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| CABE calls to remove signs and barriers from England's streets  The forest of signs and barriers presented to both motorists and pedestrians on England's streets gives an illusion of safety but, in reality, could actually be making them more dangerous. So says Sarah Gaventa, Director of CABE Space for CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), the government's advisor on architecture, urban design and public space. Gaventa questions whether barriers, signage and pedestrian management systems, installed to keep traffic and pedestrians apart, actually make people safer. She argues that systems installed as a knee-jerk reaction to accidents and perceived risk result in increased traffic speed and create an illusion of predictability and can actually increase accident rates.Those responsible for street design are being encouraged to adopt design policies that offer a clear vision and an integrated approach that brings together the needs of all street users, including the young, elderly and people with disabilities. The Department for Transport's new Manual for Streets aims to deliver safer residential streets designed with the pedestrian in mind, lower speeds and less clutter. CABE argues that these principles should also be applied to high streets and other urban roads. Only a coherent approach from all the agencies responsible for design and maintenance - highways engineers, utility companies, developers, the emergency services and planning authorities - will allow this to happen. Evidence from CABE's ten case studies and elsewhere has shown that where obvious 'safety measures' are removed, accident numbers can actually fall. Interestingly, many of these places would fail a standard safety audit for streets: * In Blackett Street in the centre of Newcastle, pedestrians cross a busy bus lane without formal crossing places. The design of the space as a single lane for taxis and buses only means traffic can only travel in one direction at a time, encouraging vehicles to slow. * Kensington High Street has been transformed by the removal of barriers and crossings. Pedestrians and motorists, faced with the need to be more aware of their surroundings and take greater care, have responded positively. Accident figures show that casualties are down 47 per cent compared to the situation before the redesign. This compares with a fall of 35 per cent across the borough as a whole. * The forecourt at Bristol Temple Meads is very busy with cars, buses, taxis and pedestrians arriving and leaving the train station. A decision was taken by Bristol City Council Highways Department to create a much more attractive space and use the 'chaos' as a safety device in itself, creating deliberate confusion about which space is for motor vehicles and which for pedestrians. Pedestrians are encouraged to walk across the traffic to reach the car park in the centre of the space. This introduces uncertainty, slows traffic and makes the pedestrians take greater care. There have been no major accidents in 13 years. * A recent study in Sweden showed that road crossing accident rates are actually higher when crossing at marked crossings than when crossing the road where there is no formal crossing. CABE Space has conducted in-depth research on 10 successful streets around the country to understand how a clear design vision can improve safety and environmental quality. The five principles of successful street design are identified as: 1. Vision. Maintain a strong physical and organisational vision. Solve problems within the framework of a strong physical vision, adapting structures and service delivery accordingly. 2. Commitment. Be committed to long delivery timescales and to management and maintenance after delivery. 3. Integration. Accommodate people and the various ways of travelling in streets. Connect street networks to help people to choose to travel sustainably. 4. Adaptation. Take account of climate and culture change in order to deliver sustainable spaces that are fit for purpose in the 21st century. 5. Coherence. Deliver well-conceived projects where organisational, political and technical issues are resolved into a coherent design solution. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |