Kent Pedestrian Guard Railing Assessmentcommitteedmz.dartford.gov.uk/documents/s27748/Guard Railing...

Kent Pedestrian Guard Railing Assessment

Dartford – Report for Consultation (Version 3)

June 2011

Project Number B649000

Document control sheet BPP 04 F8

Project: Kent Guard Railing Assessment Job No: B1649000 Document Title: Dartford – Report for Consultation Vrs 3

Originator Checked by Reviewed by Approved by NAME NAME NAME NAME ORIGINAL R. Fletcher S. Watkins G. Williams G. Williams

DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE 24/12/2010

Document Status

NAME NAME NAME NAME REVISION R. Fletcher S. Watkins G. Williams G. Williams


Document Status

NAME NAME NAME NAME REVISION R. Fletcher S. Watkins G. Williams G. Williams


Document Status

NAME NAME NAME NAME REVISION

DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE

Document Status

Contents

1. Foreword 2. Methodology

3. Site assessments

1

1 Foreword

In November 2010 a Pedestrian Guardrail Assessment was carried out in Dartford town centre. The initial report was sent to Dartford Borough Council, County Members and KHS Transport and Development team for comments. This report details the comments received through the consultation process and the Safety Auditor’s response and recommendations to be taken to the Joint Transportation Board on 14h June 2011. As a result of the comments received this report includes an assessment of the pedestrian guard railing at 2 further sites in Dartford (sites 20 and 21). Following comments received from Dartford Borough Council an extra site has also been investigated (site 22) where concerns have been raised that the desire line for pedestrians needs to be prevented There is an increasing emphasis on improving the streetscape by removing street clutter and providing better pedestrian accessibility whilst still 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 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, install, partially remove or wholly remove pedestrian guard railing from 22 sites across Dartford. 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

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

l Ass

essm

ent:

T

ow

n C

entr

e:

Ap

pro

xim

ate

rad

ius

fro

m t

he

Hig

h

Str

eet

- 75

0met

res

(820

yard

s)

3

General comments Comment Dartford Borough Council have asked that consideration is made to the replacement of damaged railings or railings needing repair with better ones when they are removed so that there is a more consistent, uniform and better appearance for those that are left. Where railings are removed and not replaced the Borough Council would like to see the reinstatement of the old location to a high standard of quality. There are a number of railings which are being proposed to be left in situ and some of these are clearly in need of repair – the Borough Council hopes this initiative will ensure that these repairs are undertaken if the railings cannot be replaced for ones in better condition. Response All works will be carried out with care to improve the street scene. Comment Railings should not be removed where they have been installed as the result of an incident. Response The factors causing the incident may no longer exist as other measures may also have been taken or the highway altered. Comment Any Fastrack railing that is removed should be stored for future use as a replacement in the event of damage. Response Noted - railings to be stored for future use.

6

Site 1 Location:

Site 1 is located at the junction of Highfield Road and Kent Road. Types of Guard Railing:

Standard See through Decorative

Yes

Comments received

Panels on the corner of Westgate Road and Kent Road should be retained due to possibility of vehicle overrun. Response to comments The end panel on Westgate Road is still recommended to be removed as it is on a straight trajectory. The panel on Kent Road to be retained to prevent vehicle overrun.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is a busy junction adjacent to large retailing outlets on the northern side and some smaller retail outlets on the southern side. There is a high volume of traffic and moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings assessed for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.

• It is recommended to partially remove the pedestrian guard railings at site 1.

Illustrated Diagram of site 1 7

Sit

e 1

Lo

cati

on

: A

t th

e ju

nct

ion

wit

h A

226

Wes

tgat

e R

oad

& K

ent

Ro

ad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Ass

essm

ent:

Rem

ove

- --

----

--

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

5 p

anel

s

9 p

anel

s

6 p

anel

s

5 p

anel

s

2 p

anel

s

1 p

anel

3 p

anel

s

5 p

anel

s

3 p

anel

s (o

n is

lan

d)

5 p

anel

s

Ken

t R

oad

Wes

tgat

e R

oad

Hig

hfi

eld

Ro

ad

Site 2 Location:

Site 2 is located at the junction of Westgate Road and Hythe Road. Types of Guard Railing:


Yes Yes

Comments received a) The section of 4 and 13 panels on Westgate Road should be retained as this area is known for pedestrians crossing the road here. b) 1 panel is set at an incorrect height on the corner of Westgate Road and Hythe Street (west side of Hythe Street). c) Why keep the 15 panels on the corner of Hythe Street? d) The 1 panel section on Hythe Street should be retained as it is at the bottom of steps leading away from the station. Response to comments a) There is a controlled crossing point on Westgate Road where pedestrians should cross. The central reservation remains as a deterrent with trief kerbs thus precluding the need for the 13 panels. b) The panel at the incorrect height is a maintenance issue. c) The section with 13 panels is part of a shared pedestrian / cycle route. Buses also turn in here at an angle. d) Agree – retain 1 panel section.

9

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is a busy junction and is an access to Dartford Railway Station for pedestrians. There are some smaller retail outlets and residential flats on the southern side. The pedestrian guard railing recommended for retention on the western side has a panel installed at a higher level than the adjacent railings and some are damaged. There are 15 guard railing panels on the eastern side that are in a poor condition and are painted in a different colour to the rest of the pedestrian guard railing and are a mixture of the standard and see through types. There is a high volume of traffic and moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings assessed for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.


• It is also recommended to re-install at the correct height the guard

railing panel that is higher than the adjacent panels and all panels that are damaged or in poor condition should be replaced.

• It is also recommended that all railings should be painted in the same

colour and the type of guard railing standardised.

Illustrated Diagram of site 2

10

5 p

anel

s

1 p

anel

5 p

anel

s

2 p

anel

s

4 p

anel

s

13 p

anel

s

Sit

e 2

Lo

cati

on

: A

t th

e ju

nct

ion

wit

h H

yth

e S

tree

t &

A

226

Wes

tgat

e R

oad

Hyt

he

Str

eet

Wes

tgat

e R

oad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Ass

essm

ent:

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

1 p

anel

set

at

inco

rrec

t h

eig

ht

Wes

tgat

e R

oad

Hyt

he

Str

eet

15 p

anel

s in

po

or

con

dit

ion

Site 3 Location:

Site 3 is located on Highfield Road. Types of Guard Railing:


Yes

Comments received

The 6 panels on the east side of Highfield Road should be retained as they are at the bottom of a ramp from Essex Road. Response to comments The difference in levels is 3 -4 metres back from the road. The ramp does not face directly onto the Highfield Road.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site has mainly residential properties on the west and eastern side and has a high volume of traffic with moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.

• It is recommended to remove the pedestrian guard railings at site 3.


12

Hig

hfi

eld

Ro

ad

Ess

ex R

oad

4 p

anel

s

6 p

anel

s

6 p

anel

s

5 p

anel

s

Sit

e 3

Lo

cati

on

: H

igh

fiel

d R

oad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Site 4 Location:

Site 4 is located on Highfield Road. Types of Guard Railing:


Yes Comments received

There are potential safety issues with removing pedestrian railings along Highfield Road as there are a number of secondary schools in the area. Pupils walking in groups may inadvertently step into the highway or across junctions with less than full attention to oncoming traffic.

Response to comments Where forward visibility is reduced the pedestrian guard railing will be retained. Where the railing is on a straight section of road with good visibility there is no requirement to retain it.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site has mainly residential properties and some small retail outlets on the west and eastern side. There is a high volume of traffic with moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings assessed for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.



14

Hig

hfi

eld

Ro

ad

Wes

t H

ill

Hig

hfi

eld

Ro

ad

Sp

ital

Str

eet

Sit

e 4

Lo

cati

on

: J/

W H

igh

fiel

d R

oad

/Wes

t H

ill

and

Sp

ital

Str

eet

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

19 p

anel

s 4

pan

els

4

pan

els

4

pan

els

4 p

anel

s

3 p

anel

s

5 p

anel

s

Site 5 Location:

Site 5 is located on Highfield Road approximately 30metres south of the lane Spring Vale North.

Types of Guard Railing:


Yes

Comments received None

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly residential properties and has only a single panel installed on the footway. There is a moderate volume of traffic with low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railing offers no benefit as a guide or protective device.

• It is recommended to remove the pedestrian guard railing at site 5.


16

1 P

anel

Hig

hfi

eld

Ro

ad

Tri

nit

y G

ard

ens

Sp

rin

g V

ale

No

rth

Sit

e 5

Lo

cati

on

: H

igh

fiel

d R

oad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Inst

on

e R

oad

Site 6 Location:

Site 6 is located on Highfield Road approximately 30metres south of the lane Spring Vale North.



Yes Yes Comments received a) The panels at the top of the ramp from Spring Vale should be retained.

b) There are potential safety issues with removing pedestrian railings along Highfield Road / Instone Road as there are a number of secondary schools in the area. Pupils walking in groups may inadvertently step into the highway or across junctions with less than full attention to oncoming traffic.

Response to comments

a) Agreed – retain 3 panels

b) Removing the pedestrian guard railing will increase the usable footway width. The railing here currently causes an obstruction. The subway is available for those crossing the road. Where forward visibility is reduced the pedestrian guard railing will be retained. Where the railing is on a straight section of road with good visibility there is no requirement to retain it.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly residential properties and is a link to a Superstore and the High Street. The southern footway width is approximately a metre and at a point approximately midway this is reduced further by a ‘One Way Traffic’ sign post on the footway and a lamp column adjacent which could be restrictive for pushchairs. There is a mixture of standard and see through types of pedestrian guard railings. There is a moderate volume of traffic with moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings identified for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.

• It is recommended to partially remove the pedestrian guard railing at site 6.


18

Sit

e 6

Lo

cati

on

: j/w

Inst

on

e R

oad

an

d H

igh

field

R

oad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Ret

ain

- -

----

----

82 p

anel

s

29 p

anel

s

Inst

on

e R

oad

Hig

hfi

eld

Ro

ad

3 p

anel

s

Site 7 Location:

Site 7 is located at the roundabout junction with Victoria Road/Hythe Street and Mill Pond Road.




Development proposals will increase pedestrians and traffic flows and the matter will need to be reviewed.

Response to comments Agreed - the area will need to be monitored.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly business outlets and is a link to Dartford Railway Station. There is a moderate volume of traffic and low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.



20

3 p

anel

s

23 p

anel

s

3 p

anel

s

2 p

anel

s 10 p

anel

s

8 p

anel

s

9 p

anel

s

1 p

anel

5 p

anel

s

Sit

e 7

Lo

cati

on

: R

bt

j/w V

icto

ria

Ro

ad/H

yth

e R

oad

an

d

Mill

Po

nd

Ro

ad/H

yth

e S

tree

t

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Mill

Po

nd

Ro

ad

Hyt

he

Str

eet

Hyt

he

Str

eet

Vic

tori

a R

oad

Site 8 Location:

Site 8 is located at the junction with Burnham Road and Priory Road. Types of Guard Railing:


Yes


Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly residential properties and is a link to the Dartford Railway Station. There is a moderate volume of traffic and low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.



22

7 p

anel

s

10 p

anel

s

4 p

anel

s

10 p

anel

s

Pri

ory

Ro

ad N

ort

h

Bu

rnh

am R

oad

Sit

e 8

Lo

cati

on

: B

urn

ham

Ro

ad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

--

Site 9 Location:

Site 9 is located at the junction with West Hill and King Edward Avenue. Types of Guard Railing:


Yes

Comments received The 5 panels on the south side of West Hill should be retained to deter pavement parking.


Pedestrian guard railing is not a parking control measure.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located near ‘Our Lady’ Catholic Primary School on the northern side and some small business outlets adjacent to the site on the southern side with residential properties located on the western side. On the western refuge island there are some damaged guard railings. The site has both a moderate volume of traffic and pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings assessed for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.


