Kent Pedestrian Guard Railing Assessment Canterbury Final Report for JTB March 2012 Project Number B1649000 Jacobs Eng UK Ltd, Miller House, Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6GB
Document control sheet BPP 04 F8 Client: Kent Highway Services Project: Kent Guard Railing Assessment Job No: B1649000 Document Title: Canterbury Guard Railing Assessment Originator Checked by Reviewed by Approved by ORIGINAL NAME NAME NAME NAME Rob Fletcher Sandra Watkins Gareth Williams Gareth Williams DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE 15/12/10 Document Status: Draft REVISION NAME NAME NAME NAME Rob Fletcher Sandra Watkins Gareth Williams Gareth Williams DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE 20/01/10 Document Status: Consultation Draft REVISION NAME NAME NAME NAME Rob Fletcher K Clarke L Burchill L Burchill DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE 15/12/2011 Document Status: Consultation Draft 2 REVISION NAME NAME NAME NAME Rob Fletcher K Clarke L Burchill L Burchill DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE 29/03/2012 Document Status: Report for JTB Jacobs Engineering U.K. Limited This document has been prepared by a division, subsidiary or affiliate of Jacobs Engineering U.K. Limited ( Jacobs ) in its professional capacity as consultants in accordance with the terms and conditions of Jacobs contract with the commissioning party (the Client ). Regard should be had to those terms and conditions when considering and/or placing any reliance on this document. No part of this document may be copied or reproduced by any means without prior written permission from Jacobs. If you have received this document in error, please destroy all copies in your possession or control and notify Jacobs. Any advice, opinions, or recommendations within this document (a) should be read and relied upon only in the context of the document as a whole; (b) do not, in any way, purport to include any manner of legal advice or opinion; (c) are based upon the information made available to Jacobs at the date of this document and on current UK standards, codes, technology and construction practices as at the date of this document. It should be noted and it is expressly stated that no independent verification of any of the documents or information supplied to Jacobs has been made. No liability is accepted by Jacobs for any use of this document, other than for the purposes for which it was originally prepared and provided. Following final delivery of this document to the Client, Jacobs will have no further obligations or duty to advise the Client on any matters, including development affecting the information or advice provided in this document. This document has been prepared for the exclusive use of the Client and unless otherwise agreed in writing by Jacobs, no other party may use, make use of or rely on the contents of this document. Should the Client wish to release this document to a third party, Jacobs may, at its discretion, agree to such release provided that (a) Jacobs written agreement is obtained prior to such release; and (b) by release of the document to the third party, that third party does not acquire any rights, contractual or otherwise, whatsoever against Jacobs and Jacobs, accordingly, assume no duties, liabilities or obligations to that third party; and (c) Jacobs accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred by the Client or for any conflict of Jacobs interests arising out of the Client's release of this document to the third party.
Contents 1. Foreword 2 2. Methodology 3 3. Site Conclusions / Recommendations 6 1
1 Foreword Jacobs UK Ltd has received a request from Kent Highway Services to complete a Pedestrian Guardrail Assessment in Canterbury. There is an increasing emphasis on improving the streetscape by removing street clutter and providing better pedestrian accessibility whilst maintaining road safety. It is recognised that where pedestrian guard railing is badly sited or over installed it not only alienates pedestrians but also looks unsightly, easily becomes damaged which in turn leads to increased maintenance costs and complaints. Guard railing can be the right solution when the objectives of installing it (and in the right amount) are fully considered. The main purpose of guard railing is to improve safety by trying to prevent pedestrians from crossing the road at an inappropriate place or from straying into the road inadvertently. Guard railing can also be used to offer some protection to pedestrians at locations where the swept path of large vehicles, such as buses and heavy goods vehicles, takes the vehicles close to the footway, sometimes overhanging it. This report contains recommendations to retain, partially remove or wholly remove pedestrian guard railing from 11 sites across Canterbury. As a result of feedback to the report Kent Pedestrian Guard Railing Assessment Canterbury Consultation Report (March 2011) concerns were raised at the JTB meeting (6 th December 2011) over a number of sites which initiated a reassessment of some sites with Cllr s Paula Vickers and Nick Eden-Green and Kent County Council s Chris Maw, Canterbury District Manager on the 13 th December 2011. Alterations have been made to some site recommendations, namely sites 1, 2, 6, 9 and 10. Following on from the site visit review on 13 th December 2011, the reports recommendations were presented to the Canterbury Area Member Panel (CAMP) on 5 th March 2012, the comments of which have been incorporated into this report. General comments received included requests for more evidence as to why pedestrian guard railing is being removed and why railing was being taken out in areas which were considered to record a high volume of pedestrian movement. The introduction of this report establishes the methodology undertaken by the safety auditor and the reasons behind the project. A member of the public would also like all the railings to be retained until a pavement parking ban be introduced, to stop people parking on the pavements where previously there had been railings. Stagecoach were consulted in relation to Sites 2 to 7 which are in and around the Stagecoach bus depot. Sam Dixon, Operations Manger, provided comments and an amendment has been made to Site 7. 2
