Transportation Planning

George Willlooughby,Senior Executive Engineer

Roads, Transportation & Public Safety Department

19th May 2015

Transportation

• Design Guidance• DMURS• NTA Funding• Road Schemes• Typical Information• Additional Information Requests

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Design Guidance

• NRA DMRB– Road link & junction design– Sightlines– TD 41-42 revised in 2011 – Now includes design standards for local and

regional roads• Traffic Management Guidelines

– Junction design, VRU facilities, traffic calming• NTA National Cycle Manual

– Cycle facilities• DMURS

– Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets– Published 2013– Replaces DMRB in urban areas

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DMURS

• Design Manual for Urban Roads & Streets – Jointly Published by DTTAS & DoECLG in March 2013– For use in urban areas – cities, towns & villages– Applies to ALL roads & streets in urban areas except:

• Motorways• In exceptional circumstances, certain roads & streets with the written consent of a

sanctioning body (NRA, NTA, DTTAS)– Use of the Manual is mandatory, and it supercedes the DMRB in urban areas

• Purpose– Fill a policy gap

• Emphasis in road design standards on catering for vehicular traffic• DMRB has been used as a default standard

– Provide practical design measures to implement Government Policy e.g.• Smarter Travel (2009)• Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009)• Draft Planning Guidelines: Local Area Plans (2012)

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DMURS

– Proliferation of ‘Distributor’ type roads:• Almost ‘free-flow’ conditions• Wide, open roads• No active frontage• Accesses minimised• No parking

– Creates a hostile environment for VRU’s:• Promotes faster, inappropriate speeds• Severs communities• Reduces access to public transport• Lack of surveillance• Inhospitable crossing facilities

• Need for DMURS– Car dependence is now built-in to urban areas as the norm– Application of DMRB - prioritisation of vehicular traffic over other modes

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DMURS

• What DMURS Promotes:– A balanced approach to street design

• Recognise that roads/streets have many functions, and balance function and context– Better Connected Communities

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Conventional Network Dead ends Higher Speed & Volume External Roads Larger Junctions

DMURS Network Connected Streets Traffic Calmed Streets Smaller Junctions

DMURS7

Self-Regulating & Liveable Streets: Speed based on a visual/psychological

interpretation of the street Regulation plays a secondary role

Place Making & Attractive Streets Example of a street in Youghal, Before

& after

DMURS

• Application of DMURS– Promotes a multidisciplinary approach to street design– Offers guidance for all stages of development, from plan preparation to detailed

design– Contains a range of measures & guidance for Architects, Engineers, Planners,

Landscape Architects etc.– Manual includes a range of ‘hard’ & ‘soft’ measures to create self-regulating

streets, including:• Building heights & street widths• Hard & soft landscaping• Active street edges• Signage & road markings• Street furniture• Materials & finishes• Reduced horizontal & vertical alignment standards• Reduced stopping sight distances & visibility envelopes• Reduced corner radii & junction geometry

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NTA Funded Schemes• NTA Sustainable Transport Measures Grants (STMG)• Annual funding to improve VRU facilities and to encourage use of

sustainable travel modes.• Wide range of schemes completed including:

– Swans Junction (Naas)– Johnstown roundabout upgrade– Captains Hill junction upgrade (Leixlip)– Fortbarrington Road junction (Athy)– Various footpath improvement schemes (e.g. Rathangan, Ardclough,

Prosperous, Athy, Caragh, Athgarvan, Castledermot)• Approx. 1.4 million secured for 2015, examples of schemes include:

– Bus Hub Main Street Naas (Part 8 approved, to go to construction)– Dublin Road Naas (Part 8)– Maynooth North South Corridor(Part 8)– GDA Cycle Network 3 schemes, newbridge rd to sallins, kill to maudlins,

kilcullen rd to naas (design and Part 8)

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Road Schemes

• R407 Enfield – Edenderry: Construction completed including Kilshanroe and Johnstownbridge works.

• Sallins Road roundabout improvement works.– Construction due to start in Q3 2015.

• Athy Southern Distributor Road:– Route selection & preliminary design to be completed– Preparation of CPO documents & detailed design

• Dunmurray Link Road:– Design substantially completed.– Construction due to start in Q3 2015.

• Newbridge Link Road:– Design to be completed– Engagement with adjacent developers ongoing

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Submission Information

• Pre-Planning:– Location map– Preliminary Site Layout, if available– Access Proposals– Preliminary estimate of likely trip generation & car parking demand

• Application:– Detailed site layout & access proposals– Full details of sight lines (DMRB or DMURS as appropriate)– Estimate of number & type of traffic movement– Traffic & Transportation Assessment (Consult with Transportation Dept. at

Pre-Planning to determine scope)– Road Safety Audit Stage 1, where required– Travel Plan where applicable– Mobility Plan where applicable.– Robust estimate of car parking demand & associated parking layout

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Common AI Requests

• Sight lines:– No sight lines shown – Full extents not indicated– Boundaries unclear (Topographical survey often required – OS mapping is rarely sufficient)– Sight lines not in accordance with standards (insufficient ‘y’ distance, drawn incorrectly etc.)

• Traffic & Transportation Assessment:– Insufficient count data provided – 12 hour counts required as a minimum (See NTA Specification for

Traffic Counts for guidance)– Full input data not included (Counts, TRICS etc.)– Full output data not included (All software outputs to be included)– Assumptions not clearly stated, or lacking in justification

• Travel Plans, Mobility Plans, Road Safety Audits or other supporting documentation required – Consult at Pre-Planning Stage to determine if needed

• Car Parking:– No assessment of likely car parking demand– No comparison with Development Plan standards– Change of use applications – Comparison with existing & proposed uses

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