Exeter Bridge Road Widening Report of Surveys

Transcription

1 March 2014 Draft Report Devon County Council County Hall Topsham Road Exeter Devon EX2 4QD

2 PREPARED BY Name: Lloyd Orriel Position: Graduate Transport Planner Date: November 2013 CHECKED BY Name: Samantha Taylor Position: Transport Planner Date: November 2013 AGREED BY Name: Chris Sanders Position: Principal Transport Planner Date: November 2013 ACCEPTED BY Name: Dave Black Position: Head of Planning and Transportation Date: November 2013 Version Report Stage (draft, Prepared Checked by Agreed By Issued to / Number etc) by Accepted 1 Initial Draft LO ST CS

3 CONTENTS 1 Introduction Scheme Background Other Reports Structure of the Report 2 2 Traffic Data Overview 3 3 Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs) Available Data Analysis of Data Annual Trends Monthly Trends Seasonality Index Neutral Month Weekday Hourly Daily Profile Identification of Peak Periods 13 4 Manual Classified Counts (MCCs) Available Data Turning Movements 15 5 RSI data Introduction Data Analysis Acceptability of RSI survey dates Data Validation Sample rates Expansion Factors Trip Length Distribution Purpose Splits 22 6 Journey Time Data Introduction Methodology Data Analysis 24 7 Conclusion Summary of data analysis Junction DIAGRAMS Diagram 1: Scheme Location Map 1 Diagram 2: Daily Flow Profiles 12 Diagram 3: Peak Period Identification 14 Diagram 4: Map of RSI Locations 17 Diagram 5: A379 RSI Trip Length Distribution 21

4 Diagram 6: Exminster RSI Trip Length Distribution 21 Diagram 7: A379 RSI Purpose Splits 22 Diagram 8: Exminster RSI Purpose Splits 22 TABLES Table 1: Type of data available and source 3 Table 2: Details of Permanent ATC Sites 5 Table 3: Summary of ATC Annual Flow and Average Annual Growth 7 Table 4: Summary of ATC Seasonality Indices 11 Table 5: MCC and JTC sites 15 Table 6: RSI Data Key 18 Table 7: RSI Record Summary 19 Table 8: A379 RSI Sample rates 19 Table 9: Exminster RSI Sample rates 20 Table 10: A379 RSI Expansion Factors 20 Table 11: Exminster RSI Expansion Factors 20 Table 12: WebTAG Car Purpose Splits 23 Table 13: Exminster RSI Car Purpose Splits 23 Table 14: A379 RSI Car Purpose Splits 23 Table 13: Journey Time Analysis 25 FIGURES Figure 1: Location of Permanent ATC Sites Figure 2: Location of TRADS ATC sites Figure 3: Location of MCC sites Figure 4: Journey Time Routes APPENDICES Appendix 1 ATC analysis graphs Appendix 2 TRADS analysis graphs Appendix 3 MCC analysis

5 1 Introduction 1.1 Scheme Background The Exeter Bridge Road scheme is located on Bridge Road to the south of Countess Wear roundabout. A location plan is provided as Diagram The scheme delivers two lanes outbound on Bridge Road from the existing merge / lane drop to the junction with the A379 and Sannerville Way and improvements to pedestrian cycle facilities along Bridge Rd A separate pedestrian/cycle bridge, to the north of Countess Wear Bridge, will allow the widening of the existing carriageway to provide two lanes outbound across the bridge. Elsewhere the provision of a second lane will be achieved either through widening or utilisation of existing road space. A further pedestrian/cycle bridge will be required over the railway. Other localised areas of widening on the shared route will also be provided The Scheme has been shown to be part of a strategy which addresses constraints in Exeter transport network and delivers growth across the city. Diagram 1: Scheme Location Map 1.2 Other Reports This report forms part of a family of documents which support the Value for Money (VfM) assessment of the Bridge Road scheme. The reports (in chronological order) are as follows: 1

