Technical Note
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Technical note Project: Lynchford Road To: Richard Humphreys Subject: Road Safety Audit - Designers From: Response Date: 10 Apr 2019 cc: Phil Marshall, Steve Willoughby 1. Introduction This report results from a Stage 1 Road Safety Audit carried out on proposed capacity improvements for Lynchford Road in Farnborough, between Queens roundabout and Park Road Roundabout. The audit has been carried out in accordance with the requirements specified in Hampshire County Council’s Technical Guidance Note 18. The Road Safety Audit Team membership was as follows: - Audit Team Leader: Steve Willoughby MCIHT MSoRSA Hampshire County Council Audit Team Member: Ross Rawlings MCIHT MSoRSA Hampshire County Council The Road Safety Audit comprised an examination of the documents provided, as listed in the Road Safety Audit Brief. The Audit Team visited the site together, on 16th January 2019 at 2:30pm. During the visit the weather was overcast/raining and the road surface was wet. Traffic conditions were free flowing. The Road safety Audit Team examined and reported only on the road safety implications of the scheme as presented and has not examined or verified the compliance of the design to any other criteria. All problems described in this report are considered by the Audit Team to require action in order to improve the safety of the scheme. Section 2 contains the designer’s response to the issues described. The location of the problems identified are shown on the annotated plan in the Road Safety Audit Report; Document reference: 03/163 DR. Client reference: R.J507253.01. Lynchford Road - RSA - Designers Response Final 1 Technical note 2. Responses 2.1. Problem 1 Location: The proposed Tiger crossing on Alexandra Road. Summary: The risk of cycle/vehicle collisions. Drivers turning left from the A3011 Lynchford Road onto Alexandra Road will be concentrating on negotiating the roundabout and may not notice an eastbound cyclist approaching the tiger crossing from old Lynchford Road. This may lead to a collision between a vehicle and a cyclist on the crossing, or a shunt collision on the approach to the crossing if vehicles break suddenly. Recommendation: Retain the existing uncontrolled crossing where cyclists and pedestrians give way to vehicles. Response: Not Accepted. The crossing over Alexandra Road is part of an east-west cycle route and is a key link from the business districts around the airport and North Camp rail station. It is also a gateway to North Camp urban centre from the west. The overall design of the Lynchford Road scheme is based on Manual for Streets 2 and the HCC Companion Document and not just on DMRB. The Companion Document defines street types. The Old Lynchford Road, along with Camp Road, fulfils the role of a High Street for North Camp and the document offers the following bullet points on High Streets: • The primary business (shopping and commercial) street of a town • Often part of or close to the settlement core • Generally high pedestrian and vehicle use • Frequent links with adjoining networks of streets The crossing has to support these activities in Old Lynchford Road by forming an attractive link to it from the west and surveys indicate that this is the busiest crossing at St Alban’s Roundabout. It is essential that a high-quality crossing facility is provided to minimise the severance of Alexandra Road on important east to west pedestrian and cycle movements. An uncontrolled crossing would not provide an appropriate level of service. The issue of visibility has been considered and was also raised during the public consultations. It will be further assessed in the detailed design of the eastbound approach to the roundabout to ensure maximum visibility. In addition, the configuration as a tiger crossing will delver better conspicuity than an uncontrolled crossing. The detail design will also consider placing the crossing on a raised table, which would reduce traffic speeds and minimise the likelihood of a collision between cyclists and motor vehicles. 2.2. Problem 2 Location: The west side of the proposed Tiger Crossing on Alexandra Road. Summary: The risk of cycle/pedestrian collisions. Lynchford Road - RSA - Designers Response Final 2 Technical note The narrowed footway and realigned cycle route, together with the restricted forward visibility around the corner of the NatWest bank, will increase the risk of collisions between cyclists and pedestrians approaching the west side of the proposed tiger crossing. Recommendation: Widen the footway on the west side Alexandra Road in the vicinity of the crossing. Response: Part Accepted The footway width at on the west side of the crossing is constrained by the adjacent building. Moving the crossing north or south will provide more space. However, moving it south will increase the issue raised as Problem 1 and moving it north will take it away from the desire line and lead to jay walking/riding. At detailed design the configuration of the crossing, including the size of the central refuge will be reviewed to ensure maximum space is available on the western footway. 