dmurs - dit november 2014

Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets

Design Manual for Urban roads and Streets (DMURS)

1. Background

2. Why DMURS is needed

3. What DMURS seeks to change

4. Challenges ahead

• Steering Group and Project Team established in beginning of 2010 to produce new national street design guidance for Ireland.

• Over-seen by a Steering Group - including representatives of Department for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.

• Prepared by staff from Local Authorities. Hosted by SDCC, with representatives from Cork, Fingal and Kildare County Councils.

• Project team - Multi disciplinary team representative of the architecture, engineering, planning and urban design professions.

Background

• The standards and approaches contained within the DMURS are for use in urban areas, i.e. cities, towns and villages.

• DMURS applies to ALL Roads and Streets in Urban Areas within 60 km/h limit or less, except:

• Motorways

• Where written consent is given by a sanctioning body (DTTAS, NRA, NTA) to depart from it.

Background

• Formation of the modern city (c. 1960s) largely based on the assumption that cars would be the most desirable, affordable and dominant form of transport into long term future.

• Highly functional network design, based on modernist principles.

• High levels of segregation, mode separation.

• Design approach became embedded within architectural, engineering and planning professions.

• Mode separation, car prioritisation, major infl uence on the design of urban and suburban places

Why is DMURS Needed?

Traffi c in TownsTraffi c in Towns

Lucan, DublinLucan, Dublin

Mode segregationMode segregation

Mode segregationMode segregationImage Source: Google Street ViewImage Source: Google Street View

Distributor and cell networkDistributor and cell network

Distributor and cell networkDistributor and cell networkImage Source: Bing MapsImage Source: Bing Maps

Local Street? Local Street?


• Car dependence is built-in to urban areas as the norm.

• So used to it, no longer seems problematic, may even feel that little can be done.

• Results

• Children being driven short distances

• Elderly people losing travel independence

• People driving unnecessarily

1.8 km vs 0.16km

School

530m increase in walking distance to bus stops (7 min)

380m increase in walking distance to bus stops (5 min)

Image Source: NTAImage Source: NTACommunity severanceCommunity severance

Community Severance Community Severance

Community Severance Community Severance Image Source: NTAImage Source: NTA

Distributor road environment Distributor road environment

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• National Standards for Street/Road Design

• Emphasis in road design documents in Ireland has mainly been on catering for traffi c, prioritising vehicle movement over other users.

• National Road Authority - Design Manual fro Roads and Bridges (DMRB) used as default standard by designers.

• Primarily intended for on large/fast moving roads - Isolated/Rural Roads.

• Urban roads/streets, even minor ones, resemble higher speed roads.

• More vulnerable users are forgotten/marginalised, aspirations remain unfulfi lled


DMRB approach - typical new ‘distributor roads’

Free fl ow conditions for vehicles

• Wide and open• No houses/shops facing road• Minimise junctions/access• No parking• Low risk (for cars)

Hostile for pedestrians

• Promotes faster/inappropriate vehicle speeds

• Community severance• Poor access to public transport• Isolation/lack of surveillance• No crossing facilities

Roads as barriersRoads as barriers


Conventional approach - focus on moving traffi c

• Prioritisation of vehicle movement

Pedestrians

• Overly large, complex junctions• Lack of pedestrian facilities• under provision of pedestrian/cycle

facilities

Excess space

Below Min. Standards

Excess space

Obstructions

Pedestrian Crossing time up to 5 minutes

Under provision/delayUnder provision/delay

Conventional approach - focus on moving traffi c

• Urban decline

Pedestrians

• Traffi c dominance• Unwelcoming environment• Excessive barriers


Poor quality pedestrian environmentPoor quality pedestrian environment

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• Targets for Ireland (Smarter Travel 2009) set out to be achieved by 2020 include:

• The total share of car commuting to be reduced to 45%.

• Walking, cycling and public transport to achieve a 55% share of journeys to work, with cycling comprising 10%.

• Sustainable travel - Irish towns and cities perform poorly by European standards.

• Cities with <40% Car trips not just due to better public transport - consistently twice as much walking and cycling than Dublin


Increasing Focus on Walking and Cycling as Modes of Transport

• Reduced health costs (e.g. obesity)

• Reduced traffi c congestion

• Reduced pollution (levels of Nox)

• Personal health and well-being

• € Savings (high cost of running car, providing infrastructure)

• Pleasure

• Activity on streets/safety (i.e safety in numbers)


Image source: Dublin Cycling Campaign

Increasing Focus of the role Streets Play in the Local Economy

CABE (UK)- Paved With Gold: the real value of good street design

• Study of 10 busy streets in London

• Research looked at relationship between pedestrian/design quality and land values

• Better Streets ~ Higher Values

• Better Streets ~ More investment


Increasing Awareness that Design Matters

• If streets are perceived as unsafe, for any reason, people will retreat to the safety of their cars.

