Home Zones - Measures

measures - typical measures and their cost

The information below has been kindly supplied by Hertfordshire County Council. Although the costs are indicative only, they give an excellent idea of the types of figures involved in setting up effective traffic calming measures.

For more information about these schemes and costing contact nick.gough@hertscc.gov.uk

Information about Local Hertfordshire campaigns can be found at http://enquire.hertscc.gov.uk/travelwise/Campaign/campaign.htm and http://www.hertsdirect.org/infoadvice/roads/greentravel.

The list below shows a number of transportation related measures that could be implemented to help solve traffic problems. Typical costs for each feature are included together with their advantages and disadvantages.

Section 1: Crossings
Zebra Crossing, Pelican Crossing, Puffin Crossing, Traffic Island & Pedestrian Refuge

Section 2: Cycle Lanes
Cycle Lanes and Tracks

Section 3: Speed Reduction
Speed Camera, Round Topped Road Humps, Flat Topped Road Humps, Speed Cushions, Mini-roundabout, Chicanes, 20mph Zone, Junction Tables, Kerb Build Outs,
White Lining, Road Surface Changes, Gateways, Road Narrowings

Section 4: Miscellaneous
Permanent Road Closure, New Bus Shelters, 'Walking Bus', Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Ban, Pavement Reconstruction


Section 1: Crossings

	Zebra Crossing		Approx cost: £10,000
	The most familiar pedestrian crossing, the 'zebra', is characterised
	by black and white stripes and flashing yellow beacons on either
	side of the road.

	Advantages:
		provides a good crossing point for pedestrians
		pedestrians do not have to wait for traffic lights to change in
		their favour

	Disadvantages:
		if a Zebra crossing is not frequently used by pedestrians,
		drivers tend to forget it is there; this can lead to accidents
		on the crossing
		can cause delays to vehicles when pedestrian flows are high
		drivers sometimes ignore pedestrians who are waiting to cross

	Pelican Crossing		Approx cost: £18,000
	A pelican crossing controls vehicle and pedestrian movements with
	traffic lights. Pedestrians must wait for the 'green man' before
	crossing the road

	Advantages:
		provides a good crossing point for pedestrians
		visually impaired people benefit from the 'beep' that sounds
		when the green man is showing
		can keep vehicle delays to a minimum by making pedestrians
		wait and cross in a group, rather than one by one

	Disadvantages:
		the traffic lights and railings may be considered visually
		intrusive
		cannot be located on very high speed roads
		difficult to locate because, generally, residents do not want a
		crossing directly outside their home

	Puffin Crossing		Approx cost: £22,000
	A puffin crossing is a new version of the pelican crossing. It has more
	in-built safety features. It looks very similar to a pelican except that
	the red and green man are on the same side of the road as the
	person waiting to cross.

	Advantages:
		provides a good crossing point for pedestrians
		improves road safety
		less unnecessary delay for traffic

	Disadvantages:
		same as the pelican - see above

	Traffic Island &		Approx cost: £3,000
	Pedestrian Refuge
	A traffic island is usually situated in the centre of a road to help
	reduce vehicle speeds and to prevent over-taking. If it includes a gap
	in the middle of the island it is called a refuge; it allows pedestrians
	to cross half the road at a time.

	Advantages:
		reduces vehicle speeds
		prevents over-taking
		can improve road safety

	Disadvantages:
		can cause problems for cyclists and wide vehicles
		can reduce on-street parking
		may be considered visually intrusive
		not suitable for large groups of pedestrians

Menu: [Top][Crossings][Cycle Lanes][Speed Reduction][Misc][Bottom]

Section 2: Cycle Lanes

	Cycle Lanes &		Approx cost: £60
	Tracks		per linear metre
	A cycle track is dedicated space provided for cyclists either on-road
	or off-road.

	Advantages:
		provides for safer cycling
		promotes a healthier lifestyle
		encourages more cycling which in turn may reduce traffic
		fumes, noise and congestion
		can reduce the speed of other vehicles by limiting the width of
		road available to them

	Disadvantages:
		roads and verges are often not wide enough to install cycle
		facilities
		for on-road cycle lanes to be effective, parking has to be
		removed
		road signs are needed at frequent intervals along the length
		of the cycle lane or track

Menu: [Top][Crossings][Cycle Lanes][Speed Reduction][Misc][Bottom]

Section 3: Speed Reduction

	Speed Camera		Approx cost: £25,000
	Speed cameras automatically photograph the number plates of
	drivers exceeding the speed limit. Many speeding drivers have been
	convicted by the photographic evidence.

