tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84798288727680285212024-03-08T08:21:57.675-08:00Highland Cycle CampaignMick Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007171125554198802noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479828872768028521.post-90431947800133612812018-09-09T12:08:00.001-07:002018-09-09T12:59:24.658-07:00Initial Comments on BEAR Scotland’s A82 Proposals<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"> <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1X5UUt_WUbIdmDUOE70CWtpL8-dSLpK20" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: white;">View this blog as a</span> </span><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; color: red;">pdf </span></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEAR Scotland have published their Proposals for Walking </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and Cycling Improvements on the A82 in Inverness.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nTNFtwdbxj6mfywfgHoqfUvnzJ7SqAXX" style="background-color: blue;"> <span style="color: white;">View BEAR Scotland Proposals as a</span> <span style="color: red;">pdf</span> </a></b> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">[22 pages, 2MB]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The section of trunk road under discussion is the A82 in Inverness between Longman
Roundabout and Tomnahurich Swing Bridge. It includes:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Longman Road </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Friars’ Bridge </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kenneth Street </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tomnahurich Street </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Glenurquhart Road</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One notable extract [from p. 10]:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"The proposals aim to link in with surrounding routes to encourage </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">more people to cycle improving health and reducing vehicular use."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This implies modal shift - people choosing to use sustainable transport instead of private cars. To this end, two techniques can be applied: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">re-allocate road space from carriageway to foot/cycle ways; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">make better use of the existing space allocation. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are no proposals for space re-allocation - only</span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">statements to perpetuate the current state:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">“… no car parking spaces are removed as we are aware that there is a strong desire to maintain the current parking spaces.”</span> [p. 6]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">“… planned to minimise the loss of parking spaces.”</span> [p. 7]</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Creating build-outs for easier crossing points also establishes </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">parking spaces more firmly. Breaking up the continuity along the street effectively precludes any future possibility of </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cycle tracks or lanes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Widening a pavement means moving the kerb. This usually means moving drains. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As long as there is no will to meet this expense, space </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">re-allocation will not happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The other option is to make better use of the existing space allocation. This is the preferred option of road engineers as it can often be done with little more than road signs backed up by the appropriate paperwork.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cyclists already use the [pedestrian only] pavements on Longman Road and Friars’ Bridge. The proposal is to redetermine these pavements for shared use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lack of proper cycling infrastructure has led to cycling on the pavement. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The reward for walkers and cyclists putting up with this is for it to be made legal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Providing substandard shared use pavements for walking and cycling may encourage cycling but is likely to inhibit walking and will disadvantage people, particularly those with sensory impairment, by making them feel unsafe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A good test (but not the only one) for a shared use pavement is how well it can be navigated on a large tricycle. The route should be wide and as straight as possible with no obstacles or visual obstructions. Where the route crosses business entrances, it should remain at the same level as the rest of the pavement and users should have priority over motor traffic crossing. This would have the benefit of a cleaner design by eliminating the need for tactile paving at entrances.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Cycling by Design</i> advises a desirable minimum width of 3m and an absolute minimum width of 2m plus a buffer zone of 0.5m beside the carriageway. (It allows for an unavoidable minimum width of 1.5m over a short distance but this is unsatisfactory unless there is a nearby alternative wider route.) The buffer zone on the other side of the pavement should be up to 0.5m depending on whether adjacent to grass or low/high wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Glenurqhart Road is straight and wide but currently the space is poorly used. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Re-locating the central lampposts will help wheelchair users but fails to address other issues.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is great scope for circular arguments here that mainly revolve around the A82 being a trunk road through a residential area. Conflicting issues include:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">maintaining traffic flow;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">on-street parking;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">pedestrian safety;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">cyclist safety.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The central refuge islands create regular pinch points along the road where some drivers think it is acceptable to ‘squeeze past’ cyclists. On-street parking creates a similar problem with the additional potential hazard of being ‘doored’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Re-allocation of road space would be the ideal solution but is ruled out on cost grounds. Introducing cycle lanes instead of on-street parking would help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Comments should be submitted to BEAR Scotland by <b><span style="color: red;">Fri 21 Sep 2018</span></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Comments may be added after this blog to enable sharing ideas and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">will contribute to HCC's response to BEAR Scotland.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alternatively </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">email comments to HCC at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">highlandcyclecampaign@gmail.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Individuals can also email comments directly to BEAR Scotland at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NWConsultation@bearscotland.co.uk</span></div>
