Creating a resilient major road network for the North
In a report released earlier this year, Transport for the North – a partnership including elected and business leaders from Northern England alongside government and national transport bodies – looked at how the Northern road network could be improved in order to support economic growth.
In a report titled Initial Major Roads Report – Strategic Transport Plan Evidence Base, the authors state that the Strategic Road Network – motorways, for example – makes up just 2% of the road systems in this part of the UK, and so in order to boost economic progress, it’s the roads that lead from the motorways to the key developmental areas of the North that require the most attention.
Key strategic areas
The report says that the evidence it has gathered shows the four major economic areas that are affected by the major road network:
- Ports and airports
- NPIER (Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review)industry clusters
- Important economic centres – including cities, towns, universities and enterprise zones
- Areas of tourism
The major road networks to all of these key areas across Northern England need to be strong and reliable enough to enable economic growth and success.
The importance of journey time
One of the critical factors in supporting this success is reliable journey times. It is important that the road network is reliable, resilient and efficient, says the report, in order that people and goods can travel with an expectation of reasonable journey time and without hold-ups because the network is inadequate.
The report says that improving the road network and, by extension, journey reliability brings the following productivity benefits:
- Attracting and retaining highly skilled workers to live and work in the North.
- Opening up opportunities in the labour market by allowing longer distance commuting trips.
- Providing sufficient capacity to meet long term demand, and to improve resilience and reliability across the network.
- Supporting current investment, and attracting foreign direct investment.
- Helping businesses to collaborate closely, and improve their access to their supply chain.
- Reducing operating costs.
- Enhancing the user experience.
- Enhancing trading opportunities.
- Enhancing the quality of life for all people living in the North.
You can read the full report here – and see how the road network needs to be improved in order to support plans for a growing, sustainable and successful Northern economy.
Journey time surveys from RDS
Improved journey times have a positive effect on a wide range of people – from commuters to freight companies and the businesses in the area. Anyone who uses the roads wants a simple, quick and reliable journey, whether travelling on public transport or using their own vehicle. Journey surveys help planners, developers and strategists to see where roads are currently inadequate, and provide a bench mark so that progress can be measured as roads are improved.
To find out how Road Data Services can help to plan and execute detailed journey surveys for your development or long-term roads strategy, contact us today.
In his budget statement last week, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, said that the government intended to build 300,000 homes per year in England. This refers to new building, rather than refurbishing existing buildings for domestic use, so there will inevitably be a knock-on effect in terms of transport planning. So what does this mean for developers, planners and local communities?
Many housing experts agree that, in order to make a difference to the housing market by reducing house prices and providing more housing for those who really need it, much of this promised housing needs to be truly affordable. However, affordable housing is still mostly bought by people who drive – and often have two cars per household. This increases the potential traffic in a development area and has an impact on the local environment.
State-of-play traffic surveys
Before designing a development, there are many factors for property companies to consider. One is the existing state of things, and that includes current traffic conditions. New developments tend to be built, where possible, on brown field sites, and these are usually in urban areas and are either previous industrial sites, or sites that have been previously developed for other use. The location of these sites means they are often adjacent to areas that are already well-developed, alongside major roads and close to existing retail or office developments. So the impact on local traffic is an essential part of the design and planning process.
An initial traffic survey will allow developers to see how things currently stand, and will provide clear data with which to plan the next steps. This can be run alongside pedestrian surveys and parking surveys, to ensure that all aspects of road use are considered, and local communities are consulted about the things that matter to them.
Data can be used to support potential changes to the road system, to justify the addition of crossing points, bike lanes and speed management initiatives, and to demonstrate how the new development will manage traffic positively and safely for the good of the whole community.
Traffic surveys from RDS
At Road Data Services we work with all parties involved in new housing, retail or commercial developments to understand existing traffic conditions and prepare plans for how those conditions might change. We use the latest technology and expert surveyors to provide our clients with clear, reliable data that informs good decision making. To find out more about how we can help, contact us today.
In a week where London has announced the T-Charge and Swansea has introduced a diversionary system for traffic when air pollution is particularly bad, the role of traffic surveys and monitoring is becoming ever-more important to the health and wellbeing of the population.
Traffic’s contribution to air quality
There’s no doubt that the increase in the number of vehicles on the road contributes to poorer air quality. Diesel vehicles in particular have been pinpointed as damaging to the environment, and the T-Charge introduced by the Mayor of London this week means that drivers bringing older, more polluting cars into the capital will have to pay an additional £10 fee on top of the congestion charge. London’s air quality is often extremely poor, with around 9,000 premature deaths per year linked to air pollution, according to the Mayor.
