How do we design for pedestrians? Case study: transforming the Walworth Road David Moores, Director of Public Realm Institution of Highways and Transportation, November 2009
Presentation overview Design aspirations Design techniques Proactive use of engineering in the design process Walworth Road case study
Kensington High Street
Walworth Road
Exhibition Road
Design aspirations Streets are about people: Integrated Design: Pedestrians Walking, shopping eating and meeting Motorists Driving, delivering, stopping and parking Transport Bus passengers and cyclists Kensington High Street
Design aspirations Redressing the Balance between pedestrians and vehicles. Pedestrianisation? Shared Space? Holbein Place: Before Holbein Place: After
Design aspirations Exhibition Road Shared space design Lead design - Dixon Jones Engineering and traffic - Project Centre
Design aspirations Traditional spatial design segregates uses The reality: Carriageway Footway Crossing points Bus stops Parking and loading Vehicle movement Traffic signals Access Walworth Road
Design aspirations Changing the traditional High Street: Integrated Space The narrow corridor of the street is shared in an integrated way. Shared space is about integration, not omission How do we integrate the tradition features of streets and roads? Walworth Road
Design techniques Traffic engineering gives us the design tools for successful streetscapes Signal design Vehicle swept paths Visibility splays Speed reduction Parking / servicing Junction layouts Crossings Lighting
Design techniques Traffic engineering to create space Aims: clarity of line and arrangement Kerbs reduce build outs Crossings where people want to cross. Informal and formal Uniformity of kerb radii Symmetry of layout Merging traffic lanes
Design techniques Traffic engineering to create space Integrated spaces: Footways and loading bays Bus stops within running lane Encourage pedestrians and motorists to visually share the carriageway and footway Reduce Level changes Increase footway widths Visual links materials Reducing traffic speed
Design techniques Design, engineering and construction Vehicle movements define space Kerb alignments frame space
Design techniques Traffic modelling Uses real traffic data Enables you to test designs Tests signal timings Tests location of bus stops and pelican crossings
Design techniques Traffic modelling Relocate bus stops Move crossing points Pelican crossings make gaps in traffic for buses to pull out Modelling shows if bus lanes can be removed
Design techniques Traffic engineering to create space Signalisation of crossings and junctions Objective: Create ease of pedestrian movement Slows traffic without loss of vehicle capacity
Design techniques Pedestrian modelling Look at pedestrian flows Look at informal crossings Redesign pavements and crossings to satisfy desire lines Signalisation for pedestrians.
Design techniques Design Process Engineering and construction Change the design stages: 1.Feasibility and objectives 2.Sketch design layout 3.Construction details & constraints 4.Revise layout 5.Detailed design proposals 6.Construction package Walworth Road
Design techniques Walworth Road
Design techniques Design, engineering and construction Materials Detailed alignments
Design techniques Construction profiles
Design techniques How does construction profile affect general arrangement?
Design techniques Tree pit design and below ground services
Design techniques Finalise general arrangement
Walworth Road: Case Study Mixed priority challenges High volumes of traffic: 20,000 vehicles per day 180 buses per hour 20,000 pedestrians 250 accidents in 3 years
Walworth Road: mixed priority challenges
Community engagement Good things 92% Convenience to central London 86% Good public transport 51% Variety of cultures 44% Variety of shops 22% Community spirit
Community engagement Bad things 63% Narrow/cluttered footways 58% Unclean 46% Too much traffic 41% Vandalism/unsafe 39% Crowded bus stops 39% No parks or green spaces
Community engagement Bad things 39% Noise/air pollution 31% Poor footways 29% Poor loading and parking 27% Lack of crossing points 23% Groups of teenagers 10% Poor street lighting
Community engagement - findings Issues raised at consultation: Road Safety Narrow pavements Crime and fear of crime Severance of community Lack of local identity Unfriendly environment Poor maintenance
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Walworth Road: before the changes
Southwark Council s approach Mixed priority - no one user is more important Improve environment for all users Equal space for vehicles and pedestrians Shared space principles Holistic approach
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
Walworth Road: after the changes
How the new design performs Road safety Provisional accident data outside improved area Before changes 14.625 After changes 14.0
How the new design performs Road safety Provisional accident data for Browning St / Manor Place Before changes 4.45 After changes 0
How the new design performs Bus times Patronage increased 2% 1 sec improvement north 12 sec improvement south
How the new design performs Parking and loading Tickets issued: Before improvements 4,532 After improvements 1,472
How the new design performs Civic focus Pavement widths doubled Central reserve and tree planting More crossing points where people want them