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Background

Ecclesall Road was built early in the 19th century as a turnpike road, with the first toll being paid at Hunters Bar. It is a key route connecting many local areas to Sheffield City Centre, and provides access to the Peak District and cities further afield, such as Manchester, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent.

The Ecclesall Road corridor runs for about 3.5 miles south-west from Sheffield City Centre, and is home to over 240 businesses, including some of Sheffield’s most popular pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, shops and boutiques. The road also provides access to many residential communities, as well as a range of schools and universities.

The popularity of Ecclesall Road means it is often heavily congested, particularly at peak rush hour times, when the corridor acts as a key commuter route. Up to 26,000 vehicles travel along the road every day, and delays are common for all road users. The Ecclesall Road Smart Route is designed to maintain existing walking, cycling and public transport levels while encouraging some car users to consider other options. This is particularly important as car use by single occupants generates the majority of congestion along Ecclesall Road. Currently, around 4,250 trips are made along Ecclesall Road during the morning rush hour; approximately 3,100 are by car and 1,150 are by bus. Bus passengers benefit from the dedicated peak bus lanes along Ecclesall Road, however large numbers of passengers still experience delays throughout the day.

As investment in the city grows and traffic levels continue to increase, more people will be travelling to, from and through the area, which could cause further delays to all road users, impacting upon road safety and reducing air quality. There is a pressing need to tackle congestion and provide better public transport, as well as improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. The Ecclesall Road Smart Route is designed to deal with these problems.

In May and June 2009, we asked residents, businesses and people that travel along Ecclesall Road about their priorities for the road and the locations they would like to see improved. As part of this initial phase of consultation we received over 450 responses and we have used these to design improvements for travel along Ecclesall Road. This second phase of consultation will now allow everyone along Ecclesall Road to have their say about these proposals.

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