New Directions in Street Auditing: Lessons from the PERS Audits David Allen, Transport Research Laboratory Spencer Clark, Transport for London TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) and TfL, Transport for London Contact information: TRL (Transport Research Laboratory), Crowthorne House, Nine Mile Ride, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 3GA, United Kingdom. Direct dial: 01344 770281. dallen@trl.co.uk and TfL, Transport for London), Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL, United Kingdom. Direct dial: 020 7027 9256. spencerclark@streetmanagement.org.uk Abstract With pedestrian movement and the importance of streetscapes recognised within national and local UK policy, a method was required to effectively assess these types of environment and to identify ways to encourage people to use them. TRL s Pedestrian Environment Review System (PERS) provides local authorities with a quick and effective method for reviewing all types of pedestrian space and identifying where improvements are most needed. TRL have worked with Transport for London (TfL) in the past three years to further expand upon the capabilities of PERS. PERS reviews have now been applied across Greater London as part of TfL s drive to better understand the condition of all pedestrian environments within London. This paper aims to discuss the use of PERS by TRL for TfL, TfL s perspectives on walking and PERS, its capabilities, and the lessons learned from applying the audit tool extensively across Greater London in the past year.
David Allen, TRL, has been involved in streetscape and walking research and consultancy work for the last six years at TRL. He is a team leader within the Sustainable Communities Group at TRL, primarily leading on work associated with sustainable transport for local authorities, Transport for London (TfL) and Department for Transport. Spencer Clark, TfL, has been a member of the Walking and Accessibility team at TfL for over two years, tasked with promoting walking within London and raising the numbers of walking trips in the capital city. He is the PERS programme leader at TfL and in addition, he is the Borough Walking programme manager, responsible for the delivery of walking projects across the London boroughs which are funded by TfL.
New Directions in Street Auditing: Lessons from the PERS Audits David Allen, Transport Research Laboratory Spencer Clark, Transport for London TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) and TfL, Transport for London Introduction In the UK, local authorities are increasingly focussing their attention towards improving pedestrian networks and developing high quality streetscapes. This reflects the recognition in local transport policy that high quality pedestrian environments help to meet national and local cross-sector policy objectives including personal health and fitness benefits, social inclusion and environmental improvements. Guidance produced in 2000 for the first round of Local Transport Plans asked local authorities to demonstrate that they had a strategy to encourage walking. The second Local Transport Plan Guidance in 2004 (for LTP 2) stated that local authorities can make a major contribution to the quality of public spaces through: good design maintenance traffic management measures encouraging walking and cycling concepts such as de-cluttering use of greenery improved lighting and signage Similarly, in 2004, Transport for London produced the document Making London a walkable city: The walking plan for London (TfL, 2004). This plan aims to see more people making walking their first choice for short journeys, by creating a high quality pedestrian environment. The plan also indicates the Mayor s vision to make London one of the world s most walking friendly cities by 2015. Beyond this, the importance of improving the streetscene is recognised in current policy as a means of encouraging the general use of urban environments and to make pedestrian networks accessible for all mobility groups. However, knowing where and how best to place limited resources to maximise the potential of the walking environment has been a major challenge. With pedestrian movement and the importance of streetscapes recognised within national and local UK policy, over five years ago TRL began to develop PERS. PERS provides a method to effectively assess pedestrian environments and to identify ways to improve them and encourage people to use them. This paper aims to discuss the use of PERS by TRL for local authorities and Transport for London. It looks at its capabilities, and the lessons learned from applying the audit tool extensively across Greater London in the past year. What is PERS? TRL s Pedestrian Environment Review System (PERS) provides local authorities with a quick and effective method for reviewing all types of pedestrian space and identifying where improvements are most needed. PERS is:
a systematic process to assess the pedestrian environment within a framework that promotes objectivity. The original PERS was developed by TRL with the London Borough of Bromley. It had been previously concluded that there was no existing methodology in place to assess pedestrian environments consistently, comparatively and holistically. The PERS method aimed to meet this need, providing an efficient and objective tool for local authorities to evaluate pedestrian provision and to prioritise funding. During the past four years, TRL have worked with Transport for London (TfL) to further expand upon the capabilities of PERS to create PERS version 2. The development of PERS v2 is based upon extensive research to identify factors which are believed to be of importance to pedestrians in public spaces. PERS consists of audit frameworks to assess the links, crossings, routes, public transport waiting areas, interchange spaces and public spaces available to pedestrians in a given area. PERS relies upon the collation of comments and scores on a range of parameters to assess the pedestrian environment. PERS v2 consists of three integrated components: a handbook for users giving guidance on the parameters used to assess the pedestrian environment and on conducting the site review; data collection sheets for links, crossings, routes, public transport waiting areas, interchange spaces and public spaces for use on-site; a Visual Basic based software tool for data input and subsequent comparative route analysis. PERS primarily involves an on-site assessment by trained auditors making a systematic evaluation of the environment against specific criteria. It recognises that pedestrians need connected, coherent, conspicuous, comfortable and convenient networks and aims to consider the use of the public realm for non-pedestrian activity as a place to relax and for social activities. Draft auditing frameworks were piloted extensively to ensure their suitability across a range of environment types, from traditional high streets to home zones and the pedestrian environment around schools. Audits are undertaken from an end-user perspective, taking into account the needs of vulnerable pedestrians within the review framework. This ensures that pedestrians across all levels of mobility are considered, in terms of their ability to access a given environment. Outputs produced consist of a score for each parameter under review along with an overall total and percentage score. The scores are automatically attributed a red, amber or green (RAG) (poor to good) rating. These scores and RAG ratings enable the results to be presented in an accessible format. Charts can be produced to assess the performance of individual facilities, or to assess comparative performance, both in aggregate and feature by feature. The software also incorporates the use of a sketch map facility for assessment and data can be exported into a GIS package for further analysis.
