Rivers of traffic
Main roads running through towns are like rivers of traffic. They are considered noisy, dangerous, polluted and congested. Everyday, most of us need to make journeys, where by private or public transport using our city streets, whether it is travelling to work, going to the shops, schools or doctor’s surgeries.
Our roads are necessary to transport people and goods. While road traffic levels continue to increase, there are demands to improve road safety and reduce pollution levels. As a result, urban designers, traffic engineers and town centre management teams are implementing a new look in some of our high streets.
Post-war ideas for traffic in towns and being replaced with the concept of 'shared space'. Traditionally, there has been a segregation of vehicles and people, defined by the pavement’s kerb line and guardrails. Now, the barriers, signs and clutter are being removed.
One of the first examples of this scheme is Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. This is a large town in Hertfordshire, situated north-west of London between the M1 and the A1. Shenley Road is the main road through Borehamwood and the only through route for traffic, carrying more than 1000 vehicles per hour.
Shenley Road is also an important local shopping centre, which used to suffer from many of the problems associated with a traffic-dominated main road. It was a noisy, polluted, unpleasant street and congestion, illegal parking and street clutter were major problems. In the evening, when the road was clear, traffic speeds were high.
The Shenley Road scheme was redesigned around the needs of pedestrians, making it safer for people to cross the road whilst still allowing traffic through. Raised tables at regular intervals and a central refuge along the length of the road make it easy for pedestrians to cross. The majority of drivers stop at the raised tables when pedestrians want to cross.
Eye contact. The slow traffic speeds allow eye contact to be made between drivers and pedestrians and this is a key factor in the scheme’s success. The central refuge is wider where the raised tables occur to encourage pedestrians to cross at these points. However, people can cross almost wherever they like due to the slow traffic speeds.
Signal-controlled junctions were replaced with more informal mini-roundabouts, resulting in smoother traffic flow and less congestion. Trees, seats, cycle racks, play equipment, attractive paving and street lamps have helped create a more pleasant and sociable environment.
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