scrutiny of hertfordshire county council’s cycling strategy cycling infrastructure design...
Post on 01-Jan-2016
217 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Scrutiny of Hertfordshire County Council’s Cycling Strategy
Cycling Infrastructure Design
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
October 2009
The presentation will:
• Outline the technical guidance followed and difficulties encountered in the development of cycling schemes
• Address the question of how we meet the needs of all types of cyclist
• Identify improvements that can be introduced to the
design process
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Main document:
Local Transport Note (LTN) 2/08 Cycle Infrastructure Design
Issued by the Department for Transport in October 2008
Brings together updates and guidance previously available in a number of documents
Provides guidance applicable to local roads
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Current Design Guidance
Other relevant guidance:
• Cycling England Design Checklist and Portfolio – in large part incorporated into LTN 2/08 but useful source of guidance and best practice
• Manual for Streets – issued by DfT in 2007 providing guidance on inclusive street design focusing on lightly trafficked residential streets
• TA90/05 The Geometric Design of Pedestrian, Cycle and Equestrian Routes and TA91/05 Provision for Non-motorised Users – issued by the Highways Agency in 2005 providing guidance on off-carriageway routes associated with trunk road and motorway improvements
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Current Design Guidance
Retains key features of earlier guidance (e.g Cycle Friendly Infrastructure - 1996)
1) Setting out 5 core principles which summarise the
desirable design requirements for cyclists:
• Convenience
• Accessibility
• Safety
• Comfort
• Attractiveness
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Current Design Guidance
2) Setting out a hierarchy of provision that offers useful
guidance on steps to be considered when designing
improvements to cycle infrastructure
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Current Design Guidance
LTN 2/08 also provides a guide to type of provision depending on traffic flow and speed. The information is taken from the London Cycling Design Standards. In graphical form it is as follows:
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Current Design Guidance
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
A similar type of chart was provided in the 1996 and 1997 Sustrans Document “Guidelines and Practical Details”. Aimed at providing for inexperienced cyclists it indicates a need for segregation from motor traffic at lower speed/volume levels than the earlier chart:
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Earlier Guidance
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Annex 2 of the HCC Cycling Strategy:
• General presumption that improvements will be made
to allow on-road cycling• Hierarchy of measures will be followed to achieve this• Reduce traffic flow/speed to an appropriate level that
allows on-road cycling• Very difficult to achieve in practice
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Application in Hertfordshire
• Slight change of emphasis
• LTN and Manual for Streets advise that the hierarchy of provision offers useful guidance but is not meant to be applied rigidly
• Advises that solutions in upper tier of hierarchy of provision not always viable
• Recognises different categories of cyclist
• Recognises that provision made may reflect the category of cyclist expected to use the facility
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Current Design Guidance
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
LTN 2/08 Categories of Cyclist
School children:
• Generally provide off-road facilities
• Core principle of safety overrides other considerations
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Meeting the Need
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Meeting the NeedFast Commuter:
• Ideally provide on-road facilities to cater for current use and
encourage new use.
• Commuter routes generally follow main traffic corridors to
business parks/industrial areas as destinations can cover a
large area.
• Traffic flow typically 13 to 20,000 vpd. Even the lower figure
is on the limit of the chart range.• Traffic reduction to level suitable for on-road cycling not
realistically achievable as there is generally no alternative
route to redirect traffic to in short-term (possibly bypasses
long-term).
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Meeting the NeedFast Commuter (cont’d):
• If route also coincident with a principal or distributor road where movement of freight and traffic is the primary function the redirection of traffic is not likely to be appropriate
• Often an off-road facility is the only achievable option if new users are to be encouraged
• Or, find an alternative parallel route for cyclists – not always available in a way that meets core principles
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Meeting the Need
Other commuter/utility/inexperienced cyclist:
• Target commuting to single destinations (e.g.
stations) where less direct but quieter routes may
be achievable to encourage new use
• Possibly some segregation
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Meeting the Need
Leisure cyclists:
• Longer routes have incorporated a range of
measures• Traffic calming on quieter but fast roads to improve
safety while maintaining directness• Redistribution of road space e.g. contra flow cycle
lane• Off-road routes alongside rural roads with fast
traffic where traffic calming not appropriate.
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Implementation Difficulties
Contra-flow cycling:
• Special authorisation for advisory facilities
• Timescale
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Implementation Difficulties
On-road facilities:
• Traffic regulation orders – objections
• Road Humps Notices - objections
• Public consultation opposition
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Implementation DifficultiesOff-road facilities:
• Public consultation opposition• Land acquisition difficulties when widening needed
(dedication, permissive rights agreement)• On private land – permissive rights agreement,
planning permission, dedication)• Multi–user facilities – special authorisation/width• Using rights of way – Cycle Tracks Order to convert
footpath, objections, bridleway dedication, permissive
rights agreement
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
Problems and SolutionsProblems
Two main areas have been highlighted where the needs of cyclists are sometimes not adequately addressed:
• Design teams working on non-cycling schemes may
overlook the need to accommodate cyclists within their
proposals.
• Lack of expertise in some personnel who work on cycling
proposals.
Solution
• The roll-out of the non-motorised user audit process
described earlier will ensure that the needs of cyclists are
not overlooked in non-cycling schemes and will provide or
prompt less experienced personnel to seek detailed
guidance when necessary
Questions?
Hertfordshire Highwayswww.hertsdirect.org
top related