6 Option Assessment Report identifies the need for the scheme, its objectives and the process for generating options. Also provided is the methodology for assessing alternatives and the recommendations on the scheme(s) to be taken forward to detailed appraisal. Appraisal Specification Report - compiled to inform decision makers and stakeholders on how the economic, environmental and operational assessments will be undertaken and how they will be supported by the traffic modelling work, taking account of budgetary, programme, political, environmental and spatial constraints. Data Collection Report details the collection and analysis of all data supporting the study. Local Model Validation Report provides the methodology and results for construction of the base year traffic model. Forecasting Report documents the methodology and results of the future year traffic forecasts. Economic Assessment Report details the approach taken to assess the monetised costs and benefits of the scheme. Benefits will include Transport Economic Efficiency (TEE) during construction, maintenance and under typical conditions; also reliability and accidents. Costs include costs associated with construction and maintenance. AST Report The methodology for completing the AST tables and the source for all entries. This will also include an analysis of Social and Distributional Impacts (SDIs). 1.3 Structure of the Report This report provides a summary of the data that has been collected and analysed in order to undertake the traffic modelling of the Bridge Road Scheme. The structure of the report is as follows: Section 2: Traffic data overview Section 3: Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs) Section 4: Manual Classified Counts (MCCs) and Junction Turning Counts Section 5: Roadside Interview Surveys Section 6: Journey Time data 2

7 2 Traffic Data 2.1 Overview A wide range of traffic count and journey time data has been collected for the Exeter Bridge Road Widening study. This section summarises the data sources which are analysed further in the following sections Table 1 shows the type of traffic data used and the source from where it was obtained. Further details explaining the accuracy and quality of the data used is provided in the following sections. Type of traffic data Obtained by Further details Map Roadside Interview DCC Origin and destination data Diagram 4 Stand-alone Automatic Traffic Count (ATC) DCC Automatic traffic counts Appendix 1 Urban Traffic Control (UTC) data DCC Automatic traffic counts Appendix 1 Traffic Flow Data System (TRADS) Highways Agency Automatic traffic counts Appendix 2 Manual Classified Counts DCC Manually counted traffic by vehicle type. Appendix 3 Journey times Trafficmaster plc GPS data Figure 4 Table 1: Type of data available and source 3

8 3 Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs) 3.1 Available Data Data from 24 local ATC sites and 24 TRADS sites within the study area was used to assess the annual, monthly, daily and hourly variation of traffic flows. A map showing the locations of all local ATC sites is shown in Figure 1. The locations of available TRADS ATC sites are shown in Figure Some data has been obtained from UTC-ATC sites. These locations are primarily for urban traffic control purposes, and are often located on approaches to traffic signals The location marker in Figure 1 has been numbered to match the allocated site number. Table 2 shows the local ATC and TRADS sites, their location, the site number allocated and the years for which data was collected. Site Source Location of Site Year Range 1 ATC Bad Homburg Way ATC Bridge Road ATC Topsham Road (East of Countess Wear) ATC Rydon Lane ATC Topsham Road (King George Playing Fields) ATC A376 (Winslade) ATC A3052 (Clyst St Mary) ATC A376 (Sandygate - Clyst St Mary Roundabout) UTC Russell Way ATC Moor Lane (Kestrel Way) UTC A3015 Middlemoor link Road (SB only) UTC Honiton Road (Met Office) UTC A3015 (East of Moor Lane) ATC Hill Barton Road ATC Pinhoe Road (Whipton) ATC Pinhoe Road (St Mark s Avenue) UTC Heavitree Road (Barrack Road) ATC Topsham Road (County Hall) UTC Western Way (North of Exe Bridges) UTC Cowick Street UTC Alphington Street UTC Marsh Barton Road ATC Cowick Lane (EB Only) UTC Church Road (WB Only) TRADS M5 J31 NB onslip TRADS M5 J29 - J30 NB TRADS M5 J29 - J30 SB TRADS M5 J30 - J31 NB TRADS M5 J30 - J31 SB TRADS M5 J30 NB within J

