Safer, Greener, Healthier Braintree

Due to its large rural location and fragmented bus and cycle networks, Braintree has a high reliance on car use, with car ownership - at 83% - higher than the regional or national average. With traffic returning to pre-pandemic levels, it’s important to make changes to meet our carbon zero targets, cut air pollution and reduce congestion so that the town can be used and enjoyed for generations to come.

Walking, cycling, or using public transport for a short journey just twice a week could see a reduction of 50,000 car journeys from within the town.

The active travel 2 works for Braintree include:

Station Approach: improved cycling provisions and facilities connecting the train station with the town centre and links to Coggeshall Road as well as improved public realm for pedestrians around the station. Works to install new speed limit roundels and road entrance and exit as well as on-carriageway cycle markings, refreshing the existing lining, on-carriageway cycle roundels, relocation of cycle shelter, footway resurfacing and widening are taking place this autumn. The vision is to encourage walking and cycling connections through the town centre and onto Panfield Lane. A 20mph limit has already been implemented.
Panfield Lane: a segregated cycleway and footways have been installed on each side with a 20mph limit. Improved and new crossing facilities, refreshed on-carriageway markings, resurfacinging of existing carriageway, an improvement to existing signs and new cycle symbol markings have all been actioned.
South Street: the signalised crossing has been widened to provide more space for both cyclists and pedestrians when crossing the road (cyclists will need to dismount when crossing). New footway reconstruction and dropped kerbs and lining refresh have also been completed.
Fairfield Road: 20mph speed limit connecting with Manor Street and the Avenue to Coggeshall Road have been introduced. Cycle markings on the carriageway and other minor works are now complete.
A partially-segregated cycleway on Coggeshall Road, Rayne Road and Bank Street will be installed autumn/winter 2023 as well as on-carriageway cycle markings, existing crossing facilities upgrade, on-carriageway markings refresh and improvements to existing signage.
Healthy School Street zones have been introduced on Gilchrist Lane and Lancaster Way including temporary street art, "20s Plenty" signage and pencil bollards.

Please see the story mapper in the section below which sets out the original scheme details consulted on between May and July 2021.

Recent works in Braintree

1. Lancaster Way and Gilchrist Way 2. Panfield Lane 3. Rayne Road, Bank Street and Coggeshall Road 4. Fairfield Road, Manor Street and The Avenue 5. South Street and Station Approach

1. Thermoplastic 'Children Crossing Warning' road sign 2. Temporary street art 3. New '20's Plenty' signage 4. Refresh road markings

1. Upgraded and new crossing facilities 2. On carriageway cycle lane 3. Provision of new cycle lane (northbound and southbound) 4. Installation of cycle markings along whole length of Panfield Lane 5. Signage improvements along whole length of Panfield Lane 6. Carriageway resurfacing

1. Upgrading of existing crossing facilities 2. On carriageway cycle markings (west to east) 3. Improvements to existing signs 4. New segregated cycle lane (east to west) 5. Refresh of on carriageway markings 6. On carriageway cycle markings along length of Coggeshall Road to The Avenue

1. On carriageway cycle markings 2. New signage

1. Existing pedestrian crossing widened, new footway reconstruction and new dropped kerbs 2. On carriageway cycle roundels 3. On carriageway cycle markings 4. Relocation of cycle shelter in car park 5. Footway resurfacing and footway widening 6. Speed limit roundels and road entrance and exit

Consultation Story Mapper

Braintree Story Mapper - Link

Documents

Braintree Map - JPG(258.8KB)

Braintree ATF 20mph proposal - PDF(1.4MB)