Main roads design toolkit
Side road treatments
Description:
Involves making changes to reduce vehicle speeds and create an environment which prioritises walking, cycling and scooting. Treatments can include continuous footways, cycle tracks and speed tables.
Advantages:
These measures can reinforce safety and pedestrian/cycle priority at side roads. They can be delivered in tandem with trees and planting to improve the street scene.
Disadvantages:
They can be expensive because of constraints, such as drainage and utilities.
Trial:
It is not possible to trial side road treatments due to the costs involved with installation.
Protected cycle tracks
Description:
Protected cycle tracks separate people walking, cycling and driving by using measures such as a different level, kerb line or bollards.
Advantages:
Protected cycle routes are the only way to enable people of all ages and abilities to cycle on busy roads where there are high speeds or volumes of traffic.
Disadvantages:
Protected cycle routes can be difficult to install because of the narrow width of many of Bristol’s streets. This can mean that competing priorities need to be balanced - such as cycling, bus priority and loading for local businesses.
Trial:
Protected cycle tracks can be trialled using temporary materials, such as bolt down wands.
Safe crossings and junctions
Description:
Safe crossings are designed in a way that prioritises people walking and cycling, making it easier to cross streets with high levels of traffic. Zebra crossings, parallel crossings or signalised crossings can be used depending on the volume of traffic. (A parallel crossing is a combined pedestrian and cycle crossing which has priority over the road which it crosses.)
Advantages:
Safe crossings over busy roads are essential for connecting neighbourhoods together and make it easier to make longer journeys by walking and cycling.
Disadvantages:
Zebra, parallel and signalised crossings can slow down bus journey times if buses operate on that stretch of road. They can also be expensive due to constraints, such as drainage, utilities and signal installation.
Trial:
Crossings can’t be introduced on a trial basis due to high costs associated with installation.
View local streets design toolkit.