Holistic planning approach requires traffic survey data
Urban planners and developers are continually looking for ways to regenerate or build new developments without quite so much focus on the car. Historically, developments have been largely planned around the car – roads in and out of developments; space for parking; calculations of journey times to the nearest business and commercial centres. Now that planners are looking at a different way of doing things, does the data generated by traffic surveys still matter?
Planning for better transport infrastructure
The answer to that question is ‘yes’. Whilst we may be trying to reduce car usage, lower pollution and alleviate congestion, the car is still the primary mode of transport for many. Reducing car use for new developments will mean being more careful about where the development is sited, and developers will need to ensure that buses or alternative forms of transport links are available so that residents and workers have a choice about how they get from A to B.
In the UK, space is finite, and nearly every new development will have to take into consideration the road network around it. This includes understanding the impact of adding, for example, an additional 2,000 cars to the road at peak times, or providing off-road parking so that roads are easier to drive on and less congested because of street parking. Developers also need to ensure that roads are safe for other users, such as cyclists of pedestrians – particularly as the levels of traffic increase.
Designing for life
The trend in urban planning and design is towards developments that are built as communities – people are much more likely to want to live somewhere that has green spaces, safe roads and community hubs. The more opportunity there is for people to cycle or walk to work – or at least to the nearest available public transport – the better it is for the environment, for our health and for general wellbeing. Developers are being encouraged to take a more people-centric approach, rather than vehicle- and access-oriented as they have in the past.
However, those assessing the success of these projects will still need to have the data to prove their effectiveness. Traffic surveys can provide data for benchmarking and comparison, as well as for essential decision-making information at the design and planning stage of a project.
To find out more about how our precision surveys can help you ahead of your next project, or to talk to us about working with you now, contact us today.
