Friday, March 9, 2012
The friendly woonerf
Apparently, in about ten years’ time, the UK government may begin using a traffic calming measure already in use in Amsterdam.
If I write ‘woonerfs’, you might think I didn’t check my blog through for typos, or perhaps you might think that I’m about to tell you about some strange woolly animal.
Well neither of those thoughts would be correct, because a woonerf is a type of road layout which is slowing motorists in Amsterdam down to about 12mph without much work.
Meaning ‘road for living’, or ‘living road’, a woonerf provides motorists, cyclists and pedestrians with a more equal amount of space.
Drivers are forced to slow down by strategically placed plants, play areas, buildings, and an unnerving lack of pavement kerb, making it difficult to tell where you should be driving and where pedestrians should be walking.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) undertook a survey and out of 4000 people, only 27% were against the appearance of woonerfs in Britain.
Unfortunately for the individuals who’d happily see them in the UK right now, it might not happen for a while yet. The executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has explained that at the moment councils just haven’t got the money to be introducing these new road layouts.
However, he believes that when the UK starts building things again, as our economic situation improves, woonerfs may begin to help reduce the number of accidents on our roads.
Well we can’t wait to see these woonerfs, they sound friendly.
If I write ‘woonerfs’, you might think I didn’t check my blog through for typos, or perhaps you might think that I’m about to tell you about some strange woolly animal.
Well neither of those thoughts would be correct, because a woonerf is a type of road layout which is slowing motorists in Amsterdam down to about 12mph without much work.
Meaning ‘road for living’, or ‘living road’, a woonerf provides motorists, cyclists and pedestrians with a more equal amount of space.
Drivers are forced to slow down by strategically placed plants, play areas, buildings, and an unnerving lack of pavement kerb, making it difficult to tell where you should be driving and where pedestrians should be walking.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) undertook a survey and out of 4000 people, only 27% were against the appearance of woonerfs in Britain.
Unfortunately for the individuals who’d happily see them in the UK right now, it might not happen for a while yet. The executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has explained that at the moment councils just haven’t got the money to be introducing these new road layouts.
However, he believes that when the UK starts building things again, as our economic situation improves, woonerfs may begin to help reduce the number of accidents on our roads.
Well we can’t wait to see these woonerfs, they sound friendly.
Photo © La Citta Vita via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: accident, Amsterdam, cyclists, drivers, government, IAM, Institute of Advanced Motorists, motorists, pedestrians, road layout, slow down, traffic calming, UK, woonerf
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Driving me loopy!
A UK car leasing company recently decided to launch a competition to find Britain’s most loved and most hated roundabout.
Nothing could have prepared them for the flood of roundabout hate-mail entries which flooded in – which far out-numbered the love-letters.
The firm, who was looking for entries representing both good and bad road layouts, stated, "We're delighted that we've had such a positive response from the public, it's just a shame they've not been so complimentary about their nominations."
Some in the roundabout black-list are The Queen's Garden's island in Newcastle-under-Lyme, the Culverhouse roundabout on the A48 in Cardiff, and the famous Magic Roundabout in Hemel Hempstead – but there are many more entries for this category.
A company spokesperson has said that "common complaints have been poor layouts, worn markings, traffic jams and general confusion, all of which I can understand will frustrate drivers on their regular commute".
Apparently they are “hoping to receive more nominations for the best roundabout category and are challenging the public to go out there and snap an island which has in some way improved their lives".
We’re not sure whether they’ll get many positive entries – most roundabouts drive us round the bend!
Image by s_pollard via photobucket
Labels: car, markings, road layout, roundabout, traffic jam