Buro Happold looks at ‘the bigger picture’ when considering the flow of people and traffic within an urban environment. Our aim is to optimise route efficiency and accessibility while ensuring that vehicles and pedestrians interact safely. To assess whether the proposed road network can cope with population growth and economic expansion – and have minimal environmental impact – our transport planners carry out a variety of modelling studies to simulate both current and predicted traffic conditions.
Most development projects require some traffic modelling to secure highway authority consent. This includes junction performance models (eg. roundabouts, traffic signals and priority junctions) through to linked junction designs and local area models. Traffic simulation tools such as VISSIM allow us to advise the masterplanning team on how well a development site works in terms of vehicle access. This capability also helps us to explain strategies to clients and local authorities in more understandable terms.
With the new emphasis on sustainable cities and integrated transport solutions, the impact of traffic on pedestrian movement has to be considered against risk and ‘quality’ criteria. Careful traffic planning enables us to minimise traffic delays while ensuring the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. After studying traffic patterns, pedestrian volumes and desire lines, our planners can assess and design controlled junctions (such as traffic lights) or uncontrolled junctions (such as T junctions or roundabouts) as well as Zebra / Pelican/ Toucan or Puffin level crossings.
We give due weight to the needs of all users to ensure that an urban development offers a practical choice of modes of transport while taking into account client requirements, site constraints and land use. Our expertise in traffic planning, gained on many large-scale projects, has involved key transport improvement measures including route management strategies, road safety schemes, walking and cycling strategies, bus priority schemes, parking management and site supervision.
As well as improving urban connectivity, traffic management has important commercial benefits. Research shows, for example, that bus passengers make more frequent trips into retail areas because they can’t carry as much back with them. Covered bus interchanges may therefore be a more cost-effective use of space than the equivalent car parking spaces. Priority parking for mothers and children and investment in lockers and cycle racks are other examples of consumer-driven traffic management.