9 Site Source Location of Site Year Range 36 TRADS M5 J30 SB within J TRADS M5 J30 SB offslip TRADS M5 J29 NB within J TRADS M5 J31 SB offslip TRADS M5 J29 NB offslip TRADS M5 J29 SB within J TRADS M5 J31 SB onslip TRADS A38 NB TRADS A38 SB TRADS M5 J31 NB within J TRADS M5 J31 NB offslip TRADS M5 J31 SB within J TRADS A30 WB TRADS A30 EB TRADS M5 J29 NB onslip TRADS M5 J30 SB onslip TRADS M5 J30 NB onslip TRADS M5 J29 SB onslip Table 2: Details of Permanent ATC Sites 3.2 Analysis of Data At each site, where data is available, analysis has been completed and the following information calculated: Annual trends and average growth in Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) from 2008 to 2012; Monthly trends in average daily flow (for the most recent year where data is available); Seasonality Index defined as the ratio of the average August weekday flow (Monday to Friday) in the neutral months, (April, May, June, September and October), excluding periods affected by bank holidays. Weekday (Monday-Sunday) trends in daily flows for an average month (for the most recent year where data is available); Hourly trends for an average weekday (Monday Friday, excluding Bank Holidays) (for the most recent year where data is available); and Identification of peak hours of traffic flow on a typical weekday and at weekends Graphs showing data for annual, monthly, weekday and hourly trends is presented for each site in Appendix 1 for local ATC sites and Appendix 2 for TRADS sites. 5

10 3.2.3 The analysis was conducted for each site and observations have been documented for three sub sections Bridge Road itself, approaches to Countess Wear and key Exeter radials. Figure 1 shows which sites fall into each category. 3.3 Annual Trends Table 3 shows annual flows, trends and the observed growth at each site. Site Location Average Annual growth rate 1 Bad Homburg Way NB % 1 Bad Homburg Way SB % 2 Bridge Road NB % 2 Bridge Road SB % Topsham Road (East of Countess Wear) 3 EB % Topsham Road (East of Countess Wear) 3 WB % 4 Rydon Lane NB % 4 Rydon Lane SB % Topsham Road (King George Playing 5 Fields) NB % Topsham Road (King George Playing 5 Fields) SB % 6 A376 (Winslade) NB % 6 A376 (Winslade) SB % 7 A3052 (Clyst St Mary) EB % 7 A3052 (Clyst St Mary) WB % A376 (Sandygate - Clyst St Mary 8 Roundabout) EB % A376 (Sandygate - Clyst St Mary 8 Roundabout) WB % 9 Russell Way EB % 9 Russell Way WB % 10 Moor Lane (Kestrel Way) NB % 10 Moor Lane (Kestrel Way) SB % 11 A3015 Middlemoor link Road (SB only) N/A 12 Honiton Road (Met Office) EB % 12 Honiton Road (Met Office) WB % 13 A3015 (East of Moor Lane) EB % 13 A3015 (East of Moor Lane) WB % 14 Hill Barton Road NB % 14 Hill Barton Road SB % 15 Pinhoe Road (Whipton) EB % 15 Pinhoe Road (Whipton) WB % 16 Pinhoe Road (St Mark s Avenue) EB % 16 Pinhoe Road (St Mark s Avenue) WB % 17 Heavitree Road (Barrack Road) EB % 6

11 Site Location Average Annual growth rate 17 Heavitree Road (Barrack Road) WB % 18 Topsham Road (County Hall) NB % 18 Topsham Road (County Hall) SB % 19 Western Way (North of Exe Bridges) EB % 19 Western Way (North of Exe Bridges) WB % 20 Cowick Street EB % 20 Cowick Street WB % 21 Alphington Street NB % 21 Alphington Street SB % 22 Marsh Barton Road EB % 22 Marsh Barton Road WB % 23 Cowick Lane (EB Only) % 24 Church Road (WB Only) N/A 30 M5 J31 NB onslip % 31 M5 J29 - J30 NB % 32 M5 J29 - J30 SB % 33 M5 J30 - J31 NB % 34 M5 J30 - J31 SB % 35 M5 J30 NB within J % 36 M5 J30 SB within J % 37 M5 J30 SB offslip % 38 M5 J29 NB within J % 39 M5 J31 SB offslip % 40 M5 J29 NB offslip % 41 M5 J29 SB within J % 42 M5 J31 SB onslip % 43 A38 NB % 44 A38 SB % 45 M5 J31 NB within J % 46 M5 J31 NB offslip % 47 M5 J31 SB within J % 48 A30 WB % 49 A30 EB % 50 M5 J29 NB onslip % 51 M5 J30 SB onslip % 52 M5 J30 NB onslip % 53 M5 J29 SB onslip % Table 3: Summary of ATC Annual Flow and Average Annual Growth 7