Understanding where and how the traffic pollutes most is part of designing and implementing a workable solution, so professional traffic surveys look at congestion points, the number of vehicles on the road over a range of times during the day and night, and how those journeys might be diverted or completed in other ways.
Diversions in Swansea
Councillors have been so worried about air pollution in certain areas of Swansea that they have invested in a system that monitors the air quality and diverts drivers away from affected areas when necessary.
The scheme, which is called Nowcaster, uses dedicated road signs on the approach to the affected areas. The boards advise drivers to use an alternative route, but they do not have to follow the advice. Councillors hope that the boards will help to divert some traffic, reducing congestion and improving air quality on particularly poor days.
An issue to take seriously
The poor quality of air is a serious problem in cities across the UK. Roads are becoming even more congested and, although newer cars have an engine shut-off system that avoids engines turning over at traffic lights or in traffic jams, the majority of older cars do not, so pollution is pumped out of exhausts all the time. As local councils address this problem, they need accurate data to work from so that they can plan for a healthier future.
Traffic surveys from RDS
At RDS we work with councils, planners, developers and other interested parties to get a clear idea of what is happening on our roads and provide the data that helps decision makers to plan for routes, systems and projects that aim to improve air quality. To find out more about how any of our surveys can help you to gather reliable information for your air pollution issues, just contact us today.
There are many reasons for initiating peak hour traffic surveys, and one of those is to discover just how busy our roads get during this time. When travel is slow and journey times are longer, people become more frustrated, pollution increases and residents and workers may even start to look for somewhere else to live and do business.
Case study: Bradford
A recent report in the Telegraph and Argus, Bradford’s local paper, says that some roads see an average speed of less than 15mph during rush-hour traffic, with the busiest road averaging just 10mph. These roads are the key routes in and out of the city and morning traffic includes commuters and school traffic. The added pressure on the roads increases pollution, adds to the damage on the road itself and makes for a miserable start to the day.
To try and combat this problem, Bradford is teaming up with other local authorities across West Yorkshire to draw up a regional plan to tackle congestion. Currently, a real-time traffic monitoring system is being tested, which can control traffic signals based on the amount of traffic on the roads, and link up with sat nav systems to direct traffic away from areas that are already bottlenecked. Other ways to reduce the traffic include adding more park and ride options at the outskirts of the city, and planning with rail partners, who are adding extra carriages to certain trains in the future.
The councillor managing transport issues for Bradford said that the city needed to concentrate on easing choke points around the area, and on encouraging people to move from the one-person-one-car habit so that they can make smarter travel choices.
Keeping an eye on the traffic
It’s important for all local authorities to keep a constant watch on traffic movement and build-up in their areas. Whether traffic changes seasonally, with school holidays or students arriving at university, or whether it’s affected by large housing developments or new retail facilities, the consequences to the life and health of an area with constantly clogged-up roads can be serious.
Regularly auditing traffic flow, journey times, pedestrian travel and parking arrangements help local authorities to plan ahead, and to have the data they need to forecast potential traffic issues relating to local development plans.
Traffic surveys from RDS
At Road Data Services, we conduct a wide range of traffic and pedestrian surveys, supplying high-quality data that enables our clients to make informed decisions. We use the latest technology and design the survey to meet your needs. To find out more, or to arrange a survey for your next project, please contact us today.
This month has seen the transport industry call for an overhaul in the planning and development of new travel systems. The new approach would ensure that when developing new systems, planners take into account the effect of the total environmental impact of the new infrastructure instead of only registering the direct emissions from the increased traffic.
Changes in the UK
In the UK all aspects of transport are constantly being updated and reviewed. The issues that transport planners face include higher demands placed on ageing infrastructure services due to a booming population, and an increase in the requirement or necessity to travel. The effects of meeting these demands can be seen in the still-growing number of vehicles on the road, despite investment and promotion of alternative methods of travel.
Part of the need to revolutionise transport systems comes from the results of these increased transport levels: here are just a few of the infrastructure consequences.
- The plans for a new, London-based airport, or a third Heathrow runway, are a consequence of increased demand for flights. Building a third runway will involve planning for the extra traffic – both from travellers and from companies servicing the airport – that this plan will generate.
- The need for greater connectivity between the North and South of England, and the greater demand for faster train travel is being met by plans for HS2. Again, there’s no clear indication that this will reduce road travel and, because this is such a long-term project, planners will still need to look at the road system in the meantime.
- Out-of-town developments and new town developments all result in increased traffic, and as the government and local authorities look for new sites for hundreds of thousands of necessary new homes, the impact on the road and public transport system will have to be a key consideration.
How clear traffic data can help
Infrastructure has to be in place in order to meet the increased demand of both public and private services. Transport planners rely on traffic information from all sectors in order to create a system that is the most effective, in terms of cost, resources, environmental impact, and usability. Traffic information comes in all shapes and sizes, from the level of traffic at peak times to providing data on road users and infrastructure wear and tear.
