Local Highway Improvements (LHI)’s are delivered by the County Council on a joint funded basis and applicants can apply for funding of up to either £25,000 for complex projects or £10,000 for non-complex projects, as a contribution to their scheme. The applicant is expected to provide a minimum contribution of 10% towards the total scheme cost.
Improving walking infrastructure will encourage more people to walk around the county.
Walking provides a big health benefit to people who would normally use their cars, or people who would not go out at all. Walking is a very accessible way to exercise, and can be part of everyday life, when going to work or shopping.
Footways (Complex)
Footways are usually widened by taking space from the road. The kerb is moved outwards, and the entire footway is resurfaced to give a clean finish. Sometimes land can be taken from the other side of the footway, but this can be very expensive if it isn’t owned by the Council. Footway widening allows pedestrians to walk more easily along the route, and can make their journey safer and more comfortable, particularly when in groups.
New footways can also be constructed using the same method, however, this can be more costly as there would be road drainage to consider.
Effectiveness
A wide footway is likely to encourage more people to walk, and to walk for longer distances. Pedestrians feel less intimidated by passing traffic as they can leave a greater distance between them, making them feel safer and more comfortable. The benefit will be greatest when the footway is currently very narrow, or if there is a very high number of pedestrians and they have difficulty passing each other. Obstacles such as lamp posts can also reduce the amount of useful space on the footway.
People with reduced mobility such as wheelchair users or those using walking aids; people with push-chairs or those with sight issues will find it much easier to use a footway that provides plenty of space. A new footway would provide safe passage for pedestrians who would otherwise walk in the verge or the road.
Advantages of footways
- Provides more space for pedestrians
- Could allow space for benches, trees, or street art
- Separates pedestrians further away from vehicle traffic
Disadvantages of footways
- It may be difficult to take space from the road, which could already be quite narrow
- Taking land from the other side of the footway could be very expensive if it is owned privately
- May encourage more clutter to be placed into the footway e.g. dustbins, shop display boards
- Some drivers may be tempted to park on wide footways, because they believe there is plenty of space
Restrictions
- In some circumstances, there will not be enough space available to widen the footway:
- Due to the road being too busy or too narrow
- Or because land on the other side of the footway is privately owned, and would be too expensive to purchase
Cost of installation
- £30,000
The footway cost is based on new construction of a 1.8m wide and 50m long path in an existing verge, installed under two-way lights. There is no provision for drainage or street lighting.
Pedestrian guardrails (Complex)
Guardrails are barriers placed at the edges of footways to stop pedestrians walking into the road. In the last 10 years, guardrails have become less popular because there is no clear evidence of a safety benefit, and they have a negative impact on accessibility and city feeling for pedestrians.
Effectiveness
Overall, evidence about guardrails does not show a high safety benefit. Studies concluded there was very little difference in collision numbers between sites with and sites without guardrails. This applied to both vehicle and pedestrian collisions.
Guardrails can be useful to channel pedestrians to crossing points and to stop people accidentally walking into the road. However, the evidence shows these benefits do not outweigh other issues created by guardrails. Guardrails can obscure the view between drivers and pedestrians, which can prevent them taking action to avoid a collision.
Road designs which remove clutter, such as guardrails, from streets are increasingly recognised for the positive effect they have on the street appearance and feel. This encourages sustainable transport modes, such as walking and cycling.
To improve pedestrian safety, other measures which have proven safety effects should be used first, for example a reduction in the speed limit in conjunction with traffic calming measures. An exception to this could be where a pathway meets a road, from an alleyway, or school entrance for example - in these instances, a small section of guardrail opposite the pathway prevents pedestrians (especially children) continuing forward into the road.
Advantages of pedestrian guardrails
- Can be effective at channelling pedestrians towards designated crossing points
- Prevents pedestrians accidentally straying into the road (e.g. intoxicated pedestrians)
Disadvantages of pedestrian guardrails
- Drivers cannot see pedestrians as easily through guardrailing, especially child pedestrians. This means drivers are less ready to stop for pedestrians if they walk into the road at a crossing point
- Prevents free movement of pedestrians around the city.
- Guardrailing is intrusive and detrimental to the look and feel of streets
- Footway width is reduced when guardrailing is installed
- Some pedestrians may climb over guardrailing, which creates a further safety risk
- Cyclists could become crushed against guardrailing if they collide with a motor vehicle
- Guardrailing is often damaged by motor vehicles or heavy goods vehicles, so it can be very expensive to maintain
Restrictions
- The footway must be wide enough to accommodate the guardrail and pedestrians
Cost of installation
- £1,600
The cost for the guardrail is based on the supply and install in an existing footway of a 2m section of standard galvanised railing.
