Glasgow implements traffic planning ahead of Commonwealth Games
The city of Glasgow is busy planning for the Commonwealth Games, which take place from the 23rd July to the 2nd August 2014. Part of that planning involves the opening of a new CCTV centre, which is next to the athletes’ village in the east end of the city.
The new system is designed to link up a range of services to keep locals and visitors safe during the games, and includes traffic cameras and the emergency services. The cameras will monitor road traffic, particularly in areas of the city that are likely to see a big increase in traffic levels. The games will bring people into the city via air, rail and road links, and people will be travelling around Glasgow to various venues.
Traffic surveys required?
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has raised concerns with the organisers of the Games about the way freight vehicles will access the city during the two weeks that the event takes place. It is looking for forecasts about routes that may become congested, alternative routes in and out of the city, what local traffic management plans are in place and how restrictions are to be enforced.
With less than six months to go, freight companies need to be planning ahead so that their work is not unduly disrupted during the Games, and the FTA will be holding a special event for its members nearer the time to help them plan ahead. It may be that traffic surveys of existing conditions on key routes may help organisers to forecast the impact of additional traffic in certain areas, giving the FTA, visitors and general road users the information they need to get around successfully.
Organisers to encourage public transport
As with the London 2012 Olympic Games, it is likely that organisers will encourage as many people to walk or use public transport as they can. Improvements to the rail service in Glasgow are intended to help people travel into and around the city, but athletes, country officials and visitors will still be using the roads, increasing traffic, whilst larger numbers of pedestrians cross the city on foot.
Pedestrian and traffic surveys from RDS
Our surveys are designed for each project and can help you to see what existing traffic and pedestrian use is like so that you can forecast and plan ahead for special events in your area. From huge undertakings like the Commonwealth Games to a new fun run or city-centre cycle race, we can help you to gather the data you need to make informed decisions.
Swedish furniture brand Ikea’s plans to open an out-of-town store in Sheffield have hit a stumbling block after shopping centre giant Meadowhall wrote to the planning authorities at Sheffield Council, lodging an objection.
Original traffic surveys “inadequate”
The complaint has come from Meadowhall owners, MSC Property Holdings, which says that an interim traffic survey and assessment has been inadequate and does not provide enough detailed information for traffic and public transport impacts to be properly assessed.
Ikea’s stores are extremely popular and roads to and from out-of-town stores are busy, particularly at weekends and bank holidays. Ikea’s plan is for a 37,000 sq. ft. store which would serve Sheffield and the surrounding area.
Whilst MSC Property Holdings is particularly concerned about the lack of information on traffic build up on Saturdays – a key trading day for Meadowhall, its objections have come shortly after those of the John Lewis Partnership, which has a store in the city centre and has said that an out-of-town Ikea would damage trade in the city centre.
Traffic pressure on M1
The site selected by Ikea is close enough to the M1 for additional traffic to put pressure on the motorway, and The Highways Agency has also voiced concern and issued a notice which may delay the planning process.
Sheffield City Council leader, Councillor Julie Dore said that traffic management and transport links would be a consideration in the planning process and that Ikea may be asked to contribute to road or transport improvements in order to achieve planning permission.
Meadowhall sits next to the M1 as it goes past Sheffield and has contributed to traffic problems in the past, particularly at peak shopping times including Christmas and sale periods. The centre’s management will be concerned that thousands of additional shoppers coming to other stores may dissuade people from travelling to Meadowhall itself.
Professional traffic surveys from RDS
At Road Data Services, we can survey and report on a wide range of traffic issues around the UK. Contact us today to find out more.
A reduced speed limit of 60mph has been proposed by the government on a specific section of the M1. The reduction, which would be in place between junction 28 for Matlock and junction 35a, just north of Rotherham, is in order to improve air quality and would apply between 7am and 7pm every day.
But some organisations are worried that reducing the speed limit will increase congestion and lengthen journey times on a section of motorway that is already very busy.
Variable speed surveys
Variable speed limits are used successfully on most motorways in the UK network, allowing traffic managers to keep traffic flowing wherever possible, but the new proposals go one step further. By enforcing a 10mph reduction in speed for 12 hours per day, motoring bodies such as the RAC say that the impact would be more negative than positive.
