AA Streetwatch Survey 1

Transcription

1 17 January 2011 Page 1 of 31

2 Contents Introduction...3 The Survey...3 Most/least serious issues...4 Results by Region...6 Overall rankings...6 Maps showing regional ranking by issue...7 Results by Postcode Area...10 Potholes...11 Patched Repairs...12 Kerb stones...13 Inspection Covers...14 Road works...15 Uneven Footpaths...16 Blocked Drains...17 Road Signs...18 Road Markings...19 Parked Vehicles...20 Litter...21 Dog Fouling...22 Map showing overall ranking by postcode area...23 Issues to cover in future surveys...24 Comments by Streetwatchers...25 Issues highlighted...25 General comments...27 Appendix survey instructions January 2011 Page 2 of 31

3 Introduction A total of 16,000 AA Members responded positively to an initial campaign in August 2010 asking if members would be willing to give up a little of their time to take part in a 'Streetwatch' survey of issues in their local area. A small survey form hosted by Populus was used to capture responses but no specific details of survey methodology were provided at this time. Of the initial 16,000 volunteers, a total of 12,400 provided their address and postcode. 8 October ,400 volunteers sent a further communication asking them to 'save the date' and confirming that Streetwatch surveys were to be undertaken during week commencing 23 October "we are asking for an hour of your time to walk local roads in your area. Full details will be in my next ." 21 October 2010 volunteers sent detailed instructions (see appendix 1) for carrying out an AA Streetwatch survey. This included a link to download a printable check sheet for recording observations together with a link to a data capture survey form hosted by Populus. 27 October 2010 'don't forget to do your survey' sent to volunteers who had not yet submitted survey results. 3 November 2010 responding to requests from a number of volunteers the closing date for undertaking surveys and submitting results online was extended to 12 November. A total of 1,912 correctly completed survey forms were received. The Survey Volunteers were asked to walk a local route of their own choosing for around 60 minutes around two miles taking in as broad a range of road types as possible including local footways or footpaths. Surveys were undertaken at any time between 23 October and 12 November Streetwatchers submitted their individual survey results online using a data capture form hosted by Populus. This form included two supplementary questions one about the 'most serious' issue and the other about the possible scope of future Streetwatch surveys. Counted observations of 12 local road issues (see detailed definitions in Appendix 1) were recorded. Broken kerbs Blocked street drains Obscured road signs 17 January 2011 Page 3 of 31

4 Uneven footpaths Roadworks Potholes Sunken utility trenches/patches Worn road markings Sunken inspection covers Litter Dog fouling Observations for each issue were aggregated at both postcode area and region levels by taking the average (mean) recorded values on the surveys in each area/region. Overall the most frequently reported issue was litter with a national average of 28.9 observations per survey. Overall the least reported issue was road works with a national average of 1.2 per survey. Most/least serious issues When submitting their counted survey observations online, volunteers were also asked the question; Thinking about the 12 different issues covered by this survey, please indicate (in order from 1 for most serious to 5 for least serious) the 5 issues that concern you most in your local area it does not matter whether the 5 you choose here were the most frequently occurring in your survey or not. 17 January 2011 Page 4 of 31

5 The issue considered most serious by AA Streetwatchers was potholes (rated as the most serious issue by 53%). Only 10% of AA Streetwatchers didn't include potholes in their top-five. The issue considered least serious was road works (not ranked in the top 5 issues by 52%) 17 January 2011 Page 5 of 31

6 Results by Region (All survey responses have been included in the Regional analysis.) Wales is the region least affected by the issues surveyed it comes top in five out of the twelve surveyed issues and is in the top three for nine of the issues. The North East scores in the bottom 3 for 9 out of 12 categories. Northern Ireland takes bottom spot in 5 categories, including road works, signs and markings, but Uneven Paths don t seem to be a problem here. In Greater London uneven paths and litter are issues, but potholes & patches are less of a concern. Overall rankings were created by combining each of the equally weighted twelve survey questions. A top ranked region scores 1, through to a bottom rank which scores 10. The rank scores are then summed. So the lowest sum achieves the overall top rank. 17 January 2011 Page 6 of 31

