Transportation involving Transport Assessments and producing traffic analyses of roundabouts and junctions using ARCADY and PICADY
Sumner Consultancy has transportation experience involving producing Transport Assessments and Transport Statements for industrial developments of up to £20 million and housing developments of up to 250 dwellings.
The Transport Assessments necessitated carrying out traffic analyses of roundabouts and junctions using the computer analysis software ARCADY and PICADY, (ARCADY is associated with roundabouts and PICADY with road junctions).
As part of this work successful negotiations have been carried out and approval obtained from the Highways Agency (now Highways England) to various developments adjoining or close to a Trunk Road.
The Department of the Environment guide states that the coverage and detail of the Transport Assessment should reflect the scale of development and the extent of the transport implications of the proposal.
A Traffic Assessment can therefore be split into two categories:
- Transport Statement. This is for small schemes and should set out the transport issues relating to a proposed development site (existing conditions) and details of the development proposals (proposed development).
- Transport Assessment. This is for major proposals, and should be detailed and illustrate accessibility to the site by all modes and the likely modal split of journeys to and from the site. It should also give details of proposed measures to improve access by public transport, walking and cycling, to reduce the need for parking associated with the proposal and to mitigate transport impacts. Where appropriate, a travel plan should be included.
The Department of the Environment recommends that discussions should be held with the Local Authority to clarify whether proposals are likely to be acceptable in transport terms and to “scope” the requirements of any Transport Assessment.
Previously for a new development the Highway Authority would determine if a Transport Statement or Transport Assessment was required based on the size of the development as outlined in the Department for Transport’s Guidance on Transport Assessment.
As an example Transport Statement for a housing development was generally not required for below 50 dwellings. Between 50 and 80 dwellings a Transport Statement was required, and above 80 dwellings a Transport Assessment and a Travel Plan was required. These were threshold figures and would depend on local conditions and criteria.
The requirements are now outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework, where it states that:
“Local planning authorities must make a judgement as to whether a development proposal would generate significant amounts of movement on a case by case basis”
From experience a Highway Authority is still likely to refer to the Guidance on Transport Assessment figures.