Proposals to revitalise the A414 through St Albans are now out for consultation.
Herts county council’s A414 Corridor Strategy includes 30 sets of proposals along the length of the road, from Hemel Hempstead to Harlow, taking in Watford, St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield and Broxbourne along the way.
For St Albans drivers, plans include improvements to walking and cycling routes, bike parking at the train station, bus services, and junctions near Chiswell Green.
The Corridor Strategy also proposes changes to the Peahen and London Road junction and a new bridge over the Abbey Flyer Line.
Herts county council (HCC) cabinet member for growth, infrastructure, planning and the economy, Derrick Ashley, said, “There are up to 100,000 new homes planned for Hertfordshire by 2031 and 50 per cent of these will be along the A414 route.
“This will have a significant impact on the road itself, and on the towns along the route, and the increased traffic congestion will lead to longer journey times if we do nothing.”
The St Albans Local Plan alone is finding space for 15,000 new homes around the district by 2036.
Cllr Ashley said: “We need to make improvements to this key cross-county road, but just as importantly we need to make walking, cycling and public transport more attractive and practical options.
“This is the biggest period of growth for Hertfordshire since the post Second World War New Towns era. A key part of ensuring we deliver ‘good growth’ will be to ensure that our communities are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.”
He said they are particulaly interested to hear from young people about their future travel.
“To do this we need people to make sustainable transport choices and we need to have the supporting infrastructure and improvements in place along the A414 corridor.
“We want residents to tell us what they think about the A414 Corridor Strategy to help guide our future transport planning and investment.”
The consultation is open until February 25 at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/consultations/transport-and-highways/a414-corridor-summary-of-consultation.aspx#
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