• It is also recommended to replace the damaged pedestrian guard railings on the western refuge island.


24

Sit

e 9

Lo

cati

on

: j/w

Wes

t H

ill a

nd

Kin

g E

dw

ard

Ave

nu

e

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

----

R

etai

n -

----

----

-

2 p

anel

s

3 p

anel

s

5 p

anel

s

4 p

anel

s

Dam

aged

pan

els

Wes

t H

ill

Kin

g E

dw

ard

Ave

nu

e

‘Ou

r L

ady’

Cat

ho

lic P

rim

ary

Sch

oo

l

To

wer

Ro

ad

Site 10 Location:

Site 10 is located on Station Approach (Dartford Railway Station). Types of Guard Railing:


Yes

Comments received

This area will need to be reviewed as development comes forward, pedestrian traffic is liable to increase and requires increased footway width.


The usable footway will increase with the pedestrian guard rails removed. The area should be monitored.

Conclusions / Recommendations On the southern side of the site are Dartford Borough Council offices and on the northern side is the railway station. The site has both a low volume of traffic and pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.



26

Sta

tio

n A

pp

roac

h

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

49 p

anel

s

Sit

e 10

Lo

cati

on

: S

tati

on

Ap

pro

ach

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Site 11 Location:

Site 11 is located on Home Gardens. Types of Guard Railing:


Yes

Comments received See little point in retained these as pedestrians can cross at either end.


There is a pedestrian desire line here to the superstore therefore recommended to retain to deter this movement.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located on the central reservation and has a block of offices on the eastern side with a shopping centre on the western side. The pedestrian guard railings are a mixture of the standard and see through type and some guard railing panels are damaged. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings on the central reservation offer a benefit as a guide and protective device for office staff utilising the shopping centre.

• It is recommended to retain the pedestrian guard railing at site 11. • It is also recommended to replace the damaged panels.


28

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

Su

per

sto

re

Sit

e 11

Lo

cati

on

: H

om

e G

ard

ens

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

Rep

lace

dam

aged

p

anel

s

Site 12 Location: Site 12 is located on A226 East Hill.



Yes

Comments received The 3 panels should be retained to deter pavement parking.


Pedestrian guard railing is not a parking control measure.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly residential properties and is a link to the High Street. There are only three panels installed on the footway. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railing offers little benefit as a guide or protective device.



30

Sit

e 12

Lo

cati

on

:

Ove

r L

iber

ty

Ped

estr

ian

gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

3 p

anel

s

Ove

r L

iber

ty

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

Mo

un

t P

leas

ant

Ro

ad

Site 13 Location: Site 13 is located at the junction of Home Gardens/East Hill and Overy Liberty.




a) The 8 panel section on the corner of East Hill / Home Gardens should be retained as the radius is tight for HGVS.

b)The 2 panel section and the end of the 8 panel section on the west side of Home Gardens should be retained due to the unusual shape of the junction and these act as a guide. c) The 2 panels on the north side of the junction alongside the Fastrack busway usefully mark the end of the footway down East Hill and channel pedestrians and cyclists to the signalled crossing facilities, dissuading random crossing of the busway. Also, the crossing point is part of the NCR1 shared cycle facility alongside the busway at this point and we want to encourage cyclists to use the shared footway facility here rather than joining the busway at this point. Response to comments a) The footway is wide therefore pedestrians do not need to walk close to the road. b) There is good visibility of the crossing therefore the railings are not required to act as a guide. c) Agreed – 2 panels to be retained.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly residential properties on the north western side and the Royal Air forces Association Memorial Hall on the southern side and is a link to the High Street. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railing offers little benefit as a guide or protective device.



32

E

ast

Hill

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

Ove

ry S

tree

t

Ove

ry L

iber

ty

Sit

e 13

Lo

cati

on

: j/w

Ho

me

Gar

den

s an

d W

est

Hill

/Ove

ry L

iber

ty

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

3 p

anel

s 1 p

anel

8 p

anel

s

2 p

anel

s

Bu

s L

ane

Site 14 Location: Site 14 is located on a bridge on Overy Liberty approximately 5metres west from the junction of Home Gardens and East Hill.