• Most people do not own a car.

• Social equity: Most vulnerable (children, the elderly, the poor) are disproportionately affected by the threat of accident, community severance and the loss of social cohesion

(Fairness in Transport: fi nding an alternative to car dependency, 2011)

• Road Safety Authority- Consistent fi ndings, on average 60% drivers on urban roads driving in excess of the posted speed limit.

(Road Safety Authority Free Speed Survey 2008, 2009, 2011)

• Dominance of cars - one of the biggest contributors to the decline of traditional main streets/shopping streets.

(Paved with Gold, 2007)


• Shift in government policy

• Smarter Travel (2009).• Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009)

• These policies seek to promote

• Sustainable transportation• Reduced car dependence• Modal shift - pedestrian/cyclist priority

• Place making• Welcoming and attractive streets that vitalise communities

• Safer Streets• Better speed/behaviour management• 30 kph zones - centres, residential estates, schools

• Policy Gap - No street design standards to achieve the above. DMURS is the practical arm of government policy.


ROAD MOVEMENT FUNCTION

STREET PLACE AND

MOVEMENT FUNCTION

Balanced Approach - Recognise that streets/roads have many functions

What DMURS seeks to change

CONTEXT is the Key

UK Manual for Streets 2

ARTERIAL 30-40 KM/H 40-50 KM/H 40-50 KM/H 50-60 KM/H 60-80 KM/H

LINK 30 KM/H 30-50 KM/H 30-50 KM/H 50-60 KM/H 60-80 KM/H

LOCAL 10-30 KM/H 10-30 KM/H 10-30 KM/H 30-50 KM/H 60 KM/H

CENTRE N’HOOD SUBURBAN BUSINESS/ INDUSTRIAL

RURAL FRINGE

Balances shifts with degree of activity - value of place


CONTEXT

PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY VEHICLE PRIORITY

FUN

CTIO

N

1. PEDESTRIANS

2. CYCLISTS

3. PUBLIC TRANSPORT

4. PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLES

CONSIDER FIRSTCONSIDER FIRST

CONSIDER LASTCONSIDER LAST

Balances shifts with degree of activity - priority of movement


CITY/TOWN CENTREhigh pedestrian priority

high place value

URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODpedestrian priority

place value

INDUSTRIAL vehicle prioritylow place value

SHARED SPACECAR SPACE

Key Approach: Self-Explaining Streets/Livable Streets


CAR SPACE SHARED SPACE

• Driver behaviour changes in according to the character of the street environment.

• Car space - aggressive behaviour/shared space - passive behaviour

Key Outcome: Self-Explaining Streets/Livable Streets


GO FASTER SHOW CAUTIONGO FASTER SHOW CAUTION

• The speed people drive at is based on a visual/psychological interpretation of the street.

• Regulation plays a secondary role. Transport Research Laboratory (2005)

Close Proximity of Buildings (left)

Continuous Street Wall (right)

Active Ground Floor Uses (left)

Pedestrian Activity (right)

Frequent Crossing Points and Junctions (left)

Horizontal and Vertical Defl ections (right)



Narrow Carriageways (left)

Minimising signage and road markings (right)

Reduced Visibility Splays (left)

On-Street Parking (right)

Tighter Corner Radii (left)

Shared Surfaces (right)




As the design emphasises shifts toward the movement of pedestrians and cyclists and/or the creation of more livable streets, vehicle speeds drop signifi cantly

LOWER MODERATE HIGHER

70 Km/h

30 Km/h

50 Km/h

Frequency and Intensity ofPsychological Conditions and Physical Constraints

AVERAGE OPERATING SPEED


Better Connected Communities/More Rationale Traffi c Management

Conventional Network

• Lots of dead ends• Fast moving external roads• Pressures on junctions

DMURS Network

• Connected streets• Traffi c calmed streets• Smaller junctions


Better Connected Communities/More Rationale Traffi c Management

DENDRITIC NETWORK

3 WAY OFF-SET NETWORK FILTERED PERMEABILITY NETWORK

OPEN NETWORK

Image base: Bing MapsImage base: Bing MapsFiltered Permeability - AdamstownFiltered Permeability - Adamstown

Filtered Permeability - AdamstownFiltered Permeability - Adamstown

Image base: Bing MapsImage base: Bing MapsSelf Regulating Network - Poundbury UKSelf Regulating Network - Poundbury UK

Self Regulating Network - Poundbury, UKSelf Regulating Network - Poundbury, UK


Use Place to Manage MovementUpgrade Kensington High Street, London UK.

