Report by:

Group Manager - Traffic & Project Management

Technical Services

Ward Implications:

All

For Decision

Synopsis

This report sets out proposals to replace the existing City Centre Meter Zone with a Controlled Parking Zone with new boundaries and restrictions.

Decision Recommended

Authorise the Head of Legal Services to make the appropriate Traffic Regulation Orders

Background

The City Centre Meter Zone was created in 1963 at a time when parking meters and yellow lines were being used in Newcastle for the first time. The Zone helped motorists to understand that they were entering an area where special parking and waiting restrictions applied.

The current Meter Zone has a standard `single yellow line' restriction applying throughout it from 8.00am to 6.30pm every day. Other restrictions may be applied on some streets which impose additional restrictions such as double yellow lines, loading bays, charged parking, disabled bays etc.

4.

The Problem

4.1

The Meter Zone area was established to encompass an area which was seen as ` the City Centre' and within which there were common parking and waiting problems. However, today's traffic problems are very different and the Zone bears no relation to newer boundaries and gateways to the City Centre which have been created in the last 44 years such as the Central Motorway, St James' Boulevard, and Redheugh Bridge. A good example of the anomaly that has now been created is in the Shieldfield residential area. This community, lying to the east of the Central Motorway, is viewed by most people as lying outside the City Centre but it actually lies within the City Centre Meter Zone. As you travel out of the City Centre on Sandyford Road you pass `Meter Zone Ends' signs near to Sandyford House but just further on when turning right into Shieldfield you re-enter the Meter Zone with new Zone Entry signs on the street. This is clearly confusing for the public and can lead to enforcement problems. There is a strong argument that the boundaries of the Meter Zone should be reviewed

4.2

Being in its basic form, a day-time waiting restriction, the single yellow line Meter Zone still allows motorists to park on some streets after 6.30pm each day. This can lead to congestion issues after 6.30pm, blocking of streets and accesses which cause difficulties for essential public transport and emergency services and, in many cases pedestrians and people with accessibility problems. Any restriction designed to address this can require additional signs and poles which are costly and add to street clutter.

4.3

During the day time, i.e. 8.00am to 6.30pm, single yellow and double yellow lines mean exactly the same thing, i.e. no waiting. It is only after 6.30pm that they differ. Unfortunately this fact is lost on many drivers and it can lead to abuse of single yellow lines during the day where motorists mis-understand the meaning of the restriction. This can bring about exactly the same problems as outlined above in Para 4.2, only this time during busier traffic periods. In essence, many motorists will take a chance parking on a single yellow line during the day but they will not take the same risk on a double yellow line even though the legal restriction is the same. i.e. the double yellow line has a greater self-enforcing quality.

5.

The Proposal

5.1

As part of the implementation of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and the encompassing of Civilianised Parking Enforcement, under which the Council will take over responsibility for yellow line enforcement from the Police, a full City-wide review of all parking and waiting restrictions is taking place. This involves an audit and review of all restrictions establishing the location of all restrictions, their legal authority, their need etc. This review therefore offers an ideal opportunity to address some of the problems in the City Centre Meter Zone, outlined in Section 4 above, in the most efficient and cost effective way.

5.2

It is therefore proposed to change the Meter Zone by :-

5.3

Re-defining the boundaries

It is proposed to re-define the boundaries of the CPZ to include:-

The existing Meter Zone boundary and the proposed CPZ boundary are shown in Appendix 1.

To simplify the understanding of the CPZ boundary for motorists the entry points would be, for example, as you leave the Central Motorway to enter Durant Road, or leaving St James' Boulevard to enter Westmorland Road. This means that the boundary roads would not be part of the CPZ and these major roads will be restricted with their own Traffic Regulation Orders.

Areas, such as Shieldfield, will be controlled with new individual restrictions.

5.4

Re-defining the time restriction of the Zone.

To avoid the congestion and access problems outlined in Section 4 above, it is proposed to remove all single yellow lines from the new CPZ and utilise `No Waiting At Any Time' double yellow lines on all streets within the Zone. However, these restriction will not apply to lengths of streets where other restrictions are in place such as charged parking, disabled bays, loading bays , bus stop clearways, zig-zags etc.

This change will assist with enforcement by improving the clarity of the restrictions and will remove obstructive parking from many streets. Recent changes in national legislation will mean that no road signing will be needed with the double yellow lines proposed for the CPZ. This will allow many existing poles and signs to be remove thereby reducing street clutter.

5.5

Re-naming the Zone as a Controlled Parking Zone or CPZ

To assist motorists in understanding the changes to the Zone it is proposed to rename the Meter Zone as a Controlled Parking Zone. This will have a better fit with national legislation and regulations.