Yes Comments received None

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located adjacent to the Royal Air Forces Association Memorial Hall and is a link to the High Street. The pedestrian guard railing is located on the southern footway. The railing and Trieff Kerbing should be retained to protect pedestrians from bus and HGV wing mirrors and from these vehicles over running the pavement when conducting a turning manoeuvre from Home Gardens into Overy Liberty. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and low pedestrian use.

• It is recommended to retain the pedestrian guard railing at site 14.


34

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

Eas

t H

ill

Ove

ry L

iber

ty

Sit

e 14

Lo

cati

on

: O

very

Lib

erty

Ove

ry S

tree

t

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

rai

ling

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

Site 15 Location: Site 15 is located on Overy Liberty at the junction of High Street.




a) The end sections of the two 7 panels sections on the corner of the High Street should be retained to deter vehicles driving onto the High Street. The Borough Council would like measures to be considered (once the railings are removed) to sensitively provide a physical barrier/bollards to vehicles at that point. On the other side of this site (outside Paper Moon) there may be an issue with large vehicles (when a bus is in the bus lane) turning into Market Street and mounting the pavement.


a) This is not the proper use of pedestrian guard railing. Replacing pedestrian guard railing with alternative measures is beyond the scope of the recommendations however Dartford Borough Council may wish to install barriers of their own choosing.

b) The road width is sufficient here.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly small retail outlets and is linked to the High Street. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railing offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.


36

Ove

ry L

iber

ty

Hig

h S

tree

t

Mar

ket

Str

eet

Sit

e 15

Lo

cati

on

: j/w

Ove

ry L

iber

ty a

nd

Hig

h

Str

eet

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

7 p

anel

s

7 p

anel

s

4 p

anel

s 4

pan

els

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

Site 16 Location: Site 16 is located on Market Street at the junction of Market Place.



Yes

Comments received

The 4 panels on the eastern end of the central reservation should be retained as buses are liable to overhang the footway. Response to comments Agreed – these panels now recommended to be retained.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located at the bus terminus, the Dartford Borough Museum and is linked to the High Street. The decorative type pedestrian guard railings are plastic coated and the internal steel piping has corroded flakes which have expanded breaking the plastic coating. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings assessed for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.


• It is also recommended to replace the pedestrian guard railings assessed for retention.


38

Mar

ket

Str

eet

Bu

s T

erm

inu

s

Hig

h S

tree

t

Dar

tfo

rd B

oro

ug

h M

use

um

Sit

e 16

Lo

cati

on

: M

arke

t S

tree

t

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

2 p

anel

s

4 p

anel

s

4 p

anel

s

Site 17 Location: Site 17 is located on Market Street/Lowfield Street at the junction of Market Place.



Yes Yes


Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are retail outlets and is linked to the High Street. The pedestrian guard railings are a mixture of both the decorative and see through types. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.



40

Mar

ket

Str

eet

Lo

wfi

eld

Str

eet

Sit

e 17

Lo

cati

on

: M

arke

t S

tree

t/L

ow

fiel

d S

tree

t

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

16 p

anel

s

9 p

anel

s 2

pan

els

Site 18 Location: Site 18 is located at the junction of Lowfield Street and Instone Road.



Yes Yes

Comments received

Do we retain the subway or fill it as a result of redevelopment in Lowfield Street? Response to comments This is beyond the scope of the pedestrian guard railing assessment.

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located at a subway and at the entrance to a Superstore on the northern side and some retail outlets and residential properties on both the southern and eastern sides. The pedestrian guard railings are a mixture of both the standard and see through types with the subway guard railings in poor condition. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings assessed for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.


• It is also recommended to replace the guard railings on the subway walls.


