Transcript Document

Commission on Improving the Delivery of
Transport and Pedestrian Infrastructure
Coordination and Planning
Ensuring Parity
Ron Weetman - Assistant Head of Streetscape
Dave Carr – Highways Manager
Dave Elliott – Highways and Transportation Design
Manager
Antony Charlton – Utilities & Street works Manager
Agenda
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Introducing the team
Introduction
Why we have to do it
This means that….
What we are doing to comply
Room for improvement
Ensuring Parity
How do we demonstrate this
Room for improvement
Round Up
Any questions
Coordination and Planning
Why we have to do it
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The Local Authority has a statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to
maintain the highways maintainable at public expense.
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The Local Authority has a statutory duty under Section 59 of the New Roads and Street
Works Act 1991. The street authority shall use their best endeavours to co-ordinate the
execution of works of all kinds including their own works and those of other authorities. In the
interests of safety, to minimise inconvenience to users of the street and to protect the structure
of the street
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Network Management Duty under Section 16 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 to
manage their road network with a view to achieving, so far as may be reasonably practicable
having regard to their other obligations, policies and objectives, the following objectives—
(a) securing the expeditious movement of traffic on the authority’s road network; and
(b) facilitating the expeditious movement of traffic on road networks for which another
authority is the traffic authority.
(c) the avoidance, elimination or reduction of road congestion or other disruption to the
movement of traffic on their road network or a road network for which another authority is
the traffic authority;
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Essentially, “making the best use of existing roads for the benefit of all road users” and
to “assist neighbouring Councils with their plans”.
This means that….
• We have to consider anything that effects the
flow of traffic and pedestrians
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Road and footpath works
Utility works
Skips
Great North Run
Tyne Tunnel 2 construction
- festival events
- hoardings
- tree cutting
- Scaffolding
What we are doing to comply
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Statutory appointment of a Traffic Manager
Cabinet approval on 11th June 2008 of Network Management Plan
Internally held Network co-ordination meetings quarterly
Utility co-ordination meeting held every three months to review
works programmes and conflicts
North Eastern Region Traffic Managers Group meetings held
quarterly to ensure a strategic approach
North East Highways Authority Utility Co-ordination meetings
held quarterly in Durham
Utility Companies annual outline programme of works to identify
potential areas of conflict
Fortnightly workload programme meetings
Asset Management Plan being produced
Provision of up to date Street works information on the council
website and in house software
What we are doing to comply
• BVPI 100 – Traffic disruption
“Number of days of temporary traffic controls
or road closure on traffic sensitive streets or
the road was closed, due to local authority
road works or utility street works per km of
traffic sensitive streets”
– Working on weekends and over night to
minimise traffic disruption
– Over time implications on costs
• NI 167 Congestion- average journey time per
mile during the morning peak
– Changed bin emptying times on Boldon
Lane
– Park Road, Jarrow. STC and two utility
companies carried out work on same
Sunday. Demonstration of effective works
planning to minimise disruption.
– Proposed “trench sharing” exercise
between Water and Gas Companies in the
Marsden Area
Room for improvement
• Redcar Terrace, West Boldon
– Footpath laid and then lighting columns replaced in the same
week
• Jarrow Road.
– Identified on BVPI survey as requiring resurfacing. Northern
Gas Networks unwilling to carry out major repairs to old gas
main before we carried out resurfacing works. 12 months
later they had further gas leaks leaving scarring to the new
road surface
• A194 fast lane closure in rush hour
– Closed to carry out tree pruning to central reservations.
Caused tailbacks to Whitemare Pool
• Improved communication
– Letters / news letter advising Members of upcoming schemes
• Improved co-ordination
– Increase resource to carry out more inspections
– To deal with Utility companies, external organisations and in
house departments to effectively coordinate works and in
turn reduce disruption.
Ensuring Parity
• What is parity?
– Treating ourselves the same as other Public Utility
companies
• Why do we have to?
– A statutory duty under the Traffic Management Act
2004
• What does it mean?
– Carry out site inspections of our own works
– Raising street works notices
• Utility companies have been doing this for 15
years and still not getting it right, we are on a
steep learning curve
• Identify overstays, fines and Fixed Penalty Offences
• Sample inspections on same basis
– 10% at each stage and 3 stages during the works
Major Works on annual programme and the
following require 3 months notice
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Traffic Calming
• Slurry sealing
Cycle Lanes
• Bridge repairs
Anti-skid
• Landslip
New Footpaths
• Retaining Wall
Traffic Signals
• Street Lighting
Schemes
• Pedestrian Refuge
• Surface Dressing
• Road maintenance Schemes
• Footway maintenance schemes
• Standard Works 10 day notice
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CAF Environmental schemes i.e. lay bys
Pre-Patch Surface Dressing
Drainage
Other Patching
Fences, Walls and Barriers
Tactile Paving
Rechargeable Works i.e. reinstatement works as a result of
Road Traffic Accidents e.g. pedestrian guard rails, bollards
– Reactive maintenance schemes due to unforeseen
circumstances
– Traffic Bollards
• Minor Works – 3 days notice
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Erecting signs
HRA patching
Road Studs
Vehicle Crossovers
Loop cutting
Bus Stops
Bus Shelters
Footpath posts
How do we demonstrate this?
• Allow flexibility for early starts to Utility
companies the same as our direct work force
• Not formally recorded at present
• KPI in development for future with other local
authorities
Room for Improvement
• The authority appointed a Utilities
Coordinator in December 2006
• Identified need for an additional inspector
• No permanent full time inspector in post
• Permanent position to be established from
April 2009 with increased financial support
• Will also cover other highways inspection
duties i.e. skip permits