Active travel and road safety
The way that people view roads is changing and national initiatives support the need for improved safety and cleaner air with fewer pollutants. We are rethinking the way that people travel. Project Centre’s team of engineers are experts in the design and development of innovative, award-winning neighbourhood traffic schemes that support the objectives of local authority clients.
Our traffic engineers are experts in the design of successful and safe cycle and pedestrian improvement schemes focused on reducing rat-running and encouraging sustainable travel. We have experience in drafting and preparing successful funding bids and taking projects through from concept to construction.
We’ve been at the forefront of designing and influencing behaviour change towards active travel for over a decade. From designing active travel routes during the 2012 London Olympics to implementing the renowned Waltham Forest Mini-Holland project, we’ve been improving air quality, championing road safety and protecting vulnerable road users across the country.
At Project Centre, we’ve worked with local authorities across the country, providing extensive engagement strategies, detailed designs and network planning, to implement sustainable mobility and maximise the funding allocated to our clients by the government.
Our extensive portfolio includes creating liveable neighbourhoods, school streets, low traffic neighbourhoods, controlled parking zones, quiet routes and cycle routes. We’ve secured government funding for clients and have worked with Active Travel England on schemes.
Our services
- Funding bid preparation
- Developing business cases including case for change, economic case, financial assurance and project management assurance
- Reviewing, advising and writing documents on active travel policy and governance
- Analysis of data including DfT’s network development, permeability and rat-run tests, placemaking and perimeter treatment
- Feasibility of low traffic neighbourhood schemes
- Auditing of infrastructure using tools such as cycling level of service, junction assessment tools and DfT’s Route Selection Tool and Walking Audit Tool
- Project management of active travel schemes from inception to construction
Project Centre has a wealth of experience in evaluating road safety and developing strategies that mitigate or minimise the risk of collisions involving injury. Our recommendations are grounded in robust safety principles, and are economically aligned to each scheme.
We are fully qualified to undertake road safety audits in England (including Transport for London and Highways England road networks), Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland. We don’t use third parties when undertaking our road safety audits, which allow us to provide a quick, reliable and efficient service.
Our services
Our road safety team is distributed across our six offices, offering a nationwide service. We are experienced in working with public and private sector clients across the UK, providing an integrated approach tailored to their needs.
- Stage one – Completion of the preliminary design It is crucial to incorporate road safety considerations into the early stages of design, as they can significantly impact the project. Any suggestions our team provides at this phase should enable designers to implement timely and cost-effective adjustments.
- Stage two – Completion of detailed design During this phase, the audit team will assess junction layouts, vertical alignment, drainage systems, and the placement of signs, road markings and lighting infrastructure. For smaller projects, it is sometimes feasible to merge the initial two audit stages. However, Highways England typically does not endorse the amalgamation of these two stages.
- Stage three – Pre-completion of construction Stage three audits are commonly conducted when the construction is nearing completion, ideally before it is opened for public use. These audits typically involve collaborative site inspections with representatives from both the local highway authority and the police. They encompass examinations conducted during both daylight and night time hours.
- Stage four – Post monitoring The highway authority will arrange for the scheme to be monitored during the 12-month period following its opening to the public. This aims to confirm the ongoing safe operation of the project. Stage four activities also encompass analysing collision records and conducting additional site inspections to identify any remaining safety concerns.
Through traffic modelling, Project Centre supports our clients with assessing and predicting the effect of our schemes proposals on the road network. We identify measures to address or mitigate adverse impacts as well as promoting a smooth traffic flow.
Our extensive experience in investigating and analysing models, along with our technical knowledge, provides clients with innovative, practical and reliable results that stand the test of time. We utilise traffic modelling as a first step to inform our designs and ensure traffic moves safely as well as ensuring minimum delays to general traffic and public transport.
Our team worked with private and public sector clients, delivering award-winning traffic management solutions on time, within budget and to the highest standards.
Our services
- Liaise with highway authorities to agree the scope of our modelling works.
- Develop traffic survey specifications to capture and analyse comprehensive traffic data, which is necessary to develop robust traffic models.
- Gather the relevant site measurements required to calibrate and validate traffic models.
- Develop calibrated and validated base models that reflect current road network layout and traffic conditions.
- Undertake optioneering traffic modelling to inform design options and identify preferred options.
- Liaise with highway authorities to audit and approve traffic models.
- Prepare technical reports to highlight our findings, including road network capacities, queue lengths, and journey times.
Project Centre has extensive expertise in designing, delivering, and implementing School Streets. From engaging with the community to developing formal designs and infrastructure, we’ve delivered more than 100 school streets across the country, supporting our clients in every step of the project management.
Our services
Scoping
- Site visits
- Identifying stakeholders
- Scheme extents and boundaries
- Topographical surveys
Engagement
- Developing engagement plans and materials
- Identifying key stakeholders
- School and community engagement
- Analysis, reporting and recommendations
Design
- Concept design and detailed design review
- Design workshops
- Safety workshops
- Road safety audit
Information
Informing members of the public on:
- Temporary traffic management and diversion routes
- Construction dates and timeframes
- Information boards and workshops
Construction and monitoring
- Phasing and visibility of the work
- Air quality monitoring
- Collision data
- Case studies and photography
Children growing up in heavily polluted streets have smaller lung capacity than those in cleaner areas. Air quality is on the national agenda and there is an increasing demand for less polluting vehicles and a move to sustainable travel. Air quality can be improved by:
- Reducing through-traffic by implementing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.
- Implementing School Streets with temporary restrictions on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times.
- Providing segregated cycle facilities to separate cyclists from polluting vehicles.
- Implementing greener infrastructure.
These types of projects create healthier communities, encourage active travel and reduce the use of private vehicles.
Our team can also partner with our sister technology company, Vortex, which is expert in installing high-tech air quality monitoring. These help local authorities and communities to monitor and validate our scheme’s effectiveness.
Project Centre provides a range of traffic enforcement and management solutions, including attended, unattended and mobile vehicle CCTV and ANPR in partnership with Videalert. We can also manage all aspects of civil parking enforcement (CPE) and compliance, including customer service and back office support through NSL.
