European shared streetscene impresses

29 January 2007

The Conservatives are convinced that Dutch-style minimalist traffic management can reduce congestion and improve road safety on busy high streets.
Owen Paterson, shadow transport minister, told Surveyor: ‘I have seen the shared space idea work. We should go back to where we were in the 1920s, when people mixed with omnibuses, cars and horse and carts.’
A visit to towns in the Dutch province of Friesland, following a meeting with shared space champion, Ben Hamilton-Baillie, had left Paterson enthusiastic about the concept of encouraging the mingling rather than segregation of different road-users by, for example, removing signals at junctions.
‘You get a constant, steady flow of traffic. More than 100 schemes have been implemented by Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman, the evidence is there.’
He claimed that the Government was ducking the issue by focusing on residential roads with its Manual for streets project. ‘This works on any streets where pedestrians and vehicles mix. In Friesland there were schemes on roads with up to 20,000 vehicles a day.’ Paterson acknowledged, however, that ‘a lot needs to be done before this can become a firm policy proposal’.
A Conservative policy paper on roads, due in the autumn, would contain more detail on the idea.
In the meantime, he warned highways officers against a piecemeal, ‘tinkering’ approach. The finalised Manual for streets – due to be published at an Institution of Highways and Transportation event in March – will provide among advice on minimising street furniture, especially guardrails, and the removal of centre white lines.
Edward Chorlton, Devon’s environment director, said: ‘The soon-to-be-published Manual for streets will spell out what can done within existing laws and regulations.’

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