42

Sit

e 18

Lo

cati

on

: j/w

Lo

wfi

eld

an

d In

sto

ne

Ro

ad

3 p

anel

s

2 p

anel

s

7 p

anel

s 2

pan

els

3 p

anel

s

2 p

anel

s

Lo

wfi

eld

Str

eet

Inst

on

e R

oad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

Rep

lace

pan

els

on

su

bw

ay w

alls

Site 19 Location: Site 19 is located at the junction of Princes Road and Lowfield Street.



Yes Yes Comments received None

Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located where there are mainly residential properties and some retail outlets. The pedestrian guard railings are a mixture of both the standard and see through types. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and moderate pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings assessed for removal offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.


• It is also recommended to install 1 panel at the end of the western side refuge island.


44

1 p

anel

to

be

inst

alle

d

Sit

e 19

Lo

cati

on

: j/w

low

fiel

d S

tree

t an

d P

rin

ces

Ro

ad

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

--

Ret

ain

- --

----

---

11 p

anel

s

9 p

anel

s

5 p

anel

s

Pri

nce

s R

oad

Pri

nce

s R

oad

Lo

wfi

eld

Str

eet

Lo

wfi

eld

Str

eet

Mea

d R

oad

Site 20 Location: Site 20 is located on Home Gardens.




Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located at a large bus stop with six shelters, one being a Fastrack bus shelter and is adjacent to the stairway leading to the Dartford Civic Centre and Dartford Railway Station. The site has a high volume of traffic and low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.



46

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

Dar

tfo

rd C

ivic

Cen

tre

Sit

e 20

Lo

cati

on

: T

he

Ho

me

Gar

den

s b

us

Sto

ps

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

5 p

anel

s

Site 21 Location: Site 21 is located on Hythe Street.




Conclusions / Recommendations The site is located opposite the service entrance to the Prospect Place Shopping Centre. The site has a moderate volume of traffic and low pedestrian use. The pedestrian guard railings offer little benefit as a guide or protective device.



48

Sit

e 21

Lo

cati

on

: H

yth

e S

tree

t

Ped

estr

ian

Gu

ard

Rai

ling

Rem

ove

- --

----

---

20 p

anel

s

Pro

spec

t P

lace

Sh

op

pin

g C

entr

e

Hyt

he

Str

eet

Ho

me

Gar

den

s

Dar

tfo

rd R

ailw

ay S

tati

on

Dar

tfo

rd C

ivic

Cen

tre

Site 22 Location: Site 22 is located at the junction of Home Gardens and Station Approach. Background and recommendations

As a result of an email response from the consultation process from Dartford Borough Council an investigation took place on Tuesday 12th January 2011 of the junction of Home Gardens and Station Approach together with the entrance to The Orchard and Waitrose car parks.

The photo below shows the desire line for pedestrians across the carriageway. Site observations reveal a significant number of pedestrians using this route. Indeed the route has been cleared of vegetation and due to the dropped kerb on the trief kerbing on the northern side of the traffic island pedestrian access is easy.

This route is extremely dangerous with traffic exiting the roundabout at high speeds in both directions as well as a car park entrance/exit where drivers will not be expecting pedestrians.

Due to the presence of a large manhole (hence the dropped kerb for associated access) the kerb cannot be raised. However the site inspection revealed that a number of remedial measures are possible:

Photo 1. View of pedestrian desire line (red) and traffic directions (yellow)

50

Photo 2. Possible replacement rails

Photo 3. Possible new planting

51

2 replacement rails

New planting of low shrubs

Photo 4. Possible new planting

Photo 5 Possible new planting

52



Photos 2-5 show what could be achieved with the re-use of railing currently being highlighted for removal in Dartford town centre as part of the pedestrian guard railing assessments being carried out by KHS. Small amounts of shrubs could also be used to deter pedestrians from using this dangerous route.

The shrubs and possible replacement railings have been assessed and are not in the visibility splays of the junction and accordingly could be fitted as a deterrent.

53

Kent Pedestrian Guard Railing Assessmentcommitteedmz.dartford.gov.uk/documents/s27748/Guard Railing...

Documents

Transcript of Kent Pedestrian Guard Railing Assessmentcommitteedmz.dartford.gov.uk/documents/s27748/Guard Railing...