7 Regional ranking by issue 17 January 2011 Page 7 of 31

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10 Results by Postcode Area For presentation of results by postcode area seven survey forms was defined as the minimum required for an area to be included. Thirteen postcode areas have been excluded due to an insufficient number of surveys having been submitted. Overall rankings were created by combining each of the equally weighted twelve survey questions. A top ranked area or region scores 1, through to a bottom rank which scores 118 (area) or 10 (region). The rank scores are then summed. So the lowest sum achieves the overall top rank. Best areas overall are Taunton, Berwick & Borders, and Ipswich. Worst areas overall are Oldham, Fylde Coast and Dartford. The areas most affected by potholes and sunken patches were Kilmarnock, Fylde Coast and Telford. London was the area least affected by potholes and sunken patches. Berwick & Borders is the cleanest area, making the top 3 for litter and for dog fouling. The worst area for litter and dog fouling are Paisley and Liverpool respectively. On the following pages you will find a postcode area map for each of the issues surveyed. Once ordered overall from 'best' to 'worst' the postcode areas for which sufficient survey results were received were divided into seven coloured bands from green (fewest) to red (most) for each issue. The table beneath each map shows the best three postcode areas overall and the worst three postcode areas overall for that issue. The 'best' area recorded the lowest average number of observations for the issue concerned and the 'worst' area recorded the highest average number of observations. 17 January 2011 Page 10 of 31

11 Potholes Count single potholes larger than a saucer (approx.150cm (6") diameter) and around 5cm (2in), or more, deep. 17 January 2011 Page 11 of 31

12 Patched Repairs Gas, water, telecoms and electricity companies dig holes or trenches to install or repair services. If not repaired properly a raised or sunken patch can result. Count '1' for each failed repair more than 5cm (2in) deep or high. 17 January 2011 Page 12 of 31

13 Kerb stones The kerbs separating some roads and footways record any broken/sunken or dislodged (by more than 5cm (2in)) - If long sections are damaged count '1' for each 3m (approx 10ft) section. 17 January 2011 Page 13 of 31

14 Inspection Covers Inspection covers (water, cable, telecoms etc.) can rise or sink over time. Record any that are more than about 5cm (2in) deep/high. 17 January 2011 Page 14 of 31

15 Road works Record road works that are in place (cones, signs etc.) at the time of the survey. 17 January 2011 Page 15 of 31

16 Uneven Footpaths Perhaps caused by tree roots, broken paving stones or utility company trenches, count damage resulting in a step of about 5cm (2in). Where damage is extensive, count '1' for every 3 metre (10ft) run. 17 January 2011 Page 16 of 31

17 Blocked Drains Record the number of iron grid covered drains usually located at the kerb edge that are completely silted up or full. 17 January 2011 Page 17 of 31

18 Road Signs Count '1' for any road sign you see that would be difficult to read from the road because of vandalism, wear/weathering or because hedges or trees etc. have become overgrown 17 January 2011 Page 18 of 31

19 Road Markings Over time road markings give way lines, direction arrows, parking restrictions etc. - fade, become worn or are not reinstated following repairs. Count '1' for each example of a road marking sufficiently damaged that it could be missed or misunderstood by a driver. 17 January 2011 Page 19 of 31

20 Parked Vehicles Count '1' for any vehicle partly blocking a footpath making it awkward for pedestrians especially those partially sighted, people with pushchairs or those using mobility scooters or wheelchairs to pass. 17 January 2011 Page 20 of 31

21 Litter Count '1' for single pieces of litter such as cigarette packets, soft drinks cans, take-away bags/boxes, household items, garden rubbish, paper etc. Don't count smaller items such as cigarette butts, or individual sweet wrappers.. 17 January 2011 Page 21 of 31

22 Dog Fouling Simply count anything that dogs have left behind that their owners haven't picked up. 17 January 2011 Page 22 of 31

23 Overall Overall rankings were created by combining each of the equally weighted twelve survey questions. A top ranked postcode area scores 1, through to a bottom rank which scores 118. The rank scores are then summed. So the lowest sum achieves the overall top rank. 17 January 2011 Page 23 of 31

24 Future surveys When submitting their counted survey observations online, volunteers were also asked the following question; We intend that AA Street Watch surveys will become a regular event. Which, if any of the following do you think should be included in future surveys? Please indicate your order of preference from 1 (most important) to 9 (least important). Street lights Illegal parking Abandoned cars Speeding traffic Rat running traffic Lack of pedestrian crossings Traffic congestion Road humps Poor signage Most important issue for future survey speeding traffic (selected top by 46%) Least important issue for future survey abandoned cars (ranked 9th of 9 by 37%) 17 January 2011 Page 24 of 31

