Very first design guidelines! AT LAST!

Originally Posted by SVeeedy Gonzales

Isn't one of the big changes going to be that the right hand overtaking lane is going to be only for bikes, which will be allowed to travel at up to 30mph over the posted limit?

:P

Could I have honourary membership to said lane?

Originally Posted by Cat

Basically, yes. Or at least, as the book is recognised as the epitome of best practice (the ONLY tome of best practice!) you can be pretty sure that once aware of it, local authorities will not permit any design that doesn't accord with it.

Incidentally, 6 foot walls are not permitted at unsignalised T-junctions anyway - only old junctions will have them. All new junctions are (and have been for some years) designed using strict visibility guidelines.

This isnt going to be taken on board as "best practice", local authorities have known about this document for the last couple of years and even contributed toward its production.
Highways authorities have very little influence on the positioning of manhole/service covers as these are the responsibilities of the individual statutary undertakers, even when the covers are wrecked or sinking or polished, the local authority still calls the stats firm to ask them to replace.

As an experienced highway designer i have always tried to make designs that are safe and practicable for all users, as do the majority of my colleagues.

however the increasing pressures on roadspace often mean that compromises have to be reached, by far the majority of road space is already established, and altering the design to suit a particular user group would be impracticle, even something as seemingly simple as movin a service cover out of line in a bend would be near impossible. and prohibitively expensive

whilst it is a positive thing that these guidlines havee been published, so that new developments can take account of best practice, designers already take account of the majority of these issues, and as the guidelines cannot be applied retrospectively or impart any duty on local authorities to tow the line, i fear that its impact will be insignificant.

it is after all a "guidance note" produced by a buisness which make a fair proportion of its income from the sale of guidnce documentation to its members.

only when the government in association with the TRL carry out studies on the effects of any of the IHIE guidlines will there be any chance that local authorities will pay any serious heed to this document...