City of the Future is campaigning for the establishment of an independent organisation, modelled on the Milton Keynes Parks Trust, to take over the maintenance and construction of the main road system and redway system in Milton Keynes. This will include the grid roads and other major routes currently managed by Milton Keynes Council. The trust will be incorporated with a charter requiring it to:
- Maintain the design standards of the grid road system, including a 60mph operating speed, grade-separated pedestrian crossings, and 80m-wide landscaped corridors along all grid roads, restoring these standards where they have been departed from in recent years.
- Extend the grid road system into all new developments, built to the above standards and including the grid road naming and numbering system.
- This includes re-naming existing roads on grid road alignments, such as Countess Way, and extending grid road names and numbers along the A422 and A421 into expansion areas.
- Maintain all major roads and redways to a high standard of repair, including repairing or replacing all damaged or missing signage, road markings, and street lighting.
- Match all new street furniture, as closely as possible on a reasonable budget, to the original designs developed by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation.
- This includes restoring these designs where they have been lost in recent years and extending them into all new developments, except where the use of globe lanterns on residential roads may cause unacceptable light pollution or nuisance.
- Keep vegetation trimmed across the network to preserve sight lines at junctions and ensure motorists have clear visibility of footpaths, redways, and opposite carriageways.
- Engage in an ongoing program of grid road improvements, including dualling and junction enlargement, to ensure road capacity is always in excess of demand.
- Partner with bus operators to deliver a high-speed bus network utilising the grid roads.
- Progress development of a mass-transit system for Milton Keynes, beginning with a light rail line along Midsummer Boulevard from the station to the Theatre District.
- This line will be designed to be low-cost, with insulated track built to metre gauge and minimal utility diversions, initially operated with second-hand heritage vehicles and marketed as a tourist attraction.
- The CMK heritage shuttle service will continue alongside modern light rail vehicles when the system is extended beyond the city centre.
Financing
In addition to existing sources of highways funding, the trust’s charter will require it to monetise its operations to increase the funding available for road improvements. These sources of funding will include:
- Commercial sponsorship of roads, roundabouts, footbridges, underpasses, and bus stops.
- Funding from bus operators to deliver targeted improvements to bus infrastructure, including sponsorship and access charging for bus lanes and stations.
- Contributions sought from local businesses and large employers to deliver targeted infrastructure improvements that benefit their operations.
- Provision of commercial training, advice, and maintenance services to other towns and cities in the UK and overseas.
- Provision of education, both online and via schools and universities, on the grid road system and on transport planning and maintenance in general.
- Commercial events and open days, including cycling and motorsports events using sections of grid road infrastructure on a limited number of Sundays and public holidays.
- Operation of the CMK light rail line (see above) on a commercial basis.
City of the Future 