12 General Trends A general pattern observed across most local ATC sites is that there is a small decline in traffic flows. On average, from 2008 to 2012, there has been a change in flows of -0.8% on average The trunk road sites also generally show small changes with most average annual growth rates being within 1% The lack of growth in traffic flows mirror the continuing difficulties in the UK and local economy, they also reflect the congested conditions on the Exeter Road network. Bridge Road Site 2, Bridge Road northbound annual profile shows a steady change in traffic flows between 2008 and 2011 of around -3% per year and then an increase of 2% from 2011 to Bridge Road southbound shows the same trend of a steady reduction from 2008 to 2011 and a slight increase in Annual average growth rates from 2008 to 2012 are similar in each direction with southbound having a growth rate of -1.7% and northbound-1.2%. Average daily flows are highest in 2008 at around 16,000 vehicles in each direction. Countess Wear Approaches Sites 3 Topsham Road (east of countess wear), 4 Rydon Lane and 5 Topsham Road (King George playing fields) are identified as approaches to the Countess Wear roundabout, shown in Figure Topsham Road (King George playing fields) towards the city centre shows no significant change in traffic flow between 2008 and There is a slight change of -3% in traffic flow from 2011 to Topsham Road (east of Countess Wear) shows an increase in traffic flow, between the years of 2008 to 2009 and 2010 to However, there is a significant drop of 5% in traffic from 2011 to 2012 in the eastbound direction. Rydon Lane shows a steady decline in traffic between 2009 and Both directions have a change in traffic flow of between -1% and -3% per year. Exeter Key Radials Sites 16 Pinhoe Road (St Mark s Avenue), 17 Heavitree Road (Barrack Road), 18 Topsham Road (County Hall) and 21 Alphington Street are identified as the key radials for Exeter Pinhoe Road inbound (westbound) shows a change in traffic flow from 2008 to 2009 of -6% after which traffic flows level off to approximately 8,100 vehicles per day. The outbound (eastbound) direction shows a steady decline in traffic with annual growth rates in both directions over the 5 year analysis period at around -2.5% Heavitree Road inbound (westbound) shows a change in flow from 2009 to 2010 of -2.5% but otherwise little fluctuation and traffic levels average around 8,000 vehicles per day. Outbound (westbound) traffic also sees a change in flow from 2009 to 2010 of around -2.5% and again from 2011 to 2010 with an average of around 8,900 vehicles per day Topsham Road inbound (northbound) has a change in traffic flow from 2008 to 2009 of -2.5%. Traffic from 2009 onwards, has small fluctuations and averages 9,000 vehicles per day. Outbound (southbound) shows a change of -3.5% from 2009 to 2010 but otherwise little fluctuation and an average change over the 5 year period of -1.5%. 8

