Middlesbrough South-Eastern Connectivity: Town Centre to Nunthorpe

Closing Date: 16th August 2024

Location: Middlesbrough

Travel
This consultation is now closed. 

Marton Road connects Middlesbrough town centre with James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough Sports Village, and the residential areas of Marton and Nunthorpe. The route is busy and often congested for all road users. We want your ideas for making bus, walking, wheeling, and cycling journeys easier along this route.

Marton Road is an important route particularly for people accessing James Cook University Hospital, a major regional hospital with a 24-hour emergency department. Marton Road also provides links to Albert Park and Teesside University in the town centre, as well as to local shops and services. Marton Road is also a key route for those wanting to access the Sports Village and Stewart Park in the south towards the A174. Lots of people travel through the area to visit, work, or study at James Cook University Hospital meaning Marton Road can get very busy, leading to delays.

For an enlarged version of the map, please click here.

Current Transport Issues

The area surrounding James Cook University Hospital is often congested, resulting in buses and other vehicles being delayed in both directions. Congestion at the junctions between the hospital and the Marton Burn Road roundabout also cause delays to bus journeys.

Walking, wheeling, and cycling links between Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough town centre are also limited. Marton Road is a very busy route with lots of vehicle traffic which can feel unsafe for people walking, wheeling, and cycling.

We think that there are opportunities to make journeys between Middlesbrough town centre and Nunthorpe safer and more enjoyable, to encourage more people to walk, wheel, cycle, or take the bus, especially for shorter trips.

We have identified the following transport issues between Marton Road and Nunthorpe:

Marton Road / Belle Vue Roundabout

  • Congestion for all vehicles at the Marton Road / Belle Vue roundabout causes delays to bus journeys especially at busy times.

Ladgate Lane / Marton Road

  • This is a busy junction and traffic builds up at the traffic lights especially at busy times. Buses get stuck in the queues meaning journeys are longer and less reliable.

Marton Road to Nunthorpe

  • Existing cycle route on Marton Road does not provide a continuous dedicated and safe route for cyclists travelling from Nunthorpe to Middlesbrough Town Centre.
  • Very slow bus speeds meaning bus journeys take longer than they are meant to.
  • Congestion along the route due to high levels of traffic, number of traffic lights, and interaction with side roads.
  • Congestion outside James Cook University Hospital.
  • Occasionally unauthorised vehicles that aren’t buses or taxi’s turn off Marton Road onto roads they shouldn’t be allowed to access.
Opportunities

We aim to deliver improvements that enhance bus, walking, wheeling, and cycling journeys, making these modes of travel more attractive and convenient options.

Here are some opportunities that may help address the issues on this route:

  • Introduce measures to give buses priority over other vehicles, such as a dedicated bus lane.
  • Traffic light systems that give buses priority at junctions and queue jump lanes.
  • We could improve the layout of junctions and roads.
  • We could implement intelligent traffic management systems to reduce overall congestion and improve traffic flow.
  • We could enforce restricted access locations (e.g. through cameras)
  • There is an opportunity to fill in gaps in the walking and cycling network to provide a continuous route for people walking, wheeling, and cycling.
  • Provide new segregated cycle lanes that are separate and safer than cycling on the road.
  • Upgraded crossing facilities to allow walkers, wheelers, and cyclists to cross the road safely.
Benefits

These may offer :

  • Buses can bypass waiting traffic, so they can move ahead more quickly.
  • Buses could move through junctions more efficiently.
  • Red light waiting times could reduce.
  • Quicker journey times for buses using priority measures.
  • Reduced congestion and queuing could result in more reliable journeys for all vehicles, including emergency vehicles travelling to the James Cook University Hospital.
  • Safer and more attractive journeys to empower more people walking, wheeling, and cycling.
  • Dedicated paths for cyclists mean they do not need to share road space, reducing conflicts with other road users.
  • Improved walking, wheeling, and cycling links between Middlesbrough town centre and areas to the south.
  • Contributes to the delivery of a full and connected network of cycle routes across Middlesbrough.
Impacts

We recognise that there may be some impacts, these could include:

  • Vehicles might need to give way to buses.
  • Cars and other vehicles may have to wait slightly longer at traffic lights or junctions.
  • The existing carriageway may need to be narrowed to make space for bus priority, walking, wheeling, and cycle paths.

Timeline

Stage 1 - Sharing ambitions and vision for transport improvements across Tees Valley. Summer 2023
Stage 2 - Public engagement looking at key issues and opportunities around potential transport solutions. Early 2024
Stage 3 - Specific consultations after transport plans are further developed with public feedback taken onboard.

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