Highways Agency

• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy
• Draft route management strategy

Draft route management strategy

Draft Route Management Strategy

1 Introduction

Definition of Route Management Strategy

A Route Management Strategy (RMS) is a technique developed by the Highways Agency to provide a framework for managing individual trunk routes as part of wider transport networks. The RMS integrates with local transport strategies (set out in local transport plans) within the context established by the Regional Transport Strategy (set out in Regional Spatial Strategy).

This RMS was carried out using Highways Agency Route Management Strategy Guidance Version 2 (November 2003).

Purpose and Scope

The RMS process has been developed to:

• Assist the Highways Agency in planning and optimising investment in the trunk road/motorway network (across different budget headings), and in the delivery of Highways Agency strategic plans and ten-year transport strategy;
• Provide consistency, transparency, openness and integration, particularly with other transport related strategies, including local and regional transport plans;
• Enable the Highways Agency to provide an input into these local strategies and plans;
• Maximise customer focus; and
• Improve forward planning over a ten-year period.

The development of a RMS assists the Highways Agency to achieve its objective of delivering a high quality service to all our customers by:

• Improving road safety;
• Making journeys more reliable through improved network management;
• Providing reliable information to enable customers to make choices about their journey; and
• Respecting the environment.

It should be noted that whilst the RMS is focused on particular routes, the impact that other routes may have on it and the impact that the route may have on others is considered within the study. This is particularly applicable where an issue on one route can be resolved through an outcome on another.

Responsibilities

The development of a RMS is administered and delivered by the Highways Agency, with the assistance of consultants, through undertaking a RMS study.

The Project Board will meet regularly, reviewing progress on the study and resolving substantive issues as they arise. They are responsible for the RMS, working together to ensure that the final strategy fulfils its purpose. The membership of the Project Board is listed in the report at Appendix B

The role of the Stakeholders is to assist in developing the RMS through their knowledge and understanding of the route and its context. They also provide a valuable contribution to the study in terms of reflecting their organisations' views and aspirations.

Elements

A RMS comprises the following elements:

• Policy Objectives;
• Route Functions;
• Land Use and Development Control Statement
• Route Problems and Issues; and
• Route Outcomes.

Policy Objectives are wider planning, economic and transport objectives pertinent to the route.

Route Functions describes the current roles of the route, and those it is intended to serve in the future.

The Land Use and Development Control Statement outlines the Highways Agency's approach to future land use and development issues that materially affect the route.

Route Problems and Issues are matters of concern to the Highways Agency, our customers, stakeholders or the public that may prevent the Policy Objectives being met or hinder the performance of Route Functions.

Route Outcomes set out what the Highways Agency will seek to achieve for the route over the ten-year period of the RMS. They should contribute to Policy Objectives, improve the performance of the route consistent with its future functions and seek to address route problems and issues. Some of the outcomes point towards individual projects and investigations that will subsequently be developed by the Highways Agency as a Route Management Plan. This will allow the Highways Agency to target available funds to where they will be most effective.

Process

The A66/A174/A1053 (Darlington to Teesport) Route Management Strategy began in November 2004 when Parsons Brinckerhoff were appointed to carry out the investigation into the route with a view to establishing a plan to manage the route over the next ten years. An announcement was made to the local media to ensure that as many people as possible were aware of the study and that their input would be sought throughout the term.

A RMS brings together a range of policies and objectives that are pertinent to the route, other relevant information such as current conditions on the route, and the views of our customers, stakeholders and the public.

This section describes the strategy elements and outputs that comprise a RMS and sets out the processes by which they are developed. The Fig. 1.1 overleaf illustrates the development of these elements. As Route Outcomes are developed, it is necessary to review the other elements. This iterative process assists in developing a robust strategy with appropriate Route Outcomes.

The A66/A174/A1053 (Darlington to Teesport) RMS, has been developed through the procedure summarised below:

• Initial Project Board Meeting - comprised a RMS Initiation Workshop at which initial route functions, objectives, problems and issues were identified (refer to Appendix B)
• Second Project Board Meeting - reviewed and amended initial RMS
• Stakeholder Seminar - the initial RMS was reviewed/developed and additional problems and issues identified (refer to Appendix C)

This document forms the Draft A66/A174/A1053 (Darlington to Teesport) RMS, which will be the subject of a three month Public Consultation from July 2005.

Fig. 1.1: Route Management Strategy process

Data Collection

A Data Collection exercise was carried out from the outset. This involved the review of Regional and Local Plans, Transport Plans and current planning guidelines. Traffic volumes and accident data was acquired to establish the impact on the economic and safety aspects. Sites of environmental interest were investigated as well as the facilities for users and opportunities for transport modal change.

Economy

The Highways Agency traffic-monitoring consultant has provided traffic count data, based on their automatic traffic counting equipment situated at various locations along the route. The data shows that the traffic flows on the route are subject to annual, seasonal and hourly variations of volume and composition.

Safety

Personal Injury Accident data was obtained for a five-year period to the end of 2004. This enabled detailed analysis of accidents in an effort to establish any patterns or trends. Some of the factors considered include accident severity, hours of darkness, and road surface condition. Particular attention was paid to 'clusters' of accidents exhibiting similar characteristics that might point to an engineering defect rather than general poor driver behaviour.

Environment

Evidence was gathered from a variety of sources to make an assessment of the following:

• National parks, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB), environmentally sensitive areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites (RIGGS);
• Biodiversity;
• Landscape;
• Air quality;
• Watercourses;
• Special protection areas; and
• Public rights of way.

Accessibility

Analysis of severance on the route was investigated as well as cycle facilities, vehicular access and public footpaths along and crossing the route.

Integration

Various aspects were considered to assess the level of integration on the route and included the following:

• Partnership/joint working projects;
• Road traffic signing and indicators of other transport modes;
• Bus services and Park & Ride facilities; and
• Road user facilities.