| The two main features of Milton Keynes which | | | | planted with yet more shrubs. The heavy |
| distinguish it from older towns are:1)The town | | | | landscaping,while providing a "woodland" feel to the |
| was built with motor vehicles in mind and so has a | | | | whole town also has a more practical purpose in |
| structured road network.2)A significant amount of | | | | helping to screen out the noise and sight of the |
| land was set aside for green space, from the | | | | roads from the quieter areas |
| extensive network of park land to the sizeable | | | | behind.RoundaboutsThe intersection of major |
| margins planted with trees and shrubs by the side | | | | routes is always a problem and traffic lights are |
| of the road system.So why this article?Milton | | | | usually the result. Because of the fairly even flow |
| Keynes is my home, not a place I am forced to | | | | of traffic along the grid roads of the city,one |
| live, but where I live from choice. It is not a vast | | | | route is not very much more dominant than |
| metropolis like London with all the things that such | | | | another, roundabouts [traffic circles] were the |
| a city has to offer, or a quaint old English town. It | | | | ideal solution. Traffic flows in a even manner, |
| is simply a provincial town of 200,000 people in | | | | meshing together at the junctions by means of |
| the corner of Buckinghamshire with the most | | | | the roundabouts without the inevitable "bunching" |
| astonishing expanse of parks, lakes, and modern | | | | caused by traffic lights. In fact the only main |
| facilities.This article is born from the frustration of | | | | occurrence of traffic lights in the city are those |
| the town being the butt end of every joke that is | | | | next to the main shopping center itself.This of |
| supposed to symbolise a place not to live. This is | | | | course means that there are a LOT of |
| a self sustaining myth that is passed around | | | | roundabouts. Since, however, these roundabouts |
| between people that haven't even been here.The | | | | are LARGE (not little painted white dots that are |
| public opinion of this town is developed from | | | | put in towns as an afterthought) the movements |
| ignorance and an onslaught of misinformation.This | | | | of other road users are easy to anticipate, |
| is an attempt to educate. | | | | making the negotiation of each junction a smooth, |
| The names of the regions of Milton Keynes | | | | relatively unhindered operation.SpeedThese main |
| come from three main sources:1)Original | | | | thoroughfares allow for the easy movement of |
| village.The name of the village incorporated into | | | | cars around the city (speed limits are the national |
| the area. | | | | limit of 60 mile per hour on the single carriageway |
| 2)Field name upon which the area is built. | | | | and 70 on the dual). As soon as a driver turns off |
| 3)Name of the farm now lying within the | | | | the "grid" the local areas have a speed limit of 30 |
| region.The principle road network in Milton Keynes | | | | miles per hour as is usual for areas of housing and |
| is simply that...a net like grid. The reason is to | | | | pedestrians. Traffic "calming" devices such as |
| distribute traffic so that no one route is | | | | ramps are also used, especially where a path or |
| necessarily more preferable than the other (to | | | | redway crosses such a local road.Local |
| get from one corner of the city to the other | | | | RoadsAway from the grid roads,each area of |
| there are many permutations on the number of | | | | Milton Keynes has a local road system which is |
| possible routes). This is a common enough | | | | often more "meandering". Pedestrians, cyclists, |
| concept in cities in the US, but in Britain most of | | | | horse riders, and local traffic are protected when |
| the road layouts within towns were established | | | | crossing the grid roads by underpasses or bridges. |
| before cars were invented.The roads divide the | | | | Each length of grid road (between roundabouts) |
| city up into approximately 1 kilometre squares, | | | | usually has two or more such |
| most of the names of which are taken from an | | | | crossings.RedwaysA pedestrian and cycle way |
| historical element from within the square. These | | | | network crossing the city for 250 kilometres. |
| roads are only for moving around the city,and | | | | They are called "Redways" because of their red |
| have no frontage development. Instead they are | | | | asphalt surface,however where they travel |
| heavily landscaped. To gain access to anything in | | | | though the parks they have a more rural brown |
| Milton Keynes the grid roads have turnings onto | | | | gravel surface.Bridle waysThere are a large |
| "Local" roads.The roads of the grid are named and | | | | number of bridle paths running through the |
| numbered so that the "vertical" (roughly north - | | | | city,mostly following the linear parks,which also |
| south) roads are named as "Streets", the Roman | | | | connect to rural bridle ways outside of the city. |
| road of Watling Street is one of these, and have | | | | These are either sand or wood chipping surfaces. |
| numbers beginning with V.Watling street is V4. | | | | In places where there is a livestock boundary |
| The "Horizontal", roughly west - east, are | | | | within the parks, and so a gate is necessary (the |
| numbered H and are named "Ways". Ridgeway | | | | cyclists have a small cattle grid), mounting |
| [H1] and Portway [H5] roughly follow the routes | | | | dismounting steps are often nearby.CanalThe |
| of ancient tracks of the same | | | | Grand Union Canal a 12 mile section of the canal |
| names.LandscapingAll the Grid Roads are lined with | | | | runs though the middle of the city from the Iron |
| large grass verges, hedgerows, shrubs, and trees. | | | | Trunk Aqueduct in the north (before bridge |
| Where the roads are only single | | | | number 68) to bridge number 99 in the south. |
| carriageway,space is allowed to upgrade to dual | | | | Now used by pleasure boats. |
| should it ever be necessary and in the meantime | | | | |