25 Comments As they submitted survey results online, Streetwatchers were given an opportunity to submit general comments in answer to the question; "If you have any other suggestions for issues affecting road users that could be included in future AA Street Watch surveys please enter them in the box below." Selected issues highlighted by Streetwatchers There were too many suggestions made for them all to be reproduced here but the following gives a flavour of the range of issues raised. Overgrown hedges covering nearly half the pavement Low hanging trees Speed humps which are all different sizes Availability of on-street parking School time pick-up and drop-offs in middle of road blocking the road Unclear parking signs Drivers that do not indicate at turns and suddenly brake and turn at the same time Drivers openly flouting the law (e.g. using mobile phones) Locations giving rise to regular flooding Parking on corners and lack of legal parking places for short term parking Vehicles without Road Tax. They seem to be everywhere.(no Road Tax equals no Insurance and no M.O.T) Ill thought out traffic calming measures Cars parking in cycle lanes is a problem in my area Traffic behaviour on roundabouts Cars going through traffic lights on red The number of cars that have at least one brake light out 17 January 2011 Page 25 of 31

26 People not using seat belts State of cycleways Lack of crossing places for wheelchairs at road junctions uneven surface caused by the heavy volume of traffic I still see people using their mobiles, putting on makeup, drinking and eating whilst driving. Speeding through residential areas Cycle ways particularly when they share paths & where they stop suddenly, with no instruction as to where to go now! Skips parked in the carriageway without any warning signs Excessive and unnecessary road signs Leaves in the road, causing skidding and blocking drains!! The number of rubbish bins and dog waste bins provided Intrusive parking caused by commuters leaving their cars in residential areas during the day whilst they use the train for work ''Cars for sale'' permanently parked in lay byes Rubbish bins obstructing pavements on collection days Number of salt boxes supplied for icy conditions People who inconsiderately park across dropped curbs making it impossible for mobility scooter users Illegal advertising billboards and fly posters, graffiti Sunken surface water drain covers Cars parked stupidly or against the highway code on corners etc. instances of anti-social behaviour- e.g. threatening gangs on corners, instances of fly tipping, overgrown paths/footpaths, burnt out/abandoned houses Mud on roads 17 January 2011 Page 26 of 31

27 Overgrown grass verges block the cut out drains that take water into the ditches Dumped or piles of rubbish left by people and councils non-mandatory signs which the public would like to see removed poor road surfaces defective lights on vehicles.- broken lights or missing lights(blown bulbs) Horse fouling cracks in the road surface People using bicycles, scooters and mobility scooters on the pavement More general comments from Streetwatchers There were too many comments made for them all to be reproduced here but the following gives a flavour of the range of issues covered and points made. Good on you AA for doing this survey- great idea! Thanks for organising the AA Street Watch survey Enjoyed the exercise and would be keen to participate in future Get as many people out doing this. I took my grandchildren and as well as exercise they enjoyed the whole experience I think this is a good scheme - our council have done sterling work mending the potholes - I guess the budget won't be there for the next lot! Posters advertising this service/facility more widely. It's excellent and people would like to know that you are pro-actively working towards vehicle AND pedestrian safety Street lighting is not important, we do not have any here in the village but manage perfectly well with torches, and can enjoy the night sky I was surprised by the amount of roads and roundabouts which following new road layouts are clearly no longer wide enough to handle an average sized vehicle There are days when a simple 9 mile journey can take 15 minutes and others where the same journey could take 1.5 hours 17 January 2011 Page 27 of 31

28 I think your 2'' limit for obstructions is rather generous. I found a number of what I would consider trip hazards only 1'' high I would go as far as stating that this council appear to be acting way beyond the call of duty, I can find no issues with them and do indeed take my hat off to them, the roads here are a pleasure to drive on Suggestion for the future: An iphone type application (which knows your location from GPS data), with a button for each of the survey categories. A tap on the button records one instance, another maybe to confirm whether road or footpath Much reduced brightness of street light after maybe midnight, or maybe halving the number of streetlights which are on after midnight. All cars have headlights. There are far fewer pedestrians at night. Why waste so much electricity? I was surprised to see how many of the street problems were made by ordinary people, e.g. litter, parking otherwise our council seems to be doing quite well. This survey has opened my eyes to the amount of litter that is strewn across the roads. If I had included every piece of litter I'd seen, it would be in the thousands and I wouldn't have had to walk 2 miles. We should be ashamed of ourselves for letting our beautiful countryside look like a tip. I think the present survey was too lenient regarding the 2'' depth allowed for potholes & uneven paths. On my survey I noticed a very high number of approximately 1'' which would cause problems for the blind & wheelchair users. A month before the survey major resurfacing work took place around this area so this survey may be atypical We have damaged road surfaces that do not fit into your pothole criteria but count as poorly maintained surfaces - likely to pothole if we get a bad winter. 17 January 2011 Page 28 of 31