If you’re interested in road traffic data surveys and would like to know more, contact me today.
Earlier this month, the French government announced a new initiative to ban the sale of diesel and gasoline cars by 2040. This bold move will have an impact across the motoring industry, from development of new technology to changing infrastructure.
The Age of Electricity
The ban on diesel and gasoline cars means that they will be replaced by electric cars – those powered by lithium ion batteries instead of conventional combustion engines. This has been a goal for global environment lobbyists for some time, as well as presenting a real challenge for vehicle engineers and designers.
Several major car brands have been investigating branching out into this area of the motoring industry, and France’s declaration – and it might not be the only country to make such an announcement – has provided them with an added incentive. Here are some of the aims of the biggest car companies:
- Volvo Cars announced that it is planning on only producing hybrid and electric cars by 2019.
- Volkswagen has stated that it will build one million electric cars every year by 2020.
- BMW is launching an electric equivalent of their 3-Series sedan.
- Ford is going to add hybrid versions of most of its cars by 2020.
Tesla
Each of these car brands are only just moving into this market. The manufacturer that they have to compete with is Tesla, which has been perfecting its electric car range for decades. Entrepreneur Elon Musk announced that the first production unit of Tesla’s Model 3 would be finished in July – with 20,000 built by December 2017. This will be the first mass-produced electric car to hit the market, with the affordable price tag of around US$35,000.
Infrastructure
Tesla’s Model 3 will be able to drive 215 miles on one charge. Taking that as an average standard for the development of other electric cars, it seems safe to assume that France’s infrastructure will need to change to ensure that by 2040 the roads can cope with the demands of the electric cars – meaning more charging points at more frequent intervals.
UK traffic surveys from RDS
This potential change in motoring practice requires research and planning to ensure that the road infrastructure keeps up with the pace of vehicle development. Whilst the UK hasn’t made any declarations of the type we’ve heard from France, there will certainly be incentives to move away from vehicles powered by fossil fuels to those using cleaner energy.
Traffic data analysis and road traffic services may be key in ensuring a smooth transition between diesel and gasoline vehicles to electric cars. If you’re interested in road traffic data, or need an insight into traffic analysis, contact Road Data Services today.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is a recently-developed technology which uses vehicle number plates to recognise and track vehicles. It’s used both to aid police with criminal enquiries, and to monitor and survey traffic movements. Here, we’ve listed just a few examples of how ANPR technology is used on our roads across the UK.
Security
Saturday June 24th saw the celebrations of Armed Forces Day in full swing across the country. Increased security measures took the form of covert police officers, use of CCTV, police dogs, and automatic number plate recognition.
Following the recent terrorist attacks, security services have been keeping a close eye on the movements of people on particular watch lists. One way of keeping up with this is monitoring vehicle movement. With the extra security surrounding all major events, police are constantly watching ANPR data to give them a clear idea of movement.
Everyday use
Along with helping out anti-terrorist police units, ANPR is also used by local police in day-to-day situations. In Leeds, several stolen motorbikes were recovered thanks to the number plate recognition technology, whilst in Hull a man is in court after being caught by ANPR whilst misusing a bus lane.
Public use
The city of Aberdeen is one of the places catching onto the benefits of this technology – the local council is spending £300,000 to install ANPR along with extra CCTV cameras. The technology will monitor traffic flow, as well as keeping an eye out for dangerous driving on the roads. The outcome of the council’s investment will be safer roads and better traffic flow thanks to the real-time traffic information that will be used to divert traffic away from busy roads, alongside changing traffic signals and putting out traffic information bulletins.
Planning and development
ANPR is now commonly used by companies like RDS to survey traffic and provide key data to transport planners and development companies. Highly accurate data informs better decision making, which in turn means that new industrial, commercial and residential developments include appropriate road and transport links.
Want to know more?
If you think your project could benefit from professional traffic data or you’re interested in finding out more about the help and information that traffic surveys can provide, contact Road Data Services today.
As election day draws closer, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) has appealed to all political parties to make improved road safety a priority during the next Parliament.
PACTS wrote to all major parties after the election had been announced, saying that more needs to be done to reduce the number of deaths on the road. This is particularly concerning for the Council, because the number of road deaths has not decreased in statistical terms since 2011. Before then, there had been a rapid decline in numbers.
Despite Britain having voted to leave the European Union, PACTS asked political parties to commit to the EU’s proposed changes to vehicle safety regulations, and for the establishment of a UK road collision investigation body, to oversee how road collision information is collected and used.
