NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK INDICATORS 2012 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION P3 1. ROAD NETWORK P4 2. ECONOMIC P14 3. ROAD CONDITION P20 4. SAFETY P24 5. ACCESSIBILITY + ENVIRONMENT P27 6. DISSEMINATION P29 National Roads Authority National Road Network Indicators 2012 3 INTRODUCTION The National Road Authority’s primary function is to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of national roads. For this purpose, it has overall responsibility journey times, reduced congestion and The National Roads Authority considers not only for planning and supervision of reductions in the cost of operating vehicles. it important to monitor the performance construction and maintenance works on Society as a whole benefits from increased and use of the national road network and these roads, but also for ensuring the economic productivity, reduced energy to share this information with the public at efficient use and safe operation of the consumption and a better environment. large. national road network. If the national road network is operated to This publication sets out some key Efficient use of the national road network a high standard, then road users will enjoy road transport, economic, safety and provides benefits to road passenger and short and predictable journey times and environmental indicators of performance road freight users in the form of shorter safe journeys. and usage of the National Roads Network. National Roads Authority National Road Network Indicators 2012 ONE: ROAD NETWORK ONE | ROAD NETWORK 5 A: LENGTH OF NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK Length of national road network by road type 2012 There are in excess of 5,400 kilometres of national road network National primary national primary in Ireland national secondary National secondary regional/local roads The national road network is comprised Road type: Regional/localroads motorway unknown of 900 kilometres of motorway, 324km of Motorway motorway 900km dual carriageway, and 4,189km of single Unknown dual carriageway 324km carriageway. single carriageway 4,189km The national road network’s classification status comprises 2,697km of National Primary and 2,716km of National Secondary roads. The actual length of the national road network fluctuates year on year due to road reclassification, realignments to existing national roads, new roads opening and analysis and updating of data in the NRA Roads Database. National Roads Authority National Road Network Indicators 2013 ONE | ROAD NETWORK 6 B: LEVEL OF USAGE OF THE ROAD NETWORK Level of usage of the national road network as measured by Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) Despite the impact of the economic downturn, the national roads network M1 continues to be heavily used On the M50 the annual average daily traffic flow (2-way AADT) in places is in excess of AADT M50 124,000 vehicles per day. M11 AADT (thousands per day) 1–5 25–50 5–10 50–75 10–17 75–100 N8 17–25 100–150 N40 AADT Cork Source: NRA National Transport Model, 2010 National Roads Authority National Road Network Indicators 2013 Free flow Reasonably free flow Stable flow ONE | ROAD NETWORK 7 Approaching unstable flow C1: LEVEL OF SERVICE: Unstable flow MORNING RUSH-HOUR, NATIONAL ROADS Forced or breakdown flow Proportion of the national road network operating under each level of service conditionFree flow Reasonably free flow Stable flow Approaching unstable flow The level of service (LOS) provided by Unstable flow roads may be assessed using recognised 50% 40% 60% international standards. LOS is a quality Forced or breakdown flow 30% measure describing operational conditions All roads 70% within a traffic stream. Following the 20% 80% substantial investment in nationalFree fl oroadsw over the last decade, most route sections 10% 90% Reasonably free flow 0% are operating to the highest standard of service. However, for certain Sroadstable fl osuchw as the M50, further interventions such as demand Approaching unstable flow management are required to ensure that All roads National primary National secondary M50 Cork Ring Road Unstable flow higher levels of service are achieved. 