THERE was a time when you heard the words The Station Approach and conjured up a grand sense of arrival.
This could certainly ring true for anyone arriving at the new development in front of the Sheffield Midland Station on foot.
But for anyone traveling by any other means, it is a dismal and dangerous experience.
No time or money has been spent o
n designing a system that works for dropping off and picking up passengers by bus, taxi or private vehicles.
If you have not experienced this chaos, stand on the footbridge at the corner of the multi-storey car park on a Friday afternoon when the London trains are due, and watch the drama unfold. This is not a good working environment for taxi drivers nor a pleasant introduction to Sheffield's new gateway to Europe.
I have been so frustrated as a designer and station user, that I spent many hours over Christmas studying the situation and finished up writing a detailed report and suggested some improvements. For anyone who is interested I have made the report available on the internet at www.actionstation2008.blogspot.com
The main problem is the mixing of taxis and other vehicles; they have different flow rates and hinder each other. It would be possible to give them separate lanes. Another problem is the drop-off / pick-up zone which is currently approached from the wrong end thus blocking the taxi exit, and only providing limited, safe, drop-off and pick-up area. There is a layout that would give safe drop-off or pick-up for all the vehicles arriving at the station (estimated at 68 taxis and 35 other vehicles)
A willingness to change the layout would revolutionise the fraught process of picking up and setting down passengers.
A lot of time and money has been spent on the station and environs for passengers on foot and it is now a real joy to walk up to the City.
I guess we could say that the taxi and car are here to stay, and it's only right that they should be given a little more consideration thus helping to make the 'Station experience' complete and safe.
It is hoped that the 'Right Approach' is taken when approving the design of the development on the Sheaf House/ Dyson house site which could provide an even better solution. Please look at the web site and leave your comment.