13 Alphington Street shows very little variation in flow averaging 13,500 vehicles per day inbound (northbound) and 14,000 vehicles per day outbound (southbound). Flows do drop slightly from 2008 to 2012 inbound with an average annual growth rate of -0.6%; outbound growth is negligible at -0.1%. 3.4 Monthly Trends General Trends A general observation in the monthly trend analysis for local ATC sites is that the lowest flows occur in January which was found at 60% of analysed sites with a full year of data. The month with the highest flows varies more by site with the most common being November at 25% of sites. Anecdotal evidence has suggested an early Christmas trading peak arising due to the opening of John Lewis in the city, this could explain the unusual peak in traffic flows. Overall the monthly flow profiles are fairly flat throughout the year with a slight tail off in December and January TRADS sites generally have highest flows in August with lowest flows in December and January which is also represented in the seasonality indices in section 3.5. Bridge Road Bridge Road northbound experiences lowest flows in December of 13,300 vehicles per day and highest flows in August of 16,400, a variation of 3,100 vehicles. In the southbound direction the variation is slightly less at 2,000 vehicles per day with lowest flows in December of 13,800 and highest flows in July of 15,900. Countess Wear Approaches Topsham Road (King George playing fields) shows little variation throughout the year with both directions varying by around 1,000 vehicles per day from 12,000 in January to 13,000 in October. Topsham Road (east of Countess Wear) experiences lowest flows in December and highest flows in May in both directions. Northbound the variation is about 900 vehicles per day with 7,450 in December and 8,350 in May. Rydon Lane has lowest flows in both directions in December of around 14,100 vehicles per day, with northbound having highest flows in September of 16,200 and southbound in November of 16,000. Exeter Key Radials In general, radial routes experience highest flows in October or November, and lowest flows in January with a relatively flat profile throughout the year. Heavitree Road eastbound however experiences lowest flows in July and highest flows in December. Topsham Road 2012 was missing data for November however from considering monthly trends in 2011 there is a pattern in both directions of flows increasing towards the end of the year. 3.5 Seasonality Index Seasonality Index is defined as the ratio of the average August weekday flow (Monday to Friday) in the neutral months, (April, May, June, September and October), excluding periods affected by bank holidays. Table 4 shows seasonality indices for all ATC sites. Site Location Seasonality Index 1 Bad Homburg Way NB

14 Site Location Seasonality Index 1 Bad Homburg Way SB Bridge Road NB Bridge Road SB Topsham Road (East of Countess Wear) EB Topsham Road (East of Countess Wear) WB Rydon Lane NB Rydon Lane SB Topsham Road (King George Playing Fields) NB Topsham Road (King George Playing Fields) SB A376 (Winslade) NB A376 (Winslade) SB A3052 (Clyst St Mary) EB A3052 (Clyst St Mary) WB A376 (Sandygate - Clyst St Mary Roundabout) EB A376 (Sandygate - Clyst St Mary Roundabout) WB Russell Way EB Russell Way WB Moor Lane (Kestrel Way) NB Moor Lane (Kestrel Way) SB A3015 Middlemoor link Road (SB only) Honiton Road (Met Office) EB Honiton Road (Met Office) WB A3015 (East of Moor Lane) EB A3015 (East of Moor Lane) WB Hill Barton Road NB Hill Barton Road SB Pinhoe Road (Whipton) EB Pinhoe Road (Whipton) WB Pinhoe Road (St Mark s Avenue) EB Pinhoe Road (St Mark s Avenue) WB Heavitree Road (Barrack Road) EB Heavitree Road (Barrack Road) WB Topsham Road (County Hall) NB Topsham Road (County Hall) SB Western Way (North of Exe Bridges) EB Western Way (North of Exe Bridges) WB Cowick Street EB N/A 20 Cowick Street WB Alphington Street NB Alphington Street SB Marsh Barton Road EB Marsh Barton Road WB Cowick Lane (EB Only) Church Road (WB Only) M5 J31 NB onslip

