Self Regulating Streets

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March 2014 SELF-REGULATING STREETS Jason Taylor Urban Designer - South Dublin Co Co.

Transcript of Self Regulating Streets

Page 1: Self Regulating Streets

March 2014

SELF-REGULATING STREETS

Jason Taylor

Urban Designer - South Dublin Co Co.

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• There is a long established relationship between speed and street design.

• Transport Research Laboratory (UK) reports 322, 325 and 551:

– Driver speed based on a visual and psychological interpretation of street environment.

– Legislation and regulation play a secondary role.

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• Self-regulating streets – characteristics of the street instinctively tell drivers what speed they should be doing.

• DMURS recognises that ‘place’ plays a critical role to a drivers interpretation of the street.

• Self regulating streets are established by a combination of 'soft' and 'hard' measures.

• Softer or 'place' based measures

include:

– Built form– Landscape– Activity

• Harder measures are more associated with conventional road design, i.e. street geometry.

Adamstown, Co. Dublin

Chapelizod, Co. Dublin

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• Physical (harder) and psychological (softer), that influence driver behaviour and calm traffic as illustrated in the Adamstown Street Design Guide (2010).

• Physical and psychological measures are most effective when used in combination (Transport Research Laboratory 2005).

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• Preparation of DMURS included an analysis of recent Road Safety Authority Free Speed Surveys to examine influence of 'hard' and 'soft' measures on drivers in Ireland

• RSA Free Speed Survey 2008, 2009 and 2011 recorded speeds of some 9,500 vehicles in free flowing conditions along 23 streets within metropolitan Dublin were recorded

• Each street was surveyed with regard to the extent of hard and soft measures.

Stillorgan Road (N11) Navan Road (N3) Morehampton Road (N11) Clonkeen Road (R827)

Lwr. Kilmacud Road (R825) Delwood RoadAbbey Park Glasilawn Road

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• The results demonstrated a strong trend whereby as the frequency and extent of the 'softer', or psychological, and 'harder', or physical, design measures increased, operating speeds lowered significantly.

• Trends were consistent on all street types (i.e. classification)

Average Operating Speed (All Streets)

Frequency and Extent of Psychological and Physical Measures

Stillorgan Road (60 km/h)

Ave. 71.6 km/h

Lwr Kilmacud Rd (50 km/h)

Ave. 48.7 km/h

Brian Rd (50 km/h)

Ave. 31.0 km/h

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• and the number of drivers exceeding the posted speed limit significantly decreased.

% of Drivers Exceeding the Posted Speed Limit (All Streets)

Frequency and Extent of Psychological and Physical Measures

Stillorgan Road (60 km/h)

83.6%

Lwr Kilmacud Rd (50 km/h)

37.6%

Brian Rd (50km/h)

1%

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• The presence of deflections (such as ramps) had a strong influence on reducing speed. However trend of lower operating speeds was consistent on streets without ramps where other measures were present.

Average Operating Speed (Streets Without Ramps)

Frequency and Extent of Psychological and Physical Measures

Morehampton Rd (50 km/h)

Ave. 53.3 km/h

Delwood Road (50 km/h)

Ave. 44.8 km/h

Lorcan Rd (50 km/h)

Ave. 34.7 km/h

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• Other ‘softer’ measures, such as a sense of enclosure, surveillance and activity created by landscape treatments and development (esp. where fronting directly onto the street) also had a significant influence on lowering speed.

Average Operating Speed (Enclosure and Frontage)

Frequency and Extent of Psychological and Physical Measures

Malahide Road (60 km/h)

Ave. 69.8 km/h

Brookwood Rise (50 km/h)

Ave. 38.3 km/h

Morehampton Rd (50 km/h)

Ave. 53.3 km/h

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• Significantly, where there are limited psychological and physical design measures on streets with a speed limit of 50 km/h, most drivers exceeded the speed limit by 10 km/h or more.

% of Drivers Exceeding the Speed Limit by 10km/h or more (50 km/h streets)

Frequency and Extent of Psychological and Physical Measures

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• DMURS outlines these measures in detail to provide a comprehensive ‘toolkit’ of principles, approaches and standards that designers can use to create a self regulating street environment.