The Highways Agency, which has put a document on the issue out to consultation said that the change will reduce congestion, improve journey time and make the motorway network more reliable. It anticipates that, should the new limit be introduced, it would remain for several years. There is also the possibility of extending lower limits to other areas of the road network if this initial scheme works well.
Would lower speed reduce pollution?
Not everyone is convinced that lowering the speed of vehicles would have a big enough impact on air pollution to counteract the other potential consequences of the policy. Some commentators have pointed out that the most polluting vehicles are lorries, which are speed limited anyway, and that cleaner engineering and more environmentally friendly cars means that air quality will improve naturally over the coming years.
Insightful speed surveys
If you need to find out more about the speed traffic flowing on roads in your area, or around your development, call us today. Our tailored surveys and detailed data collection give you the information you need to make informed, insightful decisions that have a positive impact on road users and those who live and work nearby.
To find out more, just call us today.
It’s one of the busiest shopping months of the year, and yet in many towns and cities across the UK, queues form, tempers flare and traffic becomes a real issue. There are many factors affecting the ability of shoppers to get into the centre of towns to spend their money.
High parking costs deter people from parking for too long, meaning businesses and retailers get less of their time and less of their money. Park and ride schemes are often working at capacity, meaning that early on at key shopping times, they are already full, and poor traffic planning means that drivers can sit for hours in queues before they’ve even got to their destination.
Parking and traffic surveys can help
Take the picturesque town of Bath, for example. Busy all year round with tourists, it also has a large local population who want to shop and do business in the town. The council must balance this demand with the need to protect its World Heritage status and help to progress things without damaging the very environment that draws visitors in.
In situations like this, comprehensive surveys are needed that collect data on the days and times most people are driving into the town, how long they stay for, where the key bottlenecks are and how much they are willing to pay either for town-centre parking or for park and ride services. And if current arrangements are no longer sufficient for the amount of traffic, new methods need to be devised.
The data that makes the difference
Only with strong data can town planners, businesses and residents work together to find a solution that allows people to come into towns easily, park affordably and spend their money where it matters. Retailers are already worried that high travel and parking costs will just mean that shoppers stay at home and use the internet. If councils and local businesses want to keep attracting people into the towns, they must find a compromise that improves traffic flow without damaging the fabric of the town.
Traffic surveys that count
A well-designed traffic survey can provide the data you need to help make long-term, sustainable plans for the future of your town. At Road Data Services, we can conduct a single survey for you, or put together a package of surveys that give you detailed information so that you can make the best possible decisions. To find out more, just contact us today.
It’s a common problem in key commuter areas – particularly around tube and train stations – but parking surveys could help residents and local people ease the problem of cars clogging the street during the week.
Avoiding parking congestion
For example, Oxford County Council commissioned a parking survey for a specific part of the city where commuters use local street parking which inconveniences local people, makes it difficult for traffic to pass along certain roads and can be dangerous for pedestrians, with no clear line of sight when crossing the road.
Parking surveys like this provide important data with which councils can make decisions such as adding double yellow lines to roads, implementing on-street parking restrictions or even making some roads available for residents’ parking only.
In cases like this, a good quality parking survey will make regular counts of parking in targeted streets at different times of the day and different days of the week. This will give a rounded view of the situation so that councils and other interested parties can see what trends appear and look at the causes of what is effectively parking congestion.
Understanding parking needs
This type of survey is also useful during the planning of new developments, particularly those that will build on existing parking, or are designated for areas where parking is already a problem. Along with an understanding on the impact that additional traffic or changed road routes would have, developers and local planners need to ensure that adequate parking is provided, and consider the impact street parking may have on local residents.
A parking survey is tailored to the needs of the council, developer, business or organisation commissioning it. That means it gathers the data that you need to be aware of, allowing you to make decisions that are based on fact and professional analysis.
Parking surveys from Road Data Services
At RDS, our bespoke parking surveys allow you to see exactly what is happening in the areas you target. With data gathered over a range of times and days, you get a clear picture and accurate data that allows you to take responsible and reasonable decisions.