2 Methodology The assessments were conducted within an approximate 750metre (820yard) radius (1 mile diameter) of the High Street to incorporate the main pedestrian thoroughfares in the town centre (see figure 1). Each site has been assessed by a fully qualified road safety auditor and a road safety engineer. Records of each site will be maintained by the KHS Signs, Lines and Barriers Asset Manager. The surveys have allowed sufficient adjacent road space to be included; the exact length of road surveyed to make up a site has been dictated by the existence of side roads, major entrances / exits and the current extent of the existing guard railing. The type of pedestrian guard railing assessed has been categorised into one of three types as shown below: Standard type See through type Decorative type The decorative type of railing has a number of variations. The site assessment was conducted by assessing the effectiveness of individual guardrails within the site and effectiveness as a whole. Photographs were taken and all technical data pertaining to the site was recorded including guard rail measurements, carriageway and footway width, proximity of junctions, type of pedestrian crossing and proximity to other crossings etc. Local trip attractors and generators have also been identified to assess pedestrian desire lines. 3
Where appropriate the width of the carriageway and its arrangement into lanes has been recorded as this relates to the degree of difficulty that people have in crossing. The width of the available footway has also been taken and consideration given to the effect the guard railing has on reducing the effective footway width. Illustrated diagrams indicating pedestrian guardrail locations, any proposals to install additional guardrail panels, the replacement of any damaged panels and to remove or retain the guardrails have been included. 4
Pedestrian Guard Railing Assessment: Town Centre: Approximate radius from the High Street - 750metres (820 yards) 5
3 Site Conclusions/Recommendations Site 1 Location: Site 1 is located at the mini roundabout junction of Watling Street and Rose Lane/Marlowe Avenue. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Comments received The issue raised by Councillors was the poor visibility splay for pedestrians proceeding to Rose Lane and traffic exiting the multi storey car park. For this reason councillors requested that the panels adjacent the access/egress of the multi storey car park be retained. Conclusions / Recommendations Rose Lane is one of the main accesses to the Whitefriars shopping centre and adjacent to the lane is an access to a multi storey car park. The pedestrian guard railings are a decorative see through type and the guard railings adjacent the access to the multi storey car park offers a benefit as a guide and protective device. The site has both a moderate volume of vehicular and pedestrian movements. It is recommended to partially remove the pedestrian guard railing at site 1. Illustrated Diagram of site 1 6
Marlowe Avenue Marlowe Avenue 7 panels 1 panel 4 panels Watling Street Rose Lane Rose Lane Site 1 Location: Pedestrian Guard Railing: Remove - ---------- Retain - --------- j/w Watling Street and Rose Lane 7
Site 2 Location: Site 2 is located at the junction of Watling Street and St Georges Lane. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Comments received Councillors supported the recommendation to remove most of the railings at this site however Councillors requested the 6 pedestrian guard railing panels on St Georges Lane adjacent to the bus terminus access lane and 7 panels on the access lane itself and 1 panel at the end of the footway on the south western side of Watling Street adjacent to the pedestrian crossing point be retained. Conclusions / Recommendations The site is on the south western side of a car park and is an access to the bus terminus on St Georges Lane and the Whitefriars shopping centre. The pedestrian guard railings are a decorative see through type and offer little benefit as a guide or protective device. The site has both a moderate volume of vehicular and pedestrian movements. It is recommended to partially remove the pedestrian guard railing at site 2. Illustrated Diagram of site 2 8
Watling Street 1 panel Rose Lane 1 panel A28 Pin Hill 3 panels 1 panel 4 panels 1 panel 3 panels 6 panels 7 panels St Georges Lane Site 2 Location: j/w Watling Street and St Georges Lane Pedestrian Guard railing Remove - ---------- Retain - --------- 9
Site 3 Location: Site 3 is located on St Georges Lane. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Comments received Councillors supported the recommendation to retain the railings at this site. Conclusions / Recommendations The site is at the St Georges Lane bus terminus and is an access to the Whitefriars shopping centre. The pedestrian guard railing is adjacent to a small car park and extends around and along for a short distance on the first bus terminus lane and should be retained to protect passengers from bus wing mirrors. The pedestrian guard railing offers a protective device for passengers waiting for the bus. The site has a moderate volume of vehicular movement and the use by pedestrians was assessed as high. It is recommended to retain the pedestrian guard railing at site 3. Illustrated Diagram of site 3 10
