Comment 1
Whilst I wholly support Colchester City Council’s overarching objectives in redeveloping and decongesting the City Centre, I believe there is a better way of doing this with regard to the Rapid Transit System (RTS) which will avoid adding further congestion to the High Street, allowing this to be fully pedestrianised and will meet all of Colchester City Council objectives in enhancing its rich heritage, tackling the climate emergency and reducing pollution, achieving modal shift and developing the evening and other economy. This would be in having a far wider view and plan regarding the RTS route than is currently suggested which has, even by its authors’ own admission, a limited lifespan of 10 years. This would be for the RTS to use the completed A133-A120 link road, travelling in an anti-clockwise direction around Colchester from
1. the proposed Park and Choose facility on the A133 at the designated site at the entrance to the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community site Link Road,
2. through the completed link road,
3. linking the planned A120 Business Park,
4. onto the A120, coming off at the Ipswich Road/A12 junction to go down Ipswich Road, right onto Severalls Lane and linking with Colchester Business Park (though there is a route directly through Colchester Business Park onto Severalls Lane from the A120/A12 junction which may be preferable),
5. then onto the Stadium,
6. and the Northern Gateway Park and Choose, and
7. from there down Via Urbis Way to the General Hospital
8. and North Station,
9. then up Westway (A134) and Balkerne Hill for a stop at the top of Balkerne Hill for access to central Colchester,
10. then down Southway (A134), stopping at St Botolph’s Station,
11. then further down Hythe Hill, Hythe Quay, and left across the river and then railway bridges.
12. At the Tesco roundabout immediately following the railway bridge, taking Elmstead Road leading onto Capon Road and Boundary Road (this is already a dedicated bus only route used by First Buses S1 and 87 routes). This would link up on the Boundary Road with the University of Essex, the Knowledge Gateway, and Colchester Business School before
13. carrying on up Boundary Road and turning left onto the B1028, then the B1027 and up to the A133 and the Park and Choose site once more.
This has the huge advantage of avoiding the High Street entirely, which could be fully pedestrianised, as well as avoiding the railway level crossing gates, and the A133 Clingoe Hill already hugely congested route into Colchester which the currently proposed RTS route would encounter.
This does require that the Link Road is constructed in its entirety within the planned next 2 years, with the Park and Choose facility construction embedded into this construction phase.
Sufficient RTS buses could be utilised on this route to ensure that one departs from each Park and Ride every 10 minutes.
It would link not just the TCB Garden Community but also the other eastern settlements of Wivenhoe, Ardleigh, Elmstead Market, Crockleford Heath and even eastern Colchester to key locations by public transport like Colchester General Hospital and North Station, as well as Colchester Business Park and the new Staine Retail Park, and central Colchester.

Please see map attached.

Comment 2
I would agree completely with regard to removing regular bus routes from the High Street and city centre and creating a central bus station/hub that all buses are routed through, whether in an enhanced form in Osborne Street (already too small) or elsewhere.

Comment 3
I do NOT agree with providing numerous pedestrian crossings on Southway A134 to further obstruct the through flow of traffic around the city centre. I have never as a longstanding resident of Colchester, both as a pedestrian and car and bus user, seen or felt the need to cross Southway on foot, and cannot see any advantages of doing so now. It will not achieve the desired objective of linking up the Colchester beyond Southway to the town centre, but will cause further congestion and pollution of air quality with engines idling as pedestrians cross in 3-4 new locations – and quite unnecessarily.