Figure 1: PERS Outputs Left a bar chart showing PERS score Right a RAG map of the PERS outputs This analysis enables objective comparison of the pedestrian network to inform strategic decision making and targeting of investment by local authorities. The charting and mapping outputs can be used for presentations to audiences in particular, public consultation and council meetings displaying the findings in an accessible format. PERS and PERS v2 has been applied in a range of environment in the last few years including: Town centres such as Orpington in Bromley, Farnham in Surrey and Eltham in Greenwich The environment around a cluster of schools in Northwood, Hillingdon Pedestrian environments for regeneration such as the Imax Tunnels near Waterloo Station. A Home Zone project on the south coast of England A north-south walking route in the London Borough of Lambeth in London The most intensive use of PERS v2 has been with Transport for London. Transport for London and pedestrian agenda From Transport for London s perspective, The Mayor s Transport Strategy clearly sets out London s policy in regards to walking to create and promote a connected, safe, convenient, and attractive environment that encourages people to walk and enriches their experience of being out and about. One of the Walking Plan for London s targets is to increase the level of London s walkability in terms of people s perceptions and in actual measured terms. TfL are starting to place an ever increasing priority on sustainable modes of travel, realising the potential benefits sustainable modes offer London alongside the fact that the Traffic Management Act is focused on people movement, not just traffic movement. PERS allows TfL to identify the existing condition of the pedestrian environment in London for the first time and understand the problems pedestrians face and the improvements they would like to see in London. This allows for
prioritisation and targeting of resources efficiently and directly to where they are needed most. TfL use PERS because it suits their specific needs from a pedestrian environment audit tool; not only does it cover specific measurables of the pedestrian environment; it allows TfL to focus on the quality of the walking environment as well. From TfL s strategic perspective, it provides the easiest method of comparing pedestrian environments across London and is helping inform the baseline of London s walkability. Ultimately, PERS provides TfL with the tools to assess the status of the pedestrian environment across the TfL Road Network (TLRN), and ensure pedestrians needs are fully considered in planned schemes. PERS audits have helped TfL raise the profile of pedestrians and walking as a mode of travel. Application of PERS in London Since June 2006, PERS has been applied by TRL at over 55 sites in Greater London for TfL. A range of areas have been audited ranging from local high streets, trunk roads, subway networks, regeneration areas and residential environments. The audits have provided TfL with an objective basis for prioritising where resources can be targeted most effectively to improve the walking environment. In particular, the application of PERS audits across London has identified: Popular informal crossing movements (which lack any pedestrian crossing provision) which can be a particular road safety hazard in heavily trafficked environments Pedestrian behavior causing potential danger: for example, people climbing over guard railing in the central reservation in order to meet their desire line Popular pedestrian routes in which there is scope to provide a better quality of environment, a wider footway and/or more signage and wayfinding tools. The necessity, in some locations, for pedestrians to use subway environments which feel unsafe, have poor lighting quality and could be more aesthetically pleasing. As an example, two of the audits undertaken by TRL are described below. Case Study: Victoria Gyratory TRL auditied a large gyratory area around Victoria station. This is an area with high pedestrian flows made up of primarily commuters, shoppers and tourists, with the environment acting as a key interchange between rail, tube, coach and bus. The PERS audit highlighted the fact that the audit area is heavily dominated by traffic which generates a noisy pedestrian environment and constrains pedestrians onto the footways. There is scope to improve safe access between the rail and bus station and to improve crossing provision and legibility in a number of places. Signage and wayfinding information could also be improved particularly as the area is popular with visitors and there are a number of trip attractors within walking distance.