15 Site Location Seasonality Index 31 M5 J29 - J30 NB M5 J29 - J30 SB M5 J30 - J31 NB M5 J30 - J31 SB M5 J30 NB within J M5 J30 SB within J M5 J30 SB offslip M5 J29 NB within J M5 J31 SB offslip M5 J29 NB offslip M5 J29 SB within J M5 J31 SB onslip A38 NB A38 SB M5 J31 NB within J M5 J31 NB offslip M5 J31 SB within J A30 WB A30 EB M5 J29 NB onslip M5 J30 SB onslip M5 J30 NB onslip M5 J29 SB onslip 1.07 Table 4: Summary of ATC Seasonality Indices All local ATC sites have a seasonality index between 0.94 and This shows that there is little fluctuation in traffic in August compared to the rest of the year and reflects the urban nature of the road network TRADS sites generally have higher seasonality indices with 1.20 being calculated at the M5 J31 northbound onslip from the A30 west to the M5 demonstrating the levels of holiday traffic on the trunk road network. 3.6 Neutral Month Weekday A general trend observed at all local ATC sites is that flow increases from Monday through to Friday, then reduces at the weekends. As might be expected all local ATC sites have their lowest flows occurring on a Sunday. On average Sundays carry 20% less traffic than Saturdays, and Saturdays carry 20% less traffic than Fridays. The average daily growth rate for flow from Monday to Friday is 1.6% A slightly different pattern can be observed at many TRADS sites where Tuesday and Wednesday are the weekdays (Monday-Friday) with lowest flows, often comparable to Sunday levels All key sites demonstrate the general trends and so will not be discussed in further detail. 11

16 3.7 Hourly Daily Profile Most sites display one of three typical flow profiles: flat, M, or tidal, as shown in Diagram 2 Flat Profile M Profile Tidal Profile ` Diagram 2: Daily Flow Profiles A flat profile rises during the morning until typically 08:00 or 09:00 and stays at similar levels throughout the day until the evening around 17:00 or 18:00 where flows decrease. An M profile has distinctive peaks in the morning typically at around 08:00 or 09:00 and again in the evening at around 16:00 or 17:00 with lower flows during the day between the peaks. A tidal flow profile shows a single peak in either the morning or evening with flows during the day before/after steadily increasing/decreasing Generally most sites displayed an AM peak during the hours of 08:00 and 09:00 and a PM peak for a 2 hour period from 16:00 to 18:00. This is discussed in more detail in Section

17 Bridge Road Bridge Road southbound displays a typical M profile with a morning peak at 08:00-09:00 and an evening peak at 16:00-17:00. Flows during the day between these times are on average 15% lower than the peaks Bridge Road northbound shows a flatter profile during the day from 07:00-16:00 with no clear morning peak. There is however a clear evening peak between 17:00 and 18:00 which is about 30% higher than the average flow during the day. Countess Wear Approaches Topsham Road (East of Countess Wear) eastbound has a tidal profile increasing during the day to a peak at 17:00-18:00, however westbound is much more flat with a slight peak at 07:00-08:00 but generally consistent flows from 09:00-16:00 then declining steadily over the evening Rydon Lane is fairly flat in both directions with a slight tidal tendency towards the PM peak. There is a small peak at 08:00-09:00 in the northbound direction however this level is reached again at 12: Topsham Road (King George Playing Fields) is very similar to Rydon Lane with a generally flat profile northbound and a slightly tidal profile towards the PM peak in the southbound direction. Exeter Key Radials Pinhoe Road eastbound (outbound) has a strong tidal profile towards the PM, with flows between 17:00-18:00 being around 45% higher than 08:00-09:00. Westbound (inbound) has more of an M shaped profile with peaks at 08:00-09:00 and 17:00-18: Heavitree Road, Topsham Road and Alphington Street all have flat profiles in both directions with no distinctive peaks. This is typical of roads which are at capacity as is the case on these radial routes. 3.8 Identification of Peak Periods It is necessary to identify the peak periods which would be most suitable to represent in the Exeter Bridge Road traffic model. The annual average hourly flows at sites 1-5 was considered as these are the sites closest to Bridge Road and consist of: 1. Bad Homburg Way 2. Bridge Road 3. Topsham Road (East of Countess Wear) 4. Rydon Lane 5. Topsham Road (King George Playing Fields) The hourly flow at each site in each direction was averaged to determine an average daily flow profile shown in Diagram 3. From this the AM peak, interpeak and PM peak periods were identified. 13

18 Diagram 3: Peak Period Identification The AM peak quite clearly occurs from 08:00-09:00. The interpeak period was considered from 10:00-16:00. The hourly flows in this period were averaged and a check performed to make sure the flow for each hour was within 10% of the average. The PM peak appears to last for two hours from 16:00-18:00. 14