29 Appendix 1 survey instructions CARRYING OUT THE SURVEY This is to be a one hour survey on foot (paying full attention to personal and road safety). We are just interested in the number of items or issues that you spot - no measurement or detailed inspection is required. The survey form details the things we want you to look out for this time. When to survey AA Street Watch is to be carried out in daylight between 23 October 2010 and 30 October Results are to be submitted using the online form by 5 November (You'll need to follow the link in the last we sent you so it's important you don't delete it) How to survey Walk a route of your choosing in your local area for around 60 minutes this means you will cover around two miles. Try to take in as broad a range of road types as possible including local footways or footpaths. You may feel more comfortable taking someone with you to help. On narrow roads and footpaths record your observations across the full width. On wider roads limit your observations to the pavement on your side of the road and the road surface up to the centre line. Of course you can record observations for the other side of the road if your walking route brings you back that way. As you walk your route use the survey form to record your observations. When you've finished, record the total for each item by type of road in the corresponding yellow circle this will make it easier when you come to submit your observations using the online form (follow the link on the last we sent you) If you come across any particularly poor or amusing examples of any of these issues why not take a picture and add it to the gallery in the AA Street Watch Club on the AA Zone? ROAD TYPES DO NOT SURVEY MOTORWAYS The survey form is divided into four columns; Main Road - an A-road or B-road that carries through traffic this can have housing on it or not, and can be through a town centre or not Minor Road - a country lane or a back street of a town carrying local and a little though traffic this can have housing on it or not, and can be through a suburb/village or not 17 January 2011 Page 29 of 31

30 Residential Street - housing estate roads, urban suburban or rural residential streets, cul-de-sacs etc. carrying only very local traffic Footway/footpath - path alongside a road of any type or a path completely separated from a road. This can include shared footway/cycle paths. WHAT TO LOOK FOR? Potholes - count single potholes larger than a saucer (approx.150cm (6") diameter) and around 5cm (2in), or more, deep. Patched repairs - gas, water, telecoms and electricity companies dig holes or trenches to install or repair services. If not repaired properly a raised or sunken patch can result. Count '1' for each failed repair more than 5cm (2in) deep or high. Kerb stones - record broken/sunken or dislodged (by more than 5cm (2in)) kerbstones - the kerbs separating some roads and footways. If long sections are damaged count '1' for each 3m (approx 10ft) section. Iron inspection covers - inspection covers (water, cable, telecoms etc.) can rise or sink over time. Record any that are more than about 5cm (2in) deep/high. Road works - only record road works that are in place (cones, signs etc.) at the time of the survey. Uneven footpaths - perhaps caused by tree roots, broken paving stones or utility company trenches, count damage resulting in a step of about 5cm (2in). Where damage is extensive, count '1' for every 3 metre (10ft) run. Blocked drains - record the number of iron grid covered drains usually located at the kerb edge that are completely silted up or full. Road signs - count '1' for any road sign you see that would be difficult to read from the road because of vandalism, wear/weathering or because hedges or trees etc. have become overgrown. Road markings over time road markings give way lines, direction arrows, parking restrictions etc. - fade, become worn or are not reinstated following repairs. Count '1' for each example of a road marking sufficiently damaged that it could be missed or misunderstood by a driver. Parked vehicles - count '1' for any vehicle partly blocking a footpath making it awkward for pedestrians especially those partially sighted, people with pushchairs or those using mobility scooters or wheelchairs to pass. Record these against the type of road along which the footpath runs. Litter - if litter is on a grass verge or pavement alongside a road then record it against the road type. Count '1' for single pieces of litter such as cigarette packets, soft drinks cans, take-away bags/boxes, household items, garden rubbish, paper etc. Don't count smaller items such as cigarette butts, or individual sweet wrappers. Dog fouling - simply count anything that dogs have left behind that their owners haven't picked up. Important notice You are responsible for your own personal safety at all times and should exercise due care when participating in this survey. You must ensure that at all times during your participation in the survey you comply with applicable laws, regulations and bye-laws and take all reasonable precautions to ensure your own personal safety. You should at all times respect the rights of third parties and not do anything that would constitute any form of nuisance.neither Populus nor the AA shall be liable for any 17 January 2011 Page 30 of 31

31 damage or loss which is incurred or suffered (whether directly or indirectly) by participants during the course of carrying out this survey, save that nothing shall exclude or limit any liability of the AA or of Populus for death or personal injury arising from the negligence of either AA or Populus respectively or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited as a matter of law. 17 January 2011 Page 31 of 31