In this week’s Green Column, publisher and enthusiastic pedestrian Sara Goodwins looks at the Douglas promenade redevelopment plans, and asks: Do we really want to throw away years of heritage just so that people find it easier to go somewhere else?
----------------
Ever seen old photographs of Douglas front?
Of course you have! People chatting on benches, travelling on the horse trams, strolling, shopping and generally getting on with life.
What is most startling about those pictures however is the lack of traffic.
Compare it with today. Yes, nowadays there is room to walk and cycle, but to get from the sea to the shops pedestrians take their life in their hands.
Douglas front has become an uneasy mix of arterial road and huge carpark.
It’s noisy, smelly and dangerous, particularly for children, the elderly and anyone with limited mobility.
And it could be so much better.
Just think for a moment how lovely Douglas front could be without traffic.
Get rid of all the cars and you suddenly have a much bigger space to do creative things with.
A pop-up market with small huts from which different traders could sell vegetables or craft work or spices. Street theatre perhaps? Farmers’ market? Play area for children? Sculpture park? Outdoor eateries? Information trail? Songs by the sea? Mobile library? Tai Chi?
The list of possibilities is endless, but the point is that they would attract people from both on and off island who might not otherwise come.
Existing retailers would benefit. So would the Douglas community. There’d be more to do. More money to do it with.
Now, many people will point out that Douglas front is a ‘through-route’, so banning traffic isn’t feasible.
Well, let’s think about that. There are three sorts of traffic going through Douglas: people en route elsewhere; people going to the boat; and people going somewhere within Douglas.
The first could use Glencrutchery Road, Bray Hill and Quarterbridge Road, the second could be routed along Peel Road or Castletown Road. The third category could be served by park and ride.
And before you all groan, a well-organised park and ride is a joy; no worries about where to leave your car, no paying for parking (planners take note) and much less stressful than sitting in a traffic queue.
Build a multi-storey car park on the old Summerland site and have a true traffic interchange with cars, buses, horse trams and the MER all undercover.
So, what vehicles would be allowed on Douglas front?
Horse trams of course, cyclists, buses, taxis if you insist, and the Manx Electric Railway.
Yes, the MER. In this, the 122nd year of the electric railway, isn’t it time the original plan was finally completed? Extend the MER all the way to the Sea Terminal – it makes no sense that one of the island’s main sources of transport to the north terminates two miles outside the island’s capital city; a single line with passing places would do it.
With a terminus in town, traffic on the electric tram would rise exponentially and the extension needn’t threaten the horse trams; the four-footed transport becomes the stopping route, with the MER running non-stop along the prom.
Everyone sees that what exists at the moment isn’t working. The trouble is that the planners seem to lack imagination.
Some cities import sand to create false beaches. Some encourage horses and carriages for a unique view of the sea front. Yet more emphasise their heritage or introduce pavement trains.
Douglas already has all this naturally – why not celebrate it?
Largely pedestrianising the Douglas promenades would attract visitors, but would, more importantly, benefit the people who live here.
This is such an opportunity – let’s not waste it.