19 4 Manual Classified Counts (MCCs) 4.1 Available Data MCCs were chosen on the basis of their proximity to the scheme location. The site locations are shown in Figure 3 and consist of straight link counts and junction turning counts (JTCs). Table 5 shows the MCC and JTC sites used and the date collected. Site No. Name Date 1 Countess Wear Roundabout 11 June Devon Motel Roundabout 13 June Matford Roundabout 11 June Rydon Lane 19 June Topsham Road (Northbrook Golf Course) 26 May Bridge Road 10 May 2010 Table 5: MCC and JTC sites 4.2 Turning Movements Turning movements including the percentage of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) for all three time periods (AM peak (08:00-09:00), interpeak (average 10:00-16:00) and PM peak (average 16:00-18:00)) have been summarised in a tabular format shown in Appendix 3. Countess Wear Roundabout The turning movement with the highest flow in all time periods is from Bridge Road to Rydon Lane, with Rydon Lane to Bridge Road the second highest Bridge Road, Rydon Lane and Topsham Road West all carry high traffic volumes in all time periods with entry and exit flows in excess of 1,000 vehicles per hour The greatest percentage of HGV movements during the AM peak occurs from Bridge Road to Topsham Road (West). The busiest HGV route during the interpeak was from Rydon Lane to Bridge Road and in the PM peak from Topsham Road (East) to Topsham Road (West). Devon Motel roundabout The highest demand is for the movements between the A379 east and Bad Homburg Way in all three time periods. These movements show a tidal pattern with flows in excess of 1,000 vehicles from A379 to Bad Homburg Way in the AM and in the reverse movement in the PM HGV percentages are high from A379 west to Bad Homburg Way in the AM and in the opposite direction in the PM, with fairly high but balanced percentages in the interpeak. These percentages seem high but when the relatively low all vehicle flows are considered the actual volume of HGVs is not as significant. Bad Homburg Way leads directly into Marsh Barton Industrial Estate, which generates a large number of HGV movements in the opposite direction to car and commuter traffic, resulting in the observed HGV percentage patterns. 15

20 Matford Roundabout In the AM peak, the heaviest movement is from Bridge Road to A379 west with the reverse in the PM and both movements balanced during the interpeak There is a clear tidal pattern observed on the A379 east (Exminster) arm. Peak flows occur during the AM peak towards Bridge Road and a similar number of vehicles are observed in the opposite direction during the PM peak HGV percentages show that most movements are to and from the A379 west arm. The heaviest HGV movements are from the A379 west to Bridge Road. These trips are likely to come from Marsh Barton industrial estate which is consistent with findings at the Devon Motel junction. Rydon Lane Flows are fairly balanced in each direction in all time periods with HGV percentages being highest in the AM peak and decreasing throughout the day. Northbrook golf course There is a clear tidal flow typical of a city radial route with high traffic flows inbound in the AM and outbound in the PM. AM outbound, PM inbound and interpeak flows in both directions are all very similar at between 900 and 1,000 vehicles per hour. HGV percentages do not vary much across the day but are slightly higher outbound than inbound. Bridge Road Southbound traffic flows are highest during the AM peak period. Northbound traffic is greatest during the PM peak period. HGV percentages are highest in the southbound direction during the inter-peak period, however this is the lowest traffic flow. 16

21 5 RSI data 5.1 Introduction In June and July 2013 Devon County Council (DCC) undertook a study involving evidence gathering and analysis to help identify options to provide transport improvements on Bridge Road. The need for a Roadside Interview (RSI) to observe travel patterns on Bridge Road was identified The process of selecting the RSI site began by assessing locations which would provide good quality data from traffic likely to use the widened Bridge Road. Sites were not found on Bridge Road itself, as possible locations were either too small or unsafe to use. Therefore two sites were found, one situated to the west of Bridge Road and one to the east of Bridge Road. The location of the RSI sites is shown in Diagram 4. Diagram 4: Map of RSI Locations The Sannerville Way (Exminster) RSI was carried out on 27 June 2013 and the A379 on 2 July Each RSI took place over a 12 hour period between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00. The survey locations can be combined to provide information about vehicles travelling from Exeter using Bridge Road southbound and those travelling towards Exeter using Bridge Road northbound For the duration of each RSI, a Manual Classified Count (MCC) was also undertaken to enable sample rates and expansion factors to be calculated. 17