	Advantages:
		reduces vehicle speeds
		improves road safety

	Disadvantages:
		some drivers only slow down at the camera sites
		the camera flash can be distracting to drivers
		the camera housing may be considered visually intrusive

	Round Topped		Approx cost: £1,000
	Road Humps		per hump
	Round topped road humps are usually 75mm high. They must be
	accompanied we a speed reducing feature installed at both ends of a
	series of humps.

	Advantages:
		very good at reducing vehicle speeds and improving road
		safety
		do not usually affect on-street parking
		self enforcing
		relatively cheap

	Disadvantages:
		can increase traffic noise especially when HGV's pass by
		can cause damage to some vehicles
		signs, street lighting and white lines are all required and may
		be considered visually intrusive
		can cause discomfort for drivers and passengers
		can cause problems for buses and emergency services

	Flat Topped		Approx cost: £1,500
	Road Humps		per hump
	Flat-topped are usually 75mm high and can be of any length.

	Advantages:
		very good at reducing vehicle speeds and improving road
		safety
		do not usually affect on-street parking
		self enforcing
		flat-topped humps can be used by pedestrians as a crossing
		point

	Disadvantages:
		can increase traffic noise especially when HGV's pass by
		can cause damage to some vehicles
		signs, street lighting and white lines are all required and may
		be considered visually intrusive
		can cause discomfort for drivers and passengers
		can cause problems for buses and emergency services

	Speed Cushions		Approx cost: £1,500
	per cushion
	Speed cushions slow down cars but cause minimal inconvenience to
	larger vehicles such as buses and fire engines.

	Advantages:
		reduces vehicle speeds
		improves road safety

	Disadvantages:
		on-street parking causes problems
		can cause problems to some ambulances
		signs, street lighting and white lines are required which may
		be considered visually intrusive

	Mini-roundabout		Approx cost: £10,000
	Mini-roundabouts are often only marked out with white paint. They
	are used on roads that have an average speed of 30mph or less.
	They are quite often used as a 'speed reducing feature' before a
	series of road humps.

	Advantages:
		reduces vehicle speeds and can improve road safety
		can reduce driver delays when emerging from minor roads

	Disadvantages:
		can generate traffic conflicts, especially at four armed
		junctions
		not ideal for cyclists
		signing, street lighting and white lines are required and may
		be considered visually intrusive

	Chicanes		Approx cost: £10,000
	Chicanes are road narrowings located alternately on either side of the
	road. They slow traffic down by forcing one stream to give-way to the
	other. There needs to be a balanced two-way flow of traffic for the
	chicanes to work.

	Advantages:
		reduces vehicle speeds and can improve road safety
		well accepted by bus companies and the emergency services

	Disadvantages:
		can reduce on-street parking
		can create conflicts between vehicles
		usually illuminated bollards, street lighting, signing and white
		lines are all required, which may be considered visually
		intrusive

Menu: [Top][Crossings][Cycle Lanes][Speed Reduction][Misc][Bottom]

	20mph Zone		Approx cost: £50,00 - £100,000
	20mph zones are usually limited to small residential areas. Traffic
	calming measures (usually speed humps) have to be installed so that
	vehicle speeds are physically restricted to 20 mph or less.

	Advantages:
		very good at reducing vehicle speeds
		improves road safety
		traffic calming measures situated in a 20mph zone need less
		signing and street lighting than usual, which keeps visual
		intrusion to a minimum

	Disadvantages:
		requires traffic calming measures, usually road humps, to be
		installed, which have their own disadvantages
		very expensive
		legislation restricts the size and location of 20 mph zones

	Junction Tables		Approx cost: £5,000
	per table
	Junction Tables are large flat top humps constructed across
	junctions to reduce the speed of approaching vehicles. They also
	provide a level place for pedestrians to cross.

	Advantages:
		reduce vehicle speeds at junctions
		highlights junctions to motorists
		provides level crossing point for pedestrians

	Disadvantages:
		pedestrians may not take care when crossing
		may cause problems for buses
		vehicles may drive onto footway

	Kerb Build Outs		Approx cost: £7,000
	per junction
	Kerb build-outs are extensions to the footway and are constructed in
	a similar material. The are used to reduce road width at junctions.

	Advantages:
		provide additional space for pedestrians on the footway
		reduce crossing distance
		restricts traffic speeds
		can deter unsafe parking on the junction

	Disadvantages:
		can make manoeuvres difficult for large vehicles
		usually need bollards to stop cars driving onto them
		can cause difficulties for cyclists
		may be hit in poor weather or at night

	White Lining		Approx cost: £0.50p