Milton Keynes - A City For The Future?

The two main features of Milton Keynes whichplanted with yet more shrubs. The heavy
distinguish it from older towns are:1)The townlandscaping,while providing a "woodland" feel to the
was built with motor vehicles in mind and so has awhole town also has a more practical purpose in
structured road network.2)A significant amount ofhelping to screen out the noise and sight of the
land was set aside for green space, from theroads from the quieter areas
extensive network of park land to the sizeablebehind.RoundaboutsThe intersection of major
margins planted with trees and shrubs by the sideroutes is always a problem and traffic lights are
of the road system.So why this article?Miltonusually the result. Because of the fairly even flow
Keynes is my home, not a place I am forced toof traffic along the grid roads of the city,one
live, but where I live from choice. It is not a vastroute is not very much more dominant than
metropolis like London with all the things that suchanother, roundabouts [traffic circles] were the
a city has to offer, or a quaint old English town. Itideal solution. Traffic flows in a even manner,
is simply a provincial town of 200,000 people inmeshing together at the junctions by means of
the corner of Buckinghamshire with the mostthe roundabouts without the inevitable "bunching"
astonishing expanse of parks, lakes, and moderncaused by traffic lights. In fact the only main
facilities.This article is born from the frustration ofoccurrence of traffic lights in the city are those
the town being the butt end of every joke that isnext to the main shopping center itself.This of
supposed to symbolise a place not to live. This iscourse means that there are a LOT of
a self sustaining myth that is passed aroundroundabouts. Since, however, these roundabouts
between people that haven't even been here.Theare LARGE (not little painted white dots that are
public opinion of this town is developed fromput in towns as an afterthought) the movements
ignorance and an onslaught of misinformation.Thisof 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 Keynesrelatively unhindered operation.SpeedThese main
come from three main sources:1)Originalthoroughfares allow for the easy movement of
village.The name of the village incorporated intocars 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 thethe "grid" the local areas have a speed limit of 30
region.The principle road network in Milton Keynesmiles per hour as is usual for areas of housing and
is simply that...a net like grid. The reason is topedestrians. Traffic "calming" devices such as
distribute traffic so that no one route isramps are also used, especially where a path or
necessarily more preferable than the other (toredway crosses such a local road.Local
get from one corner of the city to the otherRoadsAway from the grid roads,each area of
there are many permutations on the number ofMilton Keynes has a local road system which is
possible routes). This is a common enoughoften more "meandering". Pedestrians, cyclists,
concept in cities in the US, but in Britain most ofhorse riders, and local traffic are protected when
the road layouts within towns were establishedcrossing the grid roads by underpasses or bridges.
before cars were invented.The roads divide theEach 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 ancrossings.RedwaysA pedestrian and cycle way
historical element from within the square. Thesenetwork crossing the city for 250 kilometres.
roads are only for moving around the city,andThey are called "Redways" because of their red
have no frontage development. Instead they areasphalt surface,however where they travel
heavily landscaped. To gain access to anything inthough the parks they have a more rural brown
Milton Keynes the grid roads have turnings ontogravel surface.Bridle waysThere are a large
"Local" roads.The roads of the grid are named andnumber 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 Romanconnect to rural bridle ways outside of the city.
road of Watling Street is one of these, and haveThese 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, arewithin the parks, and so a gate is necessary (the
numbered H and are named "Ways". Ridgewaycyclists have a small cattle grid), mounting
[H1] and Portway [H5] roughly follow the routesdismounting steps are often nearby.CanalThe
of ancient tracks of the sameGrand Union Canal a 12 mile section of the canal
names.LandscapingAll the Grid Roads are lined withruns 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 singlenumber 68) to bridge number 99 in the south.
carriageway,space is allowed to upgrade to dualNow used by pleasure boats.
should it ever be necessary and in the meantime