22 5.2 Data Analysis During each RSI survey, vehicles were directed into the survey area by a police officer and the vehicle type and numbers of people in the vehicle were recorded. The drivers were then asked a series of questions regarding the journey they were currently making The questions asked and response categories are detailed Table 6 in below. The data was recorded using hand held computer husky hunter devices. Question Vehicle Type Location of Last Stop Location of Next Stop Return Journey Return Time Origin / Destination Purpose Table 6: RSI Data Key Response Car / LGV / HGV / Motorcycle / Other Postcode / Town / Area / Street / Company Postcode / Town / Area / Street / Company Yes/No Time Home Work Employer s Business Education Shopping Personal Business Social / Recreation / Leisure Tourist Other 5.3 Acceptability of RSI survey dates Both RSIs were conducted on a neutral day during term time and were scheduled to avoid any local major events which could have caused atypical traffic patterns. 5.4 Data Validation Hand held data logging devices were used to record the data. The use of these devices helps to minimise the occurrence of recording errors through lists of options rather than open ended questions Despite the use of a gazetteer containing local road names and businesses, a large number of addresses were entered manually. Most of the manually entered data was matched to a location. Where data was entered erroneously, it was necessary to examine each of these input records manually The data was therefore cleaned to ensure anomalous results were not carried forward into the analysis. The following tasks were undertaken: The formats of the postcodes provided were checked to ensure they were compatible with the postcode database. For postcodes which were not found in the database, a check for possible phonetic errors was undertaken e.g. D instead of T For names which cannot be identified, checks for likely mistakes was undertaken Sense check of whether recorded journey would actually pass through RSI site. 18

23 Records were reversed where the origin and destination appeared to be the wrong way round After cleaning, the RSI data records were deleted if the origin or destination could not be identified or the information given appeared to be false. The number of deleted records was about 10% at each site which was considered acceptable and did not bring the integrity of the RSI data into question During the A379 RSI, a number of vehicles surveyed came from Sannerville Way and this traffic was not consistently surveyed throughout the day. The RSI on Sannerville Way should include a sample of these journeys and so these interviews were removed to avoid double counting. A summary of surveyed and deleted RSI records is shown in Table 7. A379 Exminster Total Total interviews Refusals Completed interviews Deletions during data cleaning Percentage of deletions 9.8% 10.6% 10.1% Deletions to avoid double counting Valid interviews Table 7: RSI Record Summary 5.5 Sample rates The number of cleaned RSI records was compared to the manual count data (excluding pedal cycles and buses) to calculate a sample rate for each site throughout the day. As records which would have come from Sannerville Way were removed from the A379 RSI, the MCC link count on the day of the RSI would not give an accurate sample rate. Instead the MCC at the Matford roundabout (11 June 2013) was used, and only considered the flow from Bridge Road to A379 west. The sample rates are shown in Table 8 and Table 9. Period RSI MCC Sample Rate 07:00-10: % 10:00-16: % 16:00-19: % Total (12 hr) % Peaks 08:00-09: % 17:00-18: % Table 8: A379 RSI Sample rates 19

24 Period RSI MCC Sample Rate 07:00-10: % 10:00-16: % 16:00-19: % Total (12 hr) % Peaks 08:00-09: % 17:00-18: % Table 9: Exminster RSI Sample rates Sample rates for the A379 are consistently between 11% and 15% and increase throughout the day. Exminster sample rates also increase throughout the day but vary more from 10% to 18%. 5.6 Expansion Factors As the RSI represents a sample of the traffic travelling past each site, expansion factors were calculated in order to scale the RSI to represent the total traffic. These were calculated for the following vehicle classes: Motorcycle, Car and LGV HGV and Other The resulting expansion factors are shown in Table 10 and Table 11. Time Period RSI MCC Expansion Factors Car/LGV HGV Car/