As far as PACTS is concerned, such an overhaul would include tackling dangerous driving, making the roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians, encouraging the development of safer vehicles, and changing attitudes towards death on our roads so that safety has the same priority as it does on other modes of transport such as trains and aeroplanes.
Pedestrian and traffic surveys
Survey data can play a crucial role in improving road safety both locally and nationally. Understanding how people use the roads, knowing where so-called accident blackspots occur, and showing the relationship between road users and pedestrians gives local authorities, planners and road safety specialists access to qualified, accurate data that gives a clear picture of the way particular roads are used.
This data can then be used to influence traffic calming measures, the introduction of cycle paths, wider pavements and barriers to keep pedestrians safe, the siting of pedestrian crossings and other measures to help keep the roads safe for all road users.
Traffic surveys from RDS
At Road Data Services we design, implement and report data from traffic surveys, pedestrian surveys, parking surveys and more. Our data is supplied in the format that’s best for you, and we work with planners, developers, road safety groups, local authorities and others to help improve road planning and design and make our roads safer places to be.
To find out more about how we can help, just contact us today.
With the news that consultation is underway on making London’s Oxford Street pedestrianised, local authorities, planners and developers will be considering how to maximise pedestrian access to existing and new developments – and whether to commission a pedestrian survey to gather data on current use.
There are many reasons to increase pedestrianised areas – they provide a safer and more relaxed shopping, leisure and working environment; they improve the local eco-systems and they allow for additional use for the area, including markets, street entertainment, outdoor eating and more.
This is particularly true for office, retail and leisure areas, but developers are increasingly including pedestrian areas in residential planning too. Reducing traffic leads to a greater sense of community – it’s safer for children to play outside, for example, and pedestrian areas bordered by good landscaping provide areas for residents to socialise together.
Catering for pedestrians can be something as simple as wider footpaths, so that prams, buggies, wheelchairs and groups of walkers can all use it easily. It might extend into paved or pathed areas around the development, allowing for easy walking from one building to another, or for people to cut through a housing estate to reach the local amenities without needing to use the car.
Why pedestrian data matters
Well-planned pedestrian access relies on an understanding of how people use the environment in which they live and work. A pedestrian survey can give you that information for an existing area that may be part of redevelopment plans, or for a new development where priority is given to those who are walking or using bikes and public transport as an alternative to cars. These areas have to be safe, well-lit and planned so that they are intuitive to use.
It’s particularly important that pedestrian areas cater for those who have mobility problems, and that developers understand how people are accessing the site – in an urban setting, for example, many people might be coming from public transport stops, so areas serving this type of use need to be wider, lit at night and possible also offer shade and weather protection.
Where there are roads, thought needs to be given to safe pedestrian crossings, which need to be sensibly planned, and be adapted for those who need additional assistance crossing the road.
Pedestrian surveys from RDS
At Road Data Services, we carry out a range of manual and video surveys to see how pedestrians use an area currently, and to highlight where there are danger points or key areas to consider, such as school entrances or hospital facilities. These surveys can be stand-alone or paired with our traffic surveys so that you get all the data you need to make informed development or planning decisions. To find out more, contact us today.
It’s often been said that one of the biggest problems with transport planning in the UK is that various parts of the country are disconnected from one another. This means poor communications and a lack of consistency across the network.
The thing that could bring all these disparate elements together is a national transport plan. It’s something that’s been on the wish lists of regional planning groups for some time and a recent government white paper on house building pledged to align infrastructure spending with the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
The Housing Infrastructure Fund is worth over £2bn and targets those areas with the greatest housing need. The white paper suggests that, in order to encourage the delivery of new homes in these areas, infrastructure projects such as transport and utilities upgrades should be funded alongside house building.
What’s more, with other transport links underway, such as HS2, a greater emphasis on more usable public transport, and predictions about the escalation in the number of road users despite additional public transport alternatives, it is becoming crucial that the road network is upgraded and extended to reduce congestion, improve journey times and increase safety.
Why traffic surveys help
Whether existing road systems are changing or new roads being introduced, a range of reliable data is needed to help with design and planning decisions. A variety of traffic, journey and road-user surveys are needed in order to assess existing road use and provide the information from which planners can predict the impact of changes to the system.
This is particularly important in the case of housing developments, where often hundreds or even thousands of new homes are built in a single area, increasing the potential road traffic significantly. A professional traffic survey uses the latest equipment to survey and collect data in whatever format is best for the client. Traffic can be surveyed across a range of days, times and conditions, giving a full picture of road usage and having a significant influence on the decisions that are taken at the planning stage.
Traffic surveys and more from RDS
At Road Data Services, we provide a wide range of transport and road-user related surveys, including pedestrian surveys and parking data. To find out more about how we can help you with your next transport planning or development project, please call us today.
