Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge
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Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge Highways & Traffic Assessment Report - A21 Assessment of Delays August 2013 Rother Valley Railway Ltd Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge 313090 ITD ITQ 011 B 2 August 2013 Highways & Traffic Assessment Report - A21 Assessment of Delays August 2013 Rother Valley Railway Ltd Robertsbridge Junction (RVR) Station, Station Road, Robertsbridge, Sussex TN32 5DG Mott MacDonald, Stoneham Place, Stoneham Lane, Southampton, SO50 9NW, United Kingdom t +44 (0)23 8062 8800 f +44 (0)23 8062 8801, W www.mottmac.com Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge Issue and revision record Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Description A 01.08.13 M D Lewis A J Poole I Johnston First Issue B 02.08.13 M D Lewis A J Poole I Johnston Second Issue This document is issued for the party which commissioned it We accept no responsibility for the consequences of this and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned document being relied upon by any other party, or being used project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or for any other purpose, or containing any error or omission used for any other purpose. which is due to an error or omission in data supplied to us by other parties This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not be shown to other parties without consent from us and from the party which commissioned it. Mott MacDonald, Stoneham Place, Stoneham Lane, Southampton, SO50 9NW, United Kingdom t +44 (0)23 8062 8800 f +44 (0)23 8062 8801, W www.mottmac.com Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge Content Chapter Title Page Executive Summary i 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Background _______________________________________________________________________ 1 1.2 Aims & Objectives __________________________________________________________________ 2 2. A21 Proposed RVR Level Crossing and Scheme Description 3 2.1 Location __________________________________________________________________________ 3 2.2 Scheme Description _________________________________________________________________ 4 3. Review of A27 Southerham to Beddingham POPE Report 5 3.1 Overview _________________________________________________________________________ 5 3.2 Structure of A27 POPE Report_________________________________________________________ 6 3.3 Assessment of Railway Level Crossing Times _____________________________________________ 6 3.4 A27 Scheme Composition ____________________________________________________________ 7 3.5 Problems along the Route Prior to the Scheme ____________________________________________ 8 3.5.1.1 The Level Crossing Issue_____________________________________________________________ 8 3.6 Review of Traffic Flow Data ___________________________________________________________ 8 3.7 Review of Road Safety Data __________________________________________________________ 9 3.7.1.1 Primary Causation Factors____________________________________________________________ 9 3.7.1.2 Accidents Involving Non-Motorised Users (NMUs) – Immediate Study Area _____________________ 10 3.8 Summary of A27 POPE Report and comparison with proposed RVR crossing ___________________ 10 4. A21 Traffic Assessment 11 4.1 Overview ________________________________________________________________________ 11 4.2 Analysis of HATRIS data ____________________________________________________________ 12 4.3 Method of Analysis _________________________________________________________________ 13 4.4 A21 Flimwell signal controlled junction__________________________________________________ 13 4.5 Traffic flow _______________________________________________________________________ 13 4.6 Journey times _____________________________________________________________________ 14 4.7 Calculated delay at Flimwell junction ___________________________________________________ 16 4.8 Forecast delay at Robertsbridge level crossing ___________________________________________ 17 4.9 A21 approaches to John’s Cross roundabout (A2100 junction) south of Robertsbridge ____________ 19 4.10 A21 section between A262 and A228 __________________________________________________ 22 4.11 Comparison of delay at Flimwell and the proposed crossing on with Proposed RVR Railway Level Crossing Site _____________________________________________________________________ 23 5. Conclusions 25 5.1 A27 POPE Report findings___________________________________________________________ 25 5.2 A21 Traffic Analysis ________________________________________________________________ 25 5.2.1 Flimwell Crossroads ________________________________________________________________ 26 313090/ITD/ITQ/011/B 2 August 2013 Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge 5.2.2 A21 junction with the A2100__________________________________________________________ 26 5.2.3 A21 at Pembury between the A228 and the A262 _________________________________________ 26 5.3 Comparative impact of proposed RVR railway level crossing at Robertsbridge___________________ 27 313090/ITD/ITQ/011/B 2 August 2013 Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge Executive Summary E1. Rother Valley Railway (RVR) Limited is seeking to reconstruct a section of railway between Bodiam and Robertsbridge in East Sussex. This section is the final missing link in the Kent and East Sussex Railway (KESR). E2. The reconstructed railway line will enable the direct interchange of passengers between KESR and the mainline railway network at the new Robertsbridge Junction Station. Once complete this will enable visitors to use the country’s public transport system to access the KESR and to use the line as a leisure transport corridor serving popular attractions such as the National Trust’s Bodiam Castle and the historic town of Tenterden. E3. In order to complete the restoration, RVR is proposing to construct a level crossing on the A21 Robertsbridge Bypass. E4. As part of this assessment work, following consultation between RVR and East Sussex County Council (ESCC), Mott MacDonald has been commissioned to: - “Review this (A27 Southerham to Beddingham Improvements – POPE One Year After Study – May 2010; Highways Agency) and compare frequencies, closure times, road traffic movements etc. in an annex to demonstrate that the Beddingham level crossing was a totally different case”. and “Investigate the delays to traffic at Flimwell traffic lights on the A21, these delay traffic far more than a level crossing would (and they also “break up” the flow of traffic already). Produce an annex with results”. and “Major delays also appear at other points on the A21, e.g. both north of Flimwell where the dual carriageway narrows to single lanes and the B2162 joins it, and to the south of Robertsbridge further down the A21 where the B2089 joins. It appears that these delays are far greater than those which would be caused by the RVR level crossing. Produce an annex with the results”. E5. This report uses data sourced from the A27 Southerham to Beddingham Improvements May 2010 – POPE One Year After Study, historical operational information from Network Rail of the now removed railway level crossing of the A27 at Beddingham and the Highways Agency Traffic Information System (HATRIS) which contains information on traffic flow and journey times on the motorway and trunk road network. 313090/ITD/ITQ/011/B 2 August 2013 i Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge E6. A comparison of the characteristics between the now removed A27 railway level crossing at Beddingham and the proposed RVR railway level crossing at Robertsbridge can be summarised as follows: - Table X -1: Comparison of Characteristics between A27 Beddingham and A21 Robertsbridge Railway Level Crossings Characteristics of A27 Beddingham and A21 A27 Beddingham (now A21 Robertsbridge (RVR Roberstbridge Railway Level Crossings removed) proposed) No. of Closure per Hour (No.) 8 2 Average Time of Each Closure (seconds) 160 51 Approximate Total Time Closed per Day (mins) 399 17 E7. In respect of the A21 investigations traffic flows and journey times have also been derived for the following locations: - The traffic signal controlled junction on the A21 at Flimwell; Two additional locations on the A21 where the highway layout is considered to contribute to vehicle delay. These two locations being south of Robertsbridge at the roundabout junction with the A2100 (near Battle) and at Pembury between the A228 and the A262 where the carriageway cross-section changes from 4-lane, 2-way to 2-lane, 2-way); and For the section/link of the A21 at Robertsbridge where the RVR railway level crossing is proposed. These have then been assessed and delays calculated from differences in off-peak and peak journey times. E8. These locations have been analysed and delays calculated from differences in off-peak and peak journey times. A summary of these findings is set out in Table X-2 overleaf. 313090/ITD/ITQ/011/B 2 August 2013 ii Rother Valley Railway A21 Robertsbridge Table X -2: Comparison of AM and PM journey times between alternative A21 locations and the site of the proposed RVR level crossing AM Peak PM Peak Location Basis of Average Associated Average Associated Delay delay total hourly delay total hourly (seconds delay (veh. (seconds delay per hrs) per (veh.hrs) vehicle) vehicle) A21 Flimwell Traffic Signal 106 14.66 86 23.36 junction (s/b) Operation A21 Flimwell Traffic Signal 51 10.99 46 5.47 junction (n/b) Operation A21 junction Roundabout with A2100 junction 52 5.86 47 11.25 (s/b) A21 junction Roundabout with A2100 junction 49 8.81 65 8.78 (n/b) A21 Change in