The National Park covers an area of 1,627 square kilometres across three county councils. There are hundreds of communities within the National Park, the majority of which have contacted the National Park Authority in the past with road safety concerns.
As part of the project, we were required to identify a series of road safety interventions that would be suitable for implementation within the National Park environment. These needed to focus on material and appearance, avoiding heavy engineering measures that may create an urbanised feel.
A strategy on how communities within the National Park could implement the agreed interventions was also required. This needed to consider the funding available and required support of the highway authorities.
A desktop study, supported by numerous site visits across the National Park was the first tasks undertaken during the project. This enabled us to create a baseline of existing road safety across the National Park, which was subject to noticeable change due to the size of the area. This review included the analysis of collision data, along side the existing provision in place on the road network to keep traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists safe.
Upon completion of this review, our team began the process of identifying potential road safety interventions that could be appliable within local communities. This included interventions that could be delivered in any location i.e. changes to road markings, and interventions that would only be deliverable in specific locations i.e. 20mph speed limits.
Once a full list of interventions had been established our team identified the interventions that wouldn’t be suitable for inclusion within the National Park. The remaining interventions were then grouped into categories i.e. surface treatment, speed limit reduction etc.
We then produced a catalogue containing all suitable interventions. Each intervention included a description and had the benefits and drawbacks included due to the changing environment across the National Park, which meant that what worked in one community may not work in another. Examples of the intervention in place were included, along with an average cost, and summary of how the intervention could be integrated with others to create “schemes”.
Following approval from the South Downs National Park Authority, we undertook engagement with the three highway authorities that cover the National Park to gain their support for the interventions. This was critical as they would be responsible for implementation of the interventions. Positive feedback was received and enabled us to progress with the strategy.
The development of the Road Safety Strategy involved our team identifying a process for Town and Parish Councils to follow if they wish to pursue road safety intervention. This included the need for assessment, identification of suitable interventions, and engagement with the highway authority. The strategy included the relevant national, regional, and local policy context.
The strategy also contained a more robust description of each road safety intervention, including guidance and policy on where and how the intervention can be delivered. Funding was a key theme addressed in the strategy including a summary of how Town and Parish Councils can bid for funding to support the implementation of schemes in their local communities.
The Authority identified five Parish Councils that would create a pilot project to test the Road Safety Strategy, and the effectiveness of the interventions. As part of this process, we carried out road safety assessments in each local community, which identified the key road safety issues, and described the interventions that could be suitable for implementation.
Interventions were prioritised using our cost effectiveness assessment, which outlined how effective an intervention would be within the chosen location, and how much the delivery cost would be. This ensured that lower cost interventions were prioritised over higher cost interventions if the effectiveness was similar. Interventions were grouped together in work packages to create schemes based on the availability of funding i.e. £50,000, and £100,000.
A Road Safety Strategy that provides a coherent approach required for Town and Parish Councils to use to work through the process of delivering road safety interventions in their communities.