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Mick Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007171125554198802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479828872768028521.post-16593637987056125042018-01-21T01:30:00.000-08:002018-01-20T18:04:47.080-08:00Inshes Overbridge – Width Reallocation<div style="left: 94.6667px; top: 508px; transform: scaleX(0.933226);">
<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-size: large;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PsXAE9wKeXqgJwoOdZl5hgzOY3X_KlHk/view?usp=sharing"> View this blog as a <span style="color: red;">pdf<span id="goog_1449866344"></span><span id="goog_1449866345"></span></span> </a></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Context</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Inshes Overbridge carries Culloden Road (B9006) over the A9. It is not far from Raigmore Hospital, Beechwood, Inshes Retail Park, and Inverness Campus. It has a fairly even gradient so that many people that use it may not realise that they are crossing a bridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />It is seen as a pinch point between two major road junctions: Inshes Roundabout and the junction to the east with slip-roads to and from the A9.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />In the longer term (by 2026), Transport Scotland intends to widen the Inshes Overbridge to accommodate a 4-lane carriageway and a new desirable minimum NMU facility.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="background-color: yellow;">This document relates to the <b>Highland Council</b>’s current project, the <b>Inshes Overbridge - Carriageway Widening</b> <b>scheme *</b>, which is an immediate temporary measure intended to alleviate traffic congestion into Inverness town centre.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">* It might equally well be named</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Inshes Overbridge - Cycleway Narrowing scheme</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Currently there is a shared 2-way cycle track on the north side of the road. To the east of the overbridge and crossing it, there is no footway of any kind on the south side of the road.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Summary</b></span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Width will be be reallocated from the 2-way shared cycleway to enable the carriageway to be increased from 2-way to 3-lane (2 heading into town, 1 heading out).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />The resulting narrowing of the cycleway will render it sub-standard for its purpose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />This will be mitigated by two main measures:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the erection of two ‘<i>Share and Care</i>’ signs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the identification of an alternative route: Inverness Campus, Golden Bridge, Raigmore, King Duncan’s Road, Millburn Road, Eastgate.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Overbridge Details</b></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Detailed proposals have not been published but the width of the overbridge (13.3m between the parapets) is obviously a fixed constraint. The proposed three-lane carriageway will occupy a width of 9.1m (3.1m+2.9m+3.1m) from kerb to kerb.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The length of the overbridge is about 25m.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">This arrangement will be achieved by reallocating 0.5m of width from the cycleway to the carriageway.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Impact on Cycleway</b></span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The RSA Report refers to Transport Scotland’s document <a href="https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/14173/cycling_by_design_2010__rev_1__june_2011_.pdf">Cycling by Design</a>. (The section on Width Requirements for Cycleways is 6.1.4 starting from page 62.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />It recommends a Desirable Width of 3.0m and an Absolute Minimum of 2.0m. The current full width is about 3m but varies along the route.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Section 6.1.5 lists additional clearances. The two that apply for the overbridge:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">0.5m for a continuous feature >1.2m or a bridge parapet of any height</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">0.5m for being adjacent to a live carriageway</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thus the Effective Width of the current cycleway is reduced to the Absolute Minimum of 2m. It (just) satisfies the guidance.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />The proposal to reallocate 0.5m from the cycleway to the carriageway will reduce the Effective Width to 1.5m.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />There is a note in the guidance saying that, with low flows, a width of 1.5m may be considered over short distances where no alternative is available.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />This is open to interpretation. What is a short distance?<br />It seems reasonable that a short distance occurs around a local obstruction such as a lighting column or a data cabinet. Cyclists and pedestrians can see each other and negotiate past these.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Is the bridge length of about 25m to be considered short? (It might take a cyclist 5 seconds or a pedestrian 15 seconds to travel that distance.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />In addition, there are two separate lighting columns intruding 0.4m into the edge of the cycleway. These are local obstructions and briefly reduce the Effective Width below the Absolute Minimum of 2m (but above 1.5m) thus conforming to the guidance. Reallocating 0.5m from the cycleway will reduce the Effective Width here to about 1.25m which is well below even the exceptional Absolute Minimum of 1.5m.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />The claim that “no alternative is available” is difficult to justify when the alternative already exists and will be removed by the new road layout.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Reference Documents</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">17 Dec 2017 [14 pages]<br /><b>Stage 1 & 2 Road Safety Audit Report (RSA)</b><br />Produced by Wylie:Lodge Road Safety Consultants</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">for The Highland Council</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />13 Dec 2017 [21 pages]<br /><b>Cycle Audit</b><br />Produced by The Highland Council</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> [HCC - 21 Jan 2018 - Comments welcome] </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://highlandcyclecampaign.blogspot.co.uk/" style="background-color: white;">https://highlandcyclecampaign.blogspot.co.uk/</a></span><br />
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Mick Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007171125554198802noreply@blogger.com14