• greater sense of shared space

• removal of guardrails

• minimisation of clutter (signs and line marking)

• more restrictive street geometry

• greater sense of shared space

Upon completion of the works, vehicle speeds decreased and the incidence of accidents decreased by 43% (2003-2005).

WIN WIN - Place is enhanced - streets is safer

BEFORE AFTER

Attractive Streets/Place Making

Outcomes

Market StreetCastlebar Co. Mayo

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE


Dorset StreetDublin

Youghal, Co. Cork


BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER



King Street, Convent Garden

Oxford Circus

Street improvements - Dorset StreetStreet improvements - Dorset Street

Street Improvements - Exhibition Road, LondonStreet Improvements - Exhibition Road, London

Allocation of Space/Priorities


Vehicle Focus Pedestrian/Cyclist Focus

Shared space - DundalkShared space - Dundalk

Shared space - Bexley Heath, LondonShared space - Bexley Heath, LondonImage Source: Urban Design LondonImage Source: Urban Design London


1

2

3 4 5 6

Over Provision Place Enhancement

Value for Money

Over provision - Exchequer Street Over provision - Exchequer Street

Rationalisation - Exchequer Street Rationalisation - Exchequer Street

Not a roundaboutNot a roundabout

Not a zebra crossingNot a zebra crossingImage Source: Urban Design LondonImage Source: Urban Design London

Value for Money

SPACE REQUIRED TO TRANSPORT 60 PEOPLE WITHIN A STREET

CAR BUS BICYCLE


Value for Money

Before After

Fade Street



Rationale Approach to Car parking

Cian Ginty

If no parking is provided people will routinely park on foot/cycle paths

Pedestrians, cyclist and parking can comfortably coexist


Rationale Approach to Car parking

Rationalisation of parking/reallocation of space

Challenges AheadDMURS is a signifi cant step forward for street in road design in Ireland

- ‘Win Win’ approach to street design

- safer streets - increased priority/accessibility for sustainable modes - enhanced place making

Signifi cant changes in Ireland prior to DMURS, however Ireland still lagging behind most of northern Europe.

Image Source: Ben Hamilton Bailey Image Source: Ben Hamilton Bailey Image Source: Phil JonesImage Source: Phil Jones Image Source: irishcycle.comImage Source: irishcycle.com

Challenges Ahead

Image source: www.zazzle.com Image source: www.zazzle.com

Change takes time, signifi cant changes are needed

• Cultural - public support, political will.

• Professional - skills/education, (inc. multidisciplinary teams)

• Misconceptions (esp. regarding liability and requirements of legislation)

Expect setbacks as well as progress.

Image source: News ShopperImage source: News Shopper

Guardrail RemovalGuardrail Removal

Guardrail InstallationGuardrail InstallationImage Source: @stephen_coyne Image Source: @stephen_coyne

People Aspire to be More Sustainable

SDCC Survey - Attitudinal Responses.

• Strongly favour encouraging walking and cycling instead of car use (9/10).

• Give more priority to peds & cyclists on the roads, even if it slows things down for other traffi c (8/10).

• Spend more money on facilities for peds & cyclists, even if it means less can be spent on improvements for car users (7/10).

For the sake of the environment more people should be encouraged to walk or cycle instead of using cars

93

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70

80

90

100

Strongly Agree/Tend to Agree Strongly Disagree/Tend toDisagree

Don't Know

N=1098

Perc

enta

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Pedestrians & cyclists should be given more priority even if it slows things down for traffic

78

20

20

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


Don't Know

N=1098

Perc

enta

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More money should be spent of facilities for walkers/cyclists - even if that means less can be spent on improvements for cars

71

25

4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


Don't Know

N=1098

Perc

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Challenges Ahead

Challenges Ahead

Signifi cant Changes are Occurring

• Most examples used in DMURS from Ireland and UK

• UK is an important source of evidence, case studies etc

• Climate

• Driving culture

• Rules and regulations

• Solutions need not be radical. Most design solutions follow design characteristics of areas built prior to car dominance.

AdamstownAdamstown

RanelaghRanelagh

Challenges Ahead

The Importance of DMURS is recognised

• DTTAS Circular RW 6/2013 (28 March 2013) - The use of DMURS is mandatory

• Irish Planning Institute National Planning Awards 2014

• Transportation Planning Award

• National Planning Award

• Nominated for European Urban and Regional Planning Awards

• Ongoing commitment from DTTAS for workshops, supplementary material

Questions?

• download - http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/FileDownLoad,32670,en.pdf DMURS

• follow - @JTUrbanDesign

dmurs - dit november 2014

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