1 ROADS Services Training Group LOCAL AUTHORITY ROADS CONFERENCE 2014 Reforms, Challenges and Safety Treacys West County Hotel, Ennis, May 2014.

Reforms, Challenges and Safety Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets Sean McGrath Senior Executive Engineer Fingal County Council

Lots of Manuals  DMRB  Traffic Management Guidelines  National Cycle Manual  NDA Universal Design Guide  UK Manual for Streets  Essex Design Guide

Why Another Manual?  Balance the competing demands of the “Place Function” as well as the “Transport Function” of urban roads and streets  “Place Function” means meeting, greeting, playing, relaxing, shopping, eating, community events, tourism, enjoying life!

Place Function

Place and Transport Functions FUNCTION Place Transport HighLow HighMain Streets (O’Connell Street) Bypasses, Relief Roads LowResidential areas, Shopping streets Back streets

Speed and Design TRL (UK) reports 322, 325 and 551 Driver speed based on visual, psychological interpretation of the street. Legislation and regulation play a secondary role.

Design and Low Speed

Place and Transport Functions  Historically, towns develop where transport routes cross  Balance competing demands  Irish context  DTTS, DoECLG appointed a project team a steering group

Scope and Force  Urban areas with speed limit 60kph or less  DTTS circular RW (28 March 2013)  DoECLG circular PL17/2013 (21 Oct 2013)  Mandatory for all Local Authorities Forward Planning Development Control Own Works

DMURS – Practical Implications  Street Networks (3.3.1) Filtered permeability Orthogonal (Fig 3.8) Curvilinear Organic

Using images or content with text  Use a single clear image or graphic that illustrates your point  Keep your points short and succinct  Use bold for emphasis Dept. Name

Dublin in Comparison to Similar Cities Difference is mainly walking and cycling, not public transport

Cork in Comparison to Similar Cities Difference is mainly walking and cycling, not public transport

DMURS – Practical Implications  Traffic Congestion (3.4.2) No new roads – cost, environmental reasons Maximise efficient use of road space (Fig 3.25) Accept some level of congestion

DMURS – Practical Implications  Relief Roads (3.4.4) High capacity, but not necessarily high speed Longer distance traffic, especially HGVs Take traffic away from urban centres Inner Relief Road (Fig 3.31)  Maintain sense of place  Minimise severance Outer Relief Road (Fig 3.32)  Separate from urban area  Strategically planned (SDZ, Local Area Plan)

DMURS – Practical Implications  Signing and Lining (4.2.4)  Traffic Signs Manual Advises against over-provision of signs (1.1.10) “shall or must”, “should” and “may” (1.1.12)  Minimise signage, esp. on local streets  Better to have self-regulating design

Local Transport Note 2/09 “There is no conclusive evidence that the inclusion of PGR at any type of pedestrian crossing or junction has any statistically significant effect on safety”

DMURS – Practical Implications  Materials and Finishes (4.2.6)  Define space, calm traffic, and improve legibility  Reduce the need for barriers, signing and lining  Need not be expensive

DMURS – Practical Implications  Planting (4.2.7)  Provide softer landscape especially in suburbs, neighbourhoods (Fig 4.28)  Consider size and types of trees  Coordinate with SUDs

DMURS – Practical Implications  Pedestrians and cyclists (4.3)  Footway widths 1.8m – 4.0m (Fig 4.34)  Pedestrian crossings (4.3.2) Zebras for moderate flows (Fig 4.37) Informal (raised?) ‘courtesy’ (Fig 4.38) Avoid staggered crossings Minimise crossing distances Provide refuges (with PBUs at signals)

DMURS – Practical Implications  Corner Radii (4.3.3) Reduce pedestrian crossing distances Reduce vehicle speeds (Fig 4.42) Allow large vehicles to cross centrelines

DMURS – Practical Implications  Pedestrianised and shared surfaces (4.3.4)  Full pedestrianisation (Figs 4.46) High activity through day and evening Retail, commercial and cultural centres  Shared surfaces (Figs 4.46, 4.47) Transport function is low (eg homezones) Careful use of materials No kerbs(?) Minimise carriageway width and entry radii

DMURS – Practical Implications  Carriageway widths (4.4.1)  Arterial and link streets lane widths min: 3.0m, standard: 3.25m, max: 3.5m  Local streets 5.0m - 5.5m carriageway  Local shared street 4.8m carriageway  Boulevard (Fig 4.55)

DMURS – Practical Implications  Junction Design (4.4.3)  Balanced approach – not just car capacity Reduce kerb radii Omit left turn slips (Fig 2.8)  Signals Ped crossings on all arms Include ped, bike, bus delays in optimisation Minimise cycle times

DMURS – Practical Implications  Junction Design (cont’d)  Roundabouts Large roundabouts not appropriate  Difficult for pedestrians and bikes  Limited capacity  Land take Consider compact/continental roundabouts

DMURS – Practical Implications  Visibility distances (4.4.4)  Much lower than DMRB (Table 4.2)  Reaction time 1.5 seconds, not 2 seconds  Deceleration rate 0.45g, not 0.25g  Alignment (4.4.6)  Arterial and Link Streets: retain directness  Local Streets: speed reducing curves (Fig 4.65)

DMURS – Practical Implications Design Speed DMRB DMURS Sight Stopping Distances (metres)

DMURS – Practical Implications  Horizontal and Vertical Defections (4.4.7)  To slow traffic without undue discomfort  Horizontal (chicanes, pinch points) Off-set junctions (Local Streets) On-street car parking  Vertical (ramps, tables) Long straights (>70m between junctions) Pedestrian crossings Entry treatments

DMURS – Practical Implications  On-street parking and loading (4.4.9)  Functions Calm traffic Commercial viability of centres Reduce parking on footpaths

DMURS – Practical Implications  What Networks will look like Permeable neighbourhoods More pedestrian crossings No more distributor roads with high walls Inner Relief Roads - retain place function Outer Relief Roads - outside urban area Some level of car congestion

DMURS – Practical Implications  What Streets will look like Narrower carriageways, wider footpaths Tighter radii Shorter cycle times at traffic signals No left turn slip roads at junctions No large roundabouts No pedestrian guardrails Less signing and lining More on-street parking

DMURS – Practical Implications  A better balance between the “place function” and the “transport function” of urban roads and streets