2.3. Problem 3 Location: The proposed Tiger Crossing on Alexandra Road. Summary: The risk of collisions between cyclists. The width of the cycle route across the tiger crossing is too narrow to accommodate two-way cycling and this may lead to collisions between cyclists. Recommendation: Widen the cycle route across the Tiger crossing. Response: Accepted; the widths of the crossing elements will be reviewed and adjusted during detailed design. 2.4. Problem 4 Location: St. Alban’s roundabout. Summary: A lack of pedestrian crossing facilities on the east side of the roundabout. There is an existing uncontrolled crossing point on Lynchford Road that utilizes the splitter island on the east side of the roundabout. This provides a direct route for pedestrians between Napier Gardens Car Park and Alexandra Road. There is no crossing point on the proposed dedicated left turn lane between Lynchford Road and Queens Avenue, and therefore this route has been severed. As a result, pedestrians may cross at inappropriate locations and this this may increase the risk of pedestrian/vehicle collisions. Recommendation: Provide an appropriate crossing facility on the east side of the roundabout. Response: Accepted; A dropped kerbs and tactiles will be provided to guide pedestrians as to the best place to cross. 2.5. Problem 5 Lynchford Road - RSA - Designers Response Final 3 Technical note Location: St. Alban’s roundabout. Summary: Inconsistent road marking will lead to confusion and increase the risk of collisions on the circulatory carriageway. On the Alexandra Road approach to the roundabout there is straight ahead/left turn arrow in lane 1, but the lane markings on the circulatory carriageway only guides this traffic to the left. This may lead to sudden lane changing on the circulatory carriageway and result in side swipe or shunt type collisions. Recommendation: Provide consistent road markings on the approaches and the circulatory carriageway. Response: Accepted; the marking of the circulatory carriageway will be reviewed to ensure consistent and readable paths for drivers through the roundabout. 2.6. Problem 6 Location: The Layby on the north side of Lynchford Road, between Peabody Road and Morris House. Summary: The risk of collisions between eastbound vehicles and the driver/passengers of vehicles in the layby. Due to the narrowness of the proposed layby, drivers/passengers will have difficulty getting in and out of their vehicle without themselves or their vehicle door encroaching into the carriageway. This will increase the risk of drivers/passengers being struck by passing vehicles. This problem is exacerbated by the narrow traffic lane widths that will result in lane 1 traffic driving closer to the parked vehicles. Recommendation: Widen the layby to a minimum of 3 metres to provide additional space for drivers/passengers to get in and out of their vehicles. Response: Not Accepted. The width of the street between the private land (including forecourts) on the northern side and the new highway boundary is limited by the operational constraints imposed on the land transfer by the MoD. The land to be acquired is 5m and more is not feasible given the need to manage the increase in consequential damage. Given the need to maintain an appropriate 2-Way Cycle track and a footway and the lack of overall highway width the bays cannot be widened. Refer to the technical note on design standards and the consequence analysis for the MoD. 2.7. Problem 7 Location: The Layby on the north side of Lynchford Road, between Peabody Road and Morris House. Summary: The risk of collisions between eastbound traffic and vehicles exiting the layby in a westbound direction. There is nothing to prevent westbound vehicles from crossing the carriageway to enter the layby on the north side of the road. This in itself may not cause a problem, but when drivers come to re- join the carriageway, they may have difficulty finding an appropriate gap in the traffic to safely Lynchford Road - RSA - Designers Response Final 4 Technical note make this manoeuvre. This may result in a collision with eastbound vehicles. This problem is exacerbated by the narrowness of the layby which will not allow for the vehicles to edge out if their visibility is restricted by another vehicle in the layby. Recommendation: Provide measures to prevent vehicles from entering the layby in a westbound direction or remove the layby. Response: Not Accepted. The available width for the highway precludes any measures to prevent drivers accessing the loading bays the east or leaving them towards the west. The bays are essential to the operation of the businesses on the street and thus to the viability of North Camp. Drivers waiting to access the bays from the east will be in the off side lane and other drivers will be able to pass them in the nearside lane.