Pedestrian refuge island (Complex)
A pedestrian refuge island is a raised section of pavement between two lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions.
The islands normally have yellow and white plastic bollards with a blue arrow to remind motorists to keep left. Kerbs are dropped at both sides of the road, usually with tactile paving where the pavement slopes towards the road.
Refuge Islands allow pedestrians to stop in the centre of the road, so they can split the crossing into two stages for each direction of traffic.
Effectiveness
Pedestrian refuges are very effective at increasing safety for pedestrians crossing the road. On a road where pedestrians often cross without a crossing facility, a refuge will decrease pedestrian accidents.
A pedestrian refuge allows pedestrians to cross one direction of vehicle traffic at a time. The refuge provides some protection from traffic in the centre of the road, while the pedestrian waits for a safe gap in the second direction of traffic. Without a refuge, the pedestrian needs to judge a safe gap between both directions of traffic at the same time - this is more difficult, and may increase risk.
Refuges will be most effective on roads with low to medium flows of vehicle traffic, and where speeds are below 30mph.
Pedestrian refuges slow traffic because they narrow the road, and may remind drivers that pedestrians could be crossing the road.
Advantages of pedestrian refuge islands
- Allows pedestrians to cross more easily than if there was no crossing
- May help to cross the road more quickly, as a gap is only required in one direction of traffic
- The cheapest crossing design, in comparison to other crossings such as Puffin and Zebra
- Pedestrian refuge islands narrow the road, which may reduce the speed of vehicles
Disadvantages of pedestrian refuge islands
- Motor vehicles have priority
- Pedestrians may have to wait much longer for a gap in vehicle traffic to cross safely, particularly in heavy traffic, compared to a Zebra or Puffin crossing
- For the pedestrian to cross safely, they must have good judgement of motor vehicle speeds and gaps in vehicle traffic
- Visually impaired people, or those with other disabilities, may find refuge islands less easy to use compared with a Zebra or Puffin crossing
- Some motor vehicle drivers act dangerously near crossing islands if a cyclist is passing through. They may squeeze past the cyclist when passing the crossing island, or swerve dangerously around the cyclist just before the crossing island.
Restrictions
- Refuge islands must be a minimum of 1.2 metres wide, however this is usually raised to 2.0 metres to accommodate pushchairs and wheelchairs more easily. This would need to be increased to 3.0 metres wide to accommodate cyclists using a cycleway.
- Normally, road widths must be at least 4 to 4.5 metres either side of the refuge (if the location is on a bend and large motor vehicles are expected, this must be increased)
- Parking restrictions may need to be imposed on the approach and near to the refuge
- Not suitable for locations with a high volume of crossing pedestrians - Puffin crossings may be more appropriate
- Not suitable for locations with high levels of motor vehicle traffic - Zebra or Puffin crossings might be more appropriate
- Requires a Road Safety Audit
Cost of installation
- Cost £25,000
This cost allows for the supply and installation of a 1.8m wide long central traffic island, installed under a road closure. No provision has been made for street lighting.
Mobility crossing point (Complex)
These crossing points are simply sections of footway and are dropped on either side of the road to allow users with mobility issues to cross the road more comfortably.
Kerbs are dropped at both sides of the road, usually with tactile paving where the pavement slopes towards the road.
Effectiveness
With the dropped kerbs there is less chance of tripping or falling over when attempting to cross the road. These points can also highlight to drivers that pedestrians could be looking to cross and in turn their speeds may reduce slightly.
Advantages of mobility crossing points
- Allows pedestrians to cross more easily than if there was no crossing
- Very cheap to install and serves a benefit for pedestrians with mobility issues
Disadvantages of mobility crossing points
- There is no pedestrian priority - motor vehicles have priority
- Pedestrians may have to wait much longer for a gap in vehicle traffic to cross safely, compared to a Zebra or Puffin crossing
- For the pedestrian to cross safely, they must have good judgement of motor vehicle speeds and gaps in vehicle traffic
Restrictions
- Crossing points must be a minimum of 1.8 metres wide
- Parking restrictions may need to be imposed on the approach and near to the crossing point
- Not suitable for locations with a high volume of crossing pedestrians, in which case other crossings may be more appropriate
- Not suitable for locations with high levels of motor vehicle traffic. Zebra or Puffing crossings might be more appropriate.
- Requires a Road Safety Audit
Cost of installation
- £6,000 (without tactiles)
- £7,500 (with tactiles)
The mobility crossing point cost allows for one pair of dropped kerbs and tactiles, installed under three-way lights, 1.8m wide. There is no provision for drainage or re-profiling and surfacing of the footpath on the approaches to the crossing point.
