost which comes when town centres become more attractive people-friendly spaces.
Ten key locations have been identified as priorities for improvement based on local feedback and issues identified in the Dynamically Different Dumfries project, which was led by DPAG.
They include the High Street, Shakespeare Street, Irish Street, George Street, Academy Street, Buccleuch Bridge and routes from the railway station. Feedback from separate studies looking at parking arrangements in the town centre and the flood prevention measures near the River Nith will be taken into account in this project.
Transport consultants SYSTRA have created design concepts to show what these improvements could look like. The designs follow national guidance and aim to minimise conflict points between pedestrians and cyclists and to be accessible for disabled people. They include segregated cycleways; signage and wayfinding; low level kerbs; tactile paving, and measures to reduce vehicle speed. To improve public areas and create a safe, welcoming environment for residents and visitors, landscaping, planting, benches and sensitive paving will be included.
Once all feedback is taken into account and a decision is made to take any improvements forward, the council will need to secure funding at that point.
An exhibition and drop in event will be held in The Smithy, Dumfries High Street, on 11 and 12 November from 12 to 7pm. A further weekend session will be announced on the council’s engagement webpage shortly.
Details of the proposed schemes and how to comment can be found from Wednesday at: www.dumgal.gov.uk/consultations
For those unable to access the online survey, survey response sheets are available in Ewart Library, Dumfries. They will also be available at the drop-in events.
The public engagement exercise opens on Wednesday 6 November and runs until 16December.
SWESTRANS Chair John Campbell said:
“This is a great opportunity for local people to make their views known on a number of suggested projects across the town centre area. These ideas are important as they offer the chance to improve the whole streetscape of the town centre while providing more opportunities for people to move around in healthier and more sustainable ways. We look forward to meeting as many local people as possible at the drop-in events and I would encourage everyone to complete the survey with your feedback on the proposals, which will inform the way forward.”
DPAG active travel lead Gilbert West said:
“DPAG welcomes the Better Streets proposals for Dumfries town centre. We know how much research and evidence gathering went into these ten schemes. The key priorities in the Dynamically Different Dumfries action plan, based on community feedback, were to have more inclusive streets, better active travel infrastructure and to make pedestrianised areas safer and more usable. So we’re especially pleased to see that the schemes include suggestions for pavement widening, safer and quicker crossings for everyone, and segregation of space between people walking and cycling and those using mobility aids.”