Local streets design toolkit
Modal filter
Description:
Modal filters prevent motor vehicles from travelling through a given point, while allowing access to walking and cycling. This can help to reduce the amount of through traffic in a neighbourhood. Modal filters are not designed to stop people owning, using or parking their cars.
Advantages:
A modal filter is a cost-effective way to reduce traffic on a single street or – if designed holistically – across an entire neighbourhood.
Disadvantages:
Modal filters are more effective when implemented holistically across a neighbourhood. When installed in isolation modal filters could displace traffic onto neighbouring streets.
Trial:
Modal filters can be trialled using low-cost materials such as wooden planters.
Diagonal filter
Description:
A diagonal filter is a type of modal filter that can be introduced at a crossroad. This prevents motor vehicles from travelling straight across the junction but allows vehicles to turn.
Advantages:
Diagonal modal filters take away the need to reverse or u-turn, enabling access by larger vehicles when needed while preventing through traffic.
Disadvantages:
Diagonal filters don’t create as many opportunities to change how a street is used (for seating, green space or play space, for example) compared to a full modal filter, because more traffic flow is retained at a diagonal filter.
Trial:
Diagonal modal filters can be trialled using low-cost materials such as wooden planters.
Pocket park
Description:
Modal filters could be extended to become pocket parks. Two rows of planters are used to create a central area where no motor vehicles are allowed, which can be turned into a pocket park. The size of pocket parks depends on the need for vehicles to access the area.
Advantages:
Pocket parks can give the most community value by introducing placemaking features, such as planting and benches.
Disadvantages:
Pocket parks use more street space and may mean some car parking spaces are lost.
Trial:
Pocket parks can be trialled using temporary features such as, street art, planting and benches.
Bus gate
Description:
A bus gate is a camera-enforced modal filter which allows buses and cycles to travel through. Bus gates improve bus journey times and reliability as most private vehicle traffic will no longer be using the road, except for access.
Advantages:
Bus gates improve bus journey times and reliability as vehicle through traffic will no longer be able to pass through. Exemptions can also be granted to taxis and private hire vehicles.
Disadvantages:
Bus gates do not entirely remove traffic from a street and so there are fewer opportunities for changing how the street is used (for seating, green space or play space, for example).
Trial:
Bus gates can be trialled using low-cost temporary materials such as wooden planters. Cameras will need to be installed to make sure that the bus gate is enforceable.
One ways/banned movements
Description:
Changes to how traffic accesses a neighbourhood can be made through making certain streets one-way or no entry. This can be useful in particularly narrow streets.
Advantages:
Using one-ways in conjunction with modal filters or banned turns can be an effective way to prevent through traffic from using a certain route.
Disadvantages:
One-way streets need to be designed to enable cycling in both directions and may need to include traffic calming measures, as traffic can speed up when streets are one-way. As vehicles would still be using the street, the benefits of traffic reduction and opportunities to change how the street is used would not be realised.
Trial:
Changes to traffic movements can be trialled. Signage would be needed in advance to let people know about the change in direction of traffic.
School Streets
Description:
School Streets turn streets around schools into priority zones for people to walk and cycle and restricts car use at the start and end of the school day. Residents can be exempted from the restrictions, which can be enforced by collapsible bollards or movable barriers often operated by school staff or volunteers.
Advantages:
School Streets can be a low-cost way of improving the walking and cycling environment at key times. They can relieve parking pressures, improve road safety for children, and discourage unnecessary car journeys.
Disadvantages:
School Streets can be quite resource intensive due to the need to move the barriers at drop off and pick up times. The improvements to walking and cycling are only experienced temporarily during peak times and there are limited opportunities for placemaking improvements.
Trial:
School Streets can be easily trialled by using low-cost temporary materials.
View main roads design toolkit.