50 km/h

Mid Level Place Function

Mid Level Movement Function

30 km/h

Mid Level Place Function

Low level Movement Function

10 km/h

High Level Place Function

Low level Movement Function (Cars)

High Level Movement Function

(Pedestrians/Cyclists)

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50 km/h

Mid/High Level Place Function

High Level Movement Function

30 km/h

High Level Place Function

High Level Movement Function

>30 km/h

High Level Place Function

Low Level Movement Function (Cars)

High Level Movement Function

(Pedestrians and Cyclists)

• Principles, approaches and standards can be applied according to the surrounding context (i.e. land uses, densities, pedestrian activity etc) and the movement function of the street to get the balance right.

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• Sense of Enclosure (proximity of buildings, continuity of street wall, street trees)

• Well defined urban space (active frontages, interaction, surveillance, shelter)

• Increased pedestrian/cyclist comfort, safety

• Traffic claming effect/increased driver caution

Adamstown, Co. Dublin Ingress Park, Kent, UK

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• Activate Streets (active uses, animated frontages, multiple entrances, ‘own door’)

• Generation of pedestrian activity

• Increased surveillance of the street (safety in numbers)

• Traffic claming effect/increased driver caution

Drogheda, Co. Louth Adamstown, Co. Dublin

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• Minimising signage and line marking (within the Traffic Signs Manual).

• Excessive signage can distract and confuse drivers. With less regulative features, drivers pay closer attention to the street environment and communicate with other users (i.e. what should I do?).

• Minimise signage on Arterial or Link streets/ scope for ‘naked streets’ on Local streets.

• Signage and line marking can be substituted/supplemented by landscape features.

Kensington High Street, London, UK Exhibition Road, London, UK

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• Changes in material, colour and texture

• Highly effective for very low design speeds and/or defining changes in conditions (shared spaces, gateways, schools).

• Surface changes (such as paving) can slow vehicle speeds by 4-7 kph (UK Manual for Streets).

• Can supplement/reduce the need for signage and line marking.

Adamstown, Co. Dublin Ashford Ring Road, UK

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• Frequent Crossing Points and Junctions

• Traffic claming effect/increased driver caution (TRL 2006).

• No significant increased in collision risk within more permeable networks (TRL 2006, UK Manual for Streets Evidence and research 2007).

• Higher levels of access for slow modes (include motor vehicles at slow speeds)

Adamstown, Co. Dublin

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• Self-regulating street networks will not require the same restrictions to be placed on motor vehicles as compared to more segregated networks.

• Slow and constrained nature of Local Streets make them unattractive to through traffic.

• Arterial/Link streets attract traffic, more direct, moderate speeds.

• Other benefits (at local level)

– Drivers more likely to maintain lower speeds

– Increased permeability for pedestrians and cyclists

– More equitable distribution of traffic

– More compact junctions

Dendritic Network

Permeable Off-Set/Filtered Network

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• Narrow carriageways

• One of the most effective measures to reduce speeds (UK Manual for Streets 2007).

• Measured from kerb to kerb, from outside line of a Cycle Lane or from parking spaces (build outs are essential)

Fettercairn, Co. Dublin New Hall, Essex, UK

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• Horizontal and vertical deflections

• No need for physically intrusive ramps.

• Supplementary measures –raised tables and carriageway narrowing.

• Enforce low speeds at strategic locations (gateways, areas of high pedestrians activity).

Ingress Park, Kent, UK Dorset Street, Dublin

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• On-street parking

• Reinforces narrow carriageway

• Increases driver caution

• Can support small scale retail/on-street activity

• Formalises parking (reduces temptation to kerb mount)

New Hall, Essex, UKAdamstown, Co. Dublin

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• Reduced Corner Radii

• Most vehicle/cyclist/pedestrian interactions will happen at corners. Critical that speeds are minimised.

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• Reduced Forward Visibility

• One of the most effective measures to reduce speeds (UK Manual for Streets 2007)

Poundbury, Dorset, UK

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• DMURS highlights issues with conventional design approaches that seek to minimise risk and delay for motor vehicles

– Frontage free– Wide carriageways– Continuous rails, walls and fences– Low connectivity/Ped activity– Limited junctions

• This approach is counter productive in urban areas as drivers are more inclined to drive at inappropriate speeds and behave more aggressively

• Further implications for sustainability and quality of life. If streets are not perceived to be safe, people will retreat to the safety of their cars

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• To moderate speeds, streets need to be fronted with development, overlooked, landscaped and with only as much space dedicated to motor vehicles as is reasonably necessary

• DMURS presents designers with a holistic package 'soft' and 'hard' measures to manage driver behaviour

– Application will increase pedestrian/cyclist mobility.

– Application will enhance sense of place

• 'win win' scenario, where streets are more attractive, more sustainable and safer.