To find out more about our services, and to ask about creating a parking survey for your requirements, contact Road Data Services today.
The latest release of SatNav system TomTom is to feature a number of new ways to help drivers anticipate traffic congestion and keep things moving.
TomTom’s new update is available to all existing users, and to buyers who choose the most up-to-date version of the system. The new features are designed to give drivers even more information which is as accurate as possible, allowing them to plan their journeys and be aware of road works, effects of traffic congestion and general road conditions as soon as possible.
Planning your journey time
More sophisticated collection and analysis of the data available to commercial SatNav systems means that when you input your destination and ask for directions, TomTom will look at current journey times through busy areas, predicting speed and regular traffic flow so that it can give you a realistic journey time and an alternative route should you require one. It will also detect current road works more accurately, and be able to warn you of traffic conditions ahead, particularly if it registers that you are travelling at a speed where it may be dangerous for you to stop quickly.
Greater journey awareness
With the amount of traffic on the UK’s roads continuing to grow, being able to predict how long your journey will take is becoming increasingly important. Traffic flow can be difficult to calculate, particularly in areas that are liable to severe or regular congestion, and many people now rely on SatNav systems or tablet and smartphone devices to give them warning of current traffic conditions so that they can plan accordingly.
Journey time surveys help on the ground
It’s not just knowing where the congestion is that matters, however. Traffic planners and developers need to have accurate data in order to improve existing routes and build new ones. The best way to do this is still an on-the-ground journey time survey. It provides accurate, real-time data and takes into consideration the views and experiences of those using the roads. Armed with this information, planners can investigate ways of improving access, traffic control and pedestrian safety so that all travellers can plan their journey with confidence.
At RDS, we can design and undertake a range of journey time surveys, providing you with precise data that helps you to build a strong case. Contact us today to find out more.
Essex County Council has agreed that a speed survey is necessary on a road in Basildon that is regularly used as a shortcut. Dry Street is over 1km long and is often used by drivers as a cut-through to the nearby A13 Stanford-le-Hope By-pass. Dry Street also has the Basildon University Hospital at one end, so sees a large volume of traffic during the day.
Speed survey for 30mph limit
The speed of traffic on the narrow road was blamed for the death of a local man earlier this year, and local people campaigned at that time to change the speed limit to 30mph throughout the length of the lane, which was mostly regulated at the national speed limit. The council reduced the speed limit to 40mph, which it had planned to do before the fatal accident, and had originally said that it would not revisit the limit until the new 40mph restrictions had time to ‘bed in’.
Residents believe that 40mph is still too fast given the amount of traffic and the width of the road, and some have said they would like to reduce the speed to as little as 20mph, but accept that 30mph is probably the most likely outcome. The council agreed to carry out the speed survey during October 2013, and has said it will be in close consultation with the local police force over improving safety on the road and enforcing the new limit, if introduced.
What is a speed survey?
A speed survey typically uses a standard speed gun to record the speed of vehicles on a given stretch of road. For a long road, data may be collected at several points. Vehicles are surveyed in both directions to give a complete overview of road use, and the data gathered from the survey is then analysed and reported so that informed decisions can be taken.
Speed surveys from RDS
At Road Data Services, we are experienced in speed surveys, handling everything from the planning of the survey to its execution and reporting. We can use a single surveyor or supply a team for bigger areas, and we can also implement an automatic traffic count survey which gives a much bigger, more informed picture of road usage and speed.
To find out more, just contact us today for a chat or to arrange a survey.
Parking is a continual source of controversy at many hospitals – both availability and price. At the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, however, it’s availability that has been the biggest issue.
Parking survey? Just ask residents!
The Hartshill site is home to the county’s biggest hospital, and when plans for its construction were originally submitted, they included a large multi-storey car park. When the hospital was built, however, only a three-storey car park was completed. This doesn’t provide enough parking for those using the hospital, which includes up to 7,000 staff alone. This has resulted in residents on surrounding streets becoming frustrated with staff and visitors parking outside their homes from 7am until the early hours of the morning.
