Traffic and Parking Issues associated with the proposed 3G pitch at Laurel Park
Much comment has been made about the additional problems that will be caused around parking and traffic for local residents of Laurel Park and should the 3G pitch be sited in Lurel Park
This document seeks to quantify what those issues might be in terms of numbers.
To do this, it is easiest to create a model around 100% usage and then adjust that number down – based on what actual utilisation rate Wokingham Council eventually chose in the financial model.
Scenario 1 – Evening 5-a-side-football
- The 3G pitch at Laurel Park will be marked out to allow four games to be played at the same time. If each team consist of five players plus two substitutes/coach/supporter- that would mean 56 people on the pitch.
- If we assume there is some car-sharing and some people might walk to the pitch, this is countered by people (especially children) who might be dropped off (whilst this might alleviate parking issues – it will double the number of car journeys up and down Marefield)
- This assumption can be challenged- but for the calculations in this document we are using a number of 80% of the 56 attendees will drive a car. So, 45 cars will drive up Marefield for the first session at 18.00.
- At 18.50 another 45 cars will drive up Marefield to start their 19.00 football slot. But 45 cars are already parked. There are 60 parking spaces. 15 of the new session are able to park. Where do the other 30 cars go whilst they wait for the18.00 footballers to finish and vacate the car park – probably around 19.10?
- At around 19.10 45 cars will now leave the pitch and drive down Marefield to leave the 3G pitch at Laurel Park
- The average length of cars on British Roads is 4.5m. so 45 cars queuing to exit Marefield will queue for a quarter of a kilometre up Marefield. (Allowing for 1m of separation)
- The average queue time at the Marefield to Rushey Way junction will of course vary based on time of day, Weather, driver competence and how many cars are queuing from the left to turn into Marefield?
- The average of 30 seconds will mean the person at the back of the queue will be waiting for 22 minutes to exit onto Rushey way.
- These calculations of course ignore any other use of the road by residents, visitors, other groups of users who may wish to visit Laurel Park such as dog walkers, anglers, walkers and parents taking their children to the play park.
- The double traffic scenario of arriving players and exiting players will take place three times every evening.
To summarise scenario 1
- There will be 450 car movements per evening up and down Marefield.
- There is a shortage per session of 15 car parking spaces.
- The 3G pitch will produce queues in total of 110 minutes every evening down Marefield to get out onto Rushey Way
- There will be 1,25Km of traffic queues per evening.
- These numbers do not include other users
Scenario 2 Weekend Football – 3 x 11-a-side Pitches being used and 4 x 5-a-side Pitches being used
- If we use the same 100% utilisation model then three 11-a-side football matches will create 11 players plus two substitutions, a coach and 1 supporter which equals 16 people. Therefore, three games will produce an attendance of 96 people.
- Using the same 80% utilisation of cars again- we see 77 vehicles attending the session. On a busy Saturday or Sunday the existing parking at Laurel Park is not currently sufficient with visiting teams being asked not to park in the car park –and use Maiden Place or local roads.
- This means 156 existing vehicle movements up and down Marefield.
- We now need to layer over this the people attending the park to play on the 3G Pitch.
- We now need to add in the 90 car movements per hour generated by the 3G pitch.
- A Saturday morning in Marefield (9 to 12) could now see 424 vehicle movements.
- If the 11-a-side game starts first there will be NO parking for 107 vehicles during the Saturday 9 till 12 slot.
- As stated, these scenarios use a 100% utilisation model. When we know the actual utilisation Wokingham Council will use in its formal plan – we can then apply that % to these numbers.
- I have made no effort to comment on the extra noise pollution caused by additional vehicle movements, air pollution caused by the hours of queuing traffic, the danger of the additional car movements up a residential cul-de-sac and the management of the additional traffic turning right into Marefield from Rushey Way.
The document summary can bed found here
Pauline Jorgensen is the lead on traffic within Wokingham District Council and can be contacted on Facebook on the Earley Residents Discussion Board, or Pauline.Jorgensen@wokingham.gov.uk.