Figure 2: Victoria Gyratory PERS Left pedestrians crossing around guard railing Right a RAG map of the PERS crossing scores
Case Study: New Bridge Street New Bridge Street is an environment in the City of London which is popular with shoppers and business people. This area was subject to a PERS audit. There are high traffic flows and significant street activity with a number of cafes and restuarants. A particular issue is the need for pedestrians to use a subway network in the southern section of the audit area due to a lack of adequate surface level pedestrian crossings. The audit identified that there is an informal crossing where pedestrians are choosing to cross at surface level without any crossing provision. As a result of the audit highlighting this issue, an at-grade crossing is being provided. Alongside this, the audit drew out a lack of adequate tactile paving for sensory impaired pedestrians at crossing points and bus stops with a lack of seating or shelter for users. Figure 3: New Bridge Street PERS Left pedestrian subway stepped access only Right a RAG map of the PERS outputs Future audits TfL has also recently commissioned TRL and Living Streets to undertake joint audits using PERS and Living Street s Community Street Audit methodology. The joint audits will be taking place over the coming months around seven mainline stations in London to identify prioritised improvements using both techniques. Quantifying the benefits PERS is also been used to assess proposed changes to the pedestrian environment to predict the potential improvements that would be achieved if put into practice. Alongside this, recent research in the UK by CABE space entitled Paving with gold: the real value of good street design (2007) has demonstrated a direct link between street quality and property prices. The research involved using PERS to score ten London high streets along with extensive additional data collection for each. This
research identified that the quality of the high street can add at least 5% to the price of homes and to the level of retail rents. Auditing experiences From TRL s experience in applying PERS for TfL, complex pedestrian environments have been studied, particularly in areas where traffic dominates and where there are a range of pedestrian types using the environment (commuters, tourists, shoppers etc.). The research has particularly identified the following general issues from those areas audited within London: the poor permeability of the pedestrian environment (restricting user movement) the lack of adequate signage and wayfinding information poor personal security measures a lack of effective footway-focussed lighting. There is also a general lack of tonal contrast in the pedestrian environment to assist sensory impaired pedestrians. Future TfL spending will now help to improve these issues for pedestrians. At crossing points, in general a review of the PERS audits has identified scope to improve the legibility of crossings in terms of their presence in the carriageway and the provision made for sensory impaired pedestrians, particularly correct and consistent tactile information. There is also scope to improve maintenance and the delay to the user at crossing points. Overall, some of the general recommendations this work has generated are: Improve signage and wayfinding information at a link level Review crossing provision at informal crossing points Review crossing provision, particularly at key junctions to improve pedestrian priority Ensure tactile information at crossing points is consistent Reduce crossing stages where feasible Improve tonal/colour contrast within the street environment Improve maintenance regime In terms of undertaking audits, TRL has learnt a number of lessons from the extensive TfL programme. Auditing pedestrian environments requires a detailed understanding of user requirements for different types of pedestrian and as such user user empathy is critical to produce an accurate assessment. The work has also highlighted the fact that the qualitative components such as the quality of the environment are as important as the quantitative components such as the effective width of the footway. Applying a checklist of factors helps to ensure that no elements are missed in the review and it is a holistic process. In addition, an audit can identify some quick and relatively cheap wins to improve pedestrian provision. This allows TfL to introduce a programme of improvements over the short, medium and long term in confidence that resources are being targeted at areas most in need of improvements for pedestrians. Summary Local government in the UK is increasingly focussing attention on the improvement of pedestrian environments in order to encourage walking as a sustainable mode of travel. Transport for London is a key agent in this process.
PERS is one approach in the UK being applied to evaluate pedestrian environments. The system provides a consistent and holistic method to be able to identify key issues for pedestrians and to prioritise improvements. It is a technique currently being used extensively by Transport for London in order to plan future spending to improve walking environments in London. TRL has extensive experience of undertaking audits, particularly in London, and have identified some key techniques to successfully elicit information to highlight key problems within pedestrain links, crossings, routes and spaces. The programme of work for TfL has also revealed some common issues and barriers for pedestrians within London which are now being addressed. References CABE SPACE. (2007). Paving with gold: the real value of good street design. London: CABE. DETR. (2000). Guidance for Local Transport Plans. London: DETR. DfT. (2004). Full guidance on Local Transport Plans: second edition. London: DfT. Transport for London. (2004). Making London a walkable city: The walking plan for London. London: TfL.