Parking review commissioned
Hospital management says it is all too aware of the parking issues – both for staff, patients and visitors, and for local residents. It has commissioned a parking survey and review that will look at the current state of play as far as parking is concerned and make some suggestions and options for increasing parking capacity quickly and for the long-term. As building work is still continuing at the site, parking places are often unavailable, so it is thought that a new multi-storey car park may be the best option. In fact, reports suggest that the hospital has already contacted the local council to talk about creating a new car park.
Parking issues often overlooked
Although planning applications for large developments like hospitals or shopping centres must include adequate parking facilities, it is common for these parking options to change once regular use of the development takes place. A parking survey before planning applications are submitted can help to ensure that developers make the best possible provision from the very beginning. Equally, if parking becomes an issue once the development is complete, a survey of journeys, usage and parking can help to improve things for customers or users, encouraging more people to use the development and improving relations with the local community.
Parking survey data from Road Data Services
Talk to us about how our professional data collection and analysis services can help you mitigate parking problems. We work with local authorities, planners and developers to help reduce the impact of traffic in and around your development, and to improve parking facilities wherever possible. Call us today to find out more.
GEM Motoring Assist, a national vehicle assist organisation, has released the results of a driver survey it carried out recently. The company spoke to a range of drivers about the driving behaviours that annoyed them most.
Road rage and traffic queues
It seems like it’s the little things that annoy drivers the most – either because the actions are dangerous or because there is no punishment, so those actions are repeated again and again by drivers who do not learn. Two out of three of drivers surveyed said that they particularly disliked tailgaters – drivers who drive too close to the car in front. Tailgating can be a dangerous practice, particularly on dual-carriageways and motorways, where failing to leave enough braking space can cause accidents when traffic suddenly slows down because there are traffic queues ahead.
Drivers also said that not indicating was a major source of annoyance, as was cutting across lanes, and failing to acknowledge or thank when being let into a queue. But in a separate survey conducted by carloan4u.co.uk, London drivers also admitted to their own bad behaviour, which included texting, smoking, eating and operating their satnavs whilst driving. Traffic problems caused by drivers not paying attention are often the reason for longer queues and for road rage incidents.
Analysing traffic queues
A build-up of traffic can happen for many reasons. In some cases, it is simply down to volume of traffic or poor road, junction and pedestrian crossing planning. In others, it may be that there is a particularly dangerous stretch of road where accidents occur, or it can be driver error which results in an accident, causing queues behind.
If an area is experiencing frequent queues that disrupt journey times and affect local residents, the first step is to conduct a queue survey. A well-planned and organised survey collects and analyses key data that allows good decisions to be made so that problems associated with traffic can be resolved.
Queue surveys from Road Data Services
We specialise in conducting a wide variety of traffic and pedestrian surveys to help local authorities, developers and planners to make the most informed decisions. Our services are used by organisations across the UK to help them see how to improve current conditions or plan to avoid problems in the future. Just contact us today to find out more.
Denholme, a small Yorkshire town that comes under Bradford City Council, has expressed its disappointment that the Council has decided against installing traffic lights at a junction already considered dangerous.
A consultation was held with residents and Denholme Town Council to look at improvements to New Road, particularly in light of a planning application for 35 new homes. The road is already busy and there were concerns that additional traffic would make the junction with Long Causeway even more dangerous.
Traffic count for peak hours
At the end of the consultation, Denholme Town Council recommended the installation of traffic lights to manage traffic flow. When the housing application was submitted however, the only concession to additional traffic was new road markings and signs. The Town Council was happy with the plans for new housing, provided adequate provision was made for traffic and pedestrian safety at the junction.
A traffic survey has been conducted at the junction which shows a total of more than 6,500 vehicles using the junction during peak hours. Explaining Bradford City Council’s decision against traffic lights, its principal engineer for Highway Development Control said:
“The opinion is the layout of the junction would require three-phase signals rather than the usual two, and this would increase potential delays.
“As part of the proposals for the development, the substandard visibility at the Long Causeway junction is being greatly improved, and this will significantly improve the safety of motorists. This forms part of the recommendation to the planning panel meeting, but the final decision will be made by members at that meeting.”
Reliable traffic data from RDS
Our traffic and pedestrian surveys are designed to get the most reliable data to help support your plans. Talk to us today about how we can help you to find out more about traffic and road use in your area.
