Alternate Design #1

This plan is for an eco-town for 50,000 residents made up of smaller pedestrian villages linked by public transport.

Eco-town plan for 50,000 people

Pedestrianised	Trolleybus line	Countryside	Car park	Road

Its many benefits include:

Car usage is cut to a minimum. Cars are only needed for travelling out of town and for moving heavy goods.

True walkability. The town is fully pedestrianised, making walking and cycling safe and enjoyable. There are grocery stores, bakeries and many other services within a short walk of every home. And the town is compact enough to keep everywhere within a 40 minute walk, or 15 minutes by bicycle.

Efficient public transport. Electric trolleybuses arrive every few minutes and never get stuck in traffic. Only 24 trolleybuses are needed at rush-hour.

Nearby green space. The countryside is never more than a 4 minute walk away.

And, again, you don't have to give anything up to live there - residents can still have a house with a garden and a car on the driveway.

Pedestrian Villages

The transit eco-town is divided into 13 districts; 12 outer districts and 1 central district.

Each district is like a large village in its own right, with the outer districts supporting populations of about 3,725 and the central district 5,000 or more.

Simplified street layout of a typical outer district. In reality, streets would be a good deal more varied and would include numerous squares of different sizes

Buildings	Pedestrian street	Green space	Road

600 Metre Diameter

At 600 metres across it takes about 4 minutes to walk from the edge of a district to its centre, to the trolleybus stop located there and the shops and services clustered around it.

Equally, the countryside is only ever 4 minutes away.

Fully Pedestrianised

Districts are fully pedestrianised. Paths are laid out as direct as possible, keeping walking distances short. And, except for buses and emergency vehicles, pedestrians have priority at all times.

Mixed Uses

Mixed uses makes towns more vibrant and, by spreading work places throughout the town rather than concentrating them all at the centre, it also reduces the necessary rush-hour capacity.

In particular, children would attend the primary school in their own district, walking to school; and with two secondary schools, one at each end of the town, older children would be riding in the opposite direction to most workers.

Medium Density

Most people living in the outer districts would live in 2.5 storey row houses with their own gardens.

Non-residential uses would be built more densely. Uses that require good daylight, like offices and schools, would be 4 storeys high. Other uses, like clean industry, need only be 2-3 storeys high because they require much less open space.

The central district would be denser than the outer districts, ranging from 3 storeys at its edge to 5 storeys at its centre.

Murray Grove was constructed in a factory before being assembled on site

Public Transport

The district centres are linked together by articulated trolleybuses running on dedicated lanes.

A compact route layout means lower construction and operating costs, and less waiting and quicker journeys for passengers

Fast and Reliable

With no cars for them to get stuck behind, or even traffic lights for them to wait at, trolleybuses offer fast and reliable transport around town.

Unlike trams, they can also leave the overhead lines and run on auxiliary batteries to bypass any obstacles.

Short Wait

Only 8 trolleybuses are required to provide service at 5 minute intervals. At rush-hour, with all 24 trolleybuses running, the wait would be shorter still.

Free to Ride

Factoring in the costs of smart cards, machines to read them, staff to enforce them and the delays they cause, collecting fares is a significant expense in itself. With everybody in the town using the trolleybus network, it would be simpler and cheaper to cover operating costs through taxes and parking fees instead.

24 Hour Service

A reduced service runs all night long.

Articulated Vehicles

Trolleybuses are double articulated, allowing each driver to transport more passengers and cutting operating costs.

Single articulated buses could be used, but operating costs would increase

Plenty of doors and no onboard payment means that they spend as little time as possible stood still.

Level Boarding

Trolleybuses use kerb guidance at stops, allowing them to pull up closer to the platform and making them easily accessible to everyone. Plus, level boarding reduces dwell times further too.

Guide wheels on the side of the bus... ...push against raised kerbs... ...for level boarding at stops

Hybrid Option

Trolleybuses are by far the best option available for towns and cities too small to justify trams. They emit no pollutants into the street at all, and are several times more energy efficient than hydrogen fuel cell buses, especially when equipped with regenerative brakes.

But, if necessary, hybrid buses - which can cut emissions by up to 40% compared to a regular diesel bus - could be used instead.

Out Of Town Transport

The eco-town would be linked to nearby villages, towns and cities by a railway station and local bus services.

A rail freight depot would also be built.

Road Layout

Roads fall into 2 categories: exterior roads and interior, or service, roads.

Service roads are deliberately unconnected to discourage driving around town

Conventional Exterior Roads

Exterior roads link the districts with the outside world, and function just like any other roads in the country. Speed limits are high, and visitors can even drive right up to and park in the town centre without entering the town at all.

Slow Service Roads

Interior service roads are very different. Rather than short journey times for drivers, the emphasis is on maintaining a pleasant pedestrian environment.

Speeds are limited to about 15mph, and cars have to give way at every junction.

Residents park inside the district, visitors park in the peripheral car park

Buildings	Pedestrian street	Green space	Parking	Road

Rear Parking

Cars are kept separate from the main pedestrian paths, with service roads hidden behind homes.

Residents can park their cars on driveways at the back of the house.

With excellent public transport and car sharing throughout, not everyone will need a driveway

Service roads also allow for the delivery of goods and the collection of waste.

Minimal Impact on Pedestrians

Every house still fronts onto a pedestrian street. Roads only meet pedestrian paths at right angles. And where they do meet, zebra crossings give pedestrians the priority.

The centres of the districts, being denser and housing the majority of functions, remain fully car-free.

Minimal Impact on Public Transport

Again, roads only meet bus lanes at right angles. No traffic lights or special transponders are needed - buses always have right of way.

Carshare Schemes

Carshare schemes throughout the town give residents the option of giving up their car entirely, saving them several thousand pounds a year and a great deal of hassle, but still allowing them access to a car when they need it.

Cycle Path

Whilst cycling is permitted within pedestrian areas, cyclists have to travel relatively slowly. The cycle path shown below links all the outer districts and allows cyclists to travel as fast as they want.

Other cycle paths could certainly be built - for example, running east and west into the countryside from the central district - but this one is the most vital

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