St Georges Lane Bus Terminus Watling Street Lower Bridge Street Site 3 Location: St Georges Lane A28 Pin Hill Pedestrian Guard Railing Retain - --------- 11
Sites 4 and 5 Locations: Site 4 and 5 are located on St Georges Lane. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Comments received Councillors supported the recommendation to remove the railings at this site. Conclusions / Recommendations The sites are located adjacent to the St Georges Lane bus terminus and are an access to the Whitefriars shopping centre. The pedestrian guard railings offer no benefit as a guide or protective device. The site has a moderate volume of vehicular moment and the use by pedestrians was assessed as high. It is recommended to remove the pedestrian guard railing at sites 4 and 5. Illustrated Diagram of sites 4 and 5 12
1 panel 1 panel St Georges Lane 2 panels 1 panel Bus Terminus 1 panel 1 panel Watling Street A28 Upper Bridge Street Site 4 & 5 Location: St Georges Street Pedestrian Guard Railing Remove - --------- 13
Sites 6 Location: Site 6 is located on St Georges Lane. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Comments received Councillors supported the recommendation to remove most of the railings at this site however Councillors requested the 5 pedestrian guard railing panels on St Georges Lane on the south western side of Pedestrian crossing point adjacent to the bus terminus be retained. Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located adjacent to the St Georges Lane bus terminus and is an access to the Whitefriars shopping centre. The 5 pedestrian guard railings offer a benefit as a guide and protective device. The site has a moderate volume of vehicular movement and the use by pedestrians was assessed as high. It is recommended to partially remove the pedestrian guard railing at site 6. Illustrated Diagram of site 6 14
St Georges Street Whitefriars Shopping Centre 3 panels 3 panels 5 panels 6 panels St Georges Lane Bus Terminus A28 Upper Bridge Street Site 6 Location: St Georges Lane Pedestrian Guard Railing Remove - ---------- Retain - --------- 15
Sites 7 Location: Site 7 is located on St Georges Lane. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Comments received Councillors stated that Stagecoach Bus Company had been contacted and as the bus depot is in this area, they have recommended that the pedestrian guard rails remain here as they prevent pedestrians walking the wrong way into the bus station against the flow of moving buses. Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located adjacent to the St Georges Lane bus terminus and is an access to the Whitefriars shopping centre. The location of the pedestrian guard railings has low pedestrian movements and offers little benefit as a guide or protective device. The site has a moderate volume of vehicular moment. It is recommended to retain the pedestrian guard railing at site 7. Illustrated Diagram of site 7 16
St Georges Street A28 Lower Bridge Street 5 panels 3 panels St Georges Place St Georges Lane Bus Terminus A28 Upper Bridge Street Dover Street Site 7 Location: St Georges Lane Pedestrian Guard Railing Retain - --------- 17
Sites 8 Location: Site 8 is located at the junction of St Georges Lane and St Georges Street. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Comments received Councillors supported the recommendation to retain the railings at this site. Conclusions / Recommendations Located on the eastern side of the site are residential properties, business premises and colleges with this being a main access for residents and students to the Whitefriars shopping centre and the High Street. The pedestrian guard railings offer a benefit as a guide or protective device. The site has a moderate volume of vehicular movement and the use by pedestrians was assessed as high. It is recommended to retain the pedestrian guard railing at site 8. Illustrated Diagram of site 8 18
Lower Bridge Street St Georges Street St Georges Place Upper Bridge Street Site 8 Location: j/w St Georges Lane and St Georges Street Pedestrian Guard Railing Retain - --------- 19
Sites 9 Location: Site 9 is located at the junction of St Peter s Place/High Street and Pound Lane Street. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes This site has been removed from the Pedestrian Guardrail Assessment as it forms part of the Westgate Towers project. This is being implemented by Canterbury City Council who have now removed all railings within this site. Illustrated Diagram of site 9 20
North Lane St Dunstan s Street Pound Lane WestGate Grove St Peter s Place St Peters St Site 9 Location: j/w St Peter s Place and High Street 21
Sites 10 Location: Site 10 is located at the junction of St Peter s Place/St Dunstan s Street and Westgate Grove/North Lane. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes This site has been removed from the Pedestrian Guardrail Assessment as it forms part of the Westgate Towers project. This is being implemented by Canterbury City Council and will therefore be decided upon independently. Illustrated Diagram of site 10 22
St Peters Street North Lane Pound Lane St Peter s Place St Dunstan S Street Westgate Grove Site 10 Location: j/w St Dunstan s Street/Westgate Grove and North Lane 23
Sites 11 Location: Site 11 is located at the junction of St Dunstan s Street and Station Road. Types of Guard Railing: Standard See through Decorative Yes Yes This site has been removed from the Pedestrian Guardrail Assessment as it forms part of the Westgate Towers project. This is being implemented by Canterbury City Council and will therefore be decided upon independently. Illustrated Diagram of site 11 24
St Dunstan s Street Station Road St Dunstan s Street Site 11 Location: j/w St Dunstan s Street and Station Road 25