50% 40% 60% For further informationForced see: or bre akdown flow Transport Research and Information 30% National 70% Note: A Study of Lane Capacity, 2012 primary 20% 80% online at http://nra.ie/Publications/ roads TransportResearchandInformationNotes/ 10% 90% 0% Free flow Reasonably free flowAll roads National primary National secondary M50 Cork Ring Road 50% Stable flow 40% 60% 30% 70% Approaching unstable flow National secondary 20% 80% Unstable flow roads 10% 90% 0% Forced or breakdown flow Source: NRA National Transport Model, 2010 National Roads Authority All roads National primary National secondary M50 Cork National Ring Road Road Network Indicators 2013 ONE | ROAD NETWORK 8 C2: LEVEL OF SERVICE MORNING RUSH-HOUR, NATIONAL ROADS, ETC Proportion of the M50 and Cork Ring Road operating under each level of service condition FrFeree fleo flwow M50 Cork Ring Road ReRaesaosnoanbalyb lfyr efree fleo flwow M1 StSatbaleb lfleo flwow N8 ApApprporaocahcinhgin ugn usntsatbaleb lfleo flwow The level of service on the M50 in Dublin and UnUsntsatbaleb lfleo flwow Cork Ring Road is presented opposite: Dublin FoFrocerced odr o brr beraekadkodwonw flno flwow Free flow Reasonably free flow N40 Stable flow M11 Approaching unstable flow Unstable flow Forced or breakdown flow 50% 50% 40% 60% 40% 60% 30% 70% 30% 70% Cork Ring M50 Road 20% 80% 20% 80% 10% 90% 10% 90% 0% 0% Source: NRA National Transport Model, 2010 National Roads Authority AllAll roads roads NationalNational primary primary NationalNational secondary secondary M50M50 CorkCork Ring Ring Road Road National Road Network Indicators 2013 ONE | ROAD NETWORK 9 D: ROADS USAGE OVER THE DAY Profile of the usage of the road network by time of day 12 12 11 1 11 1 10 2 10 2 AM PM 9 3 9 3 The majority of roads 8 4 8 4 7 5 7 5 are more heavily 6 6 trafficked in the 10% morning and evening peaks 9% In the morning peak traffic builds 8% to peak around the hour beginning at 8am. In the evening, the peak is 7% usually reached in the hour beginning at 5pm. Peak traffic hours have a level of traffic some 30% to 50% 6% above off-peak levels. The M50 is the most trafficked road 5% in the country with daily weekday traffic of nearly 130,000. The peaks 4% on the M50 are more prolonged than other roads with significant traffic traffic daily % Total per hour 3% flows being maintained during off- peak periods. 2% M50 motorway 1% national primary national secondary 0% peak period 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Hour Beginning Source: NRA National Transport Model, 2010 National Roads Authority National Road Network Indicators 2013 ONE | ROAD NETWORK 10 E: TRIP DURATION NATIONAL ROADS AND REGIONAL ROADS - AM PEAK Profile of the trips made on the national and regional road network by their duration Across the road 30 network, a large portion of trips that people make are of 20 38% 38% greater short duration. In total, less than or less than or than 15 38% of trips are of 15 equal to 15 equal to 15 minutes minutes duration or 15 minutes less 62% 10 5 % Total daily traffic% Total per hour 0 0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 65-70 70-75 30-35 35-40 40-45 45-50 50-55 55-60 60-65 75-80 80-85 85-90 90-95 95-100 Trip Length (minutes) average trip duration = 23 mins light vehicles Source: NRA National Transport Model, 2010 National Roads Authority National Road Network Indicators 2013 ONE | ROAD NETWORK 11 F: TRIP DISTANCE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ROADS - AM PEAK Profile of the trips made on the national and regional road network by their distance Across the road network, a large portion of trips that people make are short distance. In total, 39% of 30% trips on the national and regional roads network are 25% 10 kilometres or less 39% 61% 20% 15% 0–10km 10km + Proportional total 10% 5% 0 0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 65-70 70-75 75-80 80-85 85-90 90-95 25-30 30-35 35-40 40-45 45-50 50-55 55-60 60-65 95-100 Trip Distance (km) average trip distance = 20.7km light vehicles Source: NRA National Transport Model, 2010 National Roads Authority National Road Network Indicators 2013 ONE | ROAD NETWORK 12 G: VEHICLE KILOMETRE TRENDS Trends in the vehicle kilometres travelled on the road network in Ireland Long term trends on all roads In total there has been a 33% increase in Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO) After the impact of the traffic volumes (as measured by vehicle 50 kilometres travelled) in the country over economic recession, traffic the 11 year period 2000 - 2012. Traffic volumes on the national road 40 volumes peaked in 2008, reaching 44.4 billion vehicle-kilometres. Since 2008, network have started to 30 traffic volumes have fallen annually, totalling 40.7 billion vehicle-kilometres in increase again (all roads) 20 2012. While the overall movement in traffic volumes has been similar for private cars 10 Billions of Vehicle km and goods vehicles over the 2000 – 2012 period, the proportional decrease in traffic 0 volumes since 2008 has been much more 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 pronounced for goods vehicles (-22.5%) relative to private cars (-4.7%). all vehicles More recent experience on national roads private cars Source: NRA Traffic Counters However, an analysis of recent trends goods vehicles 120.0 on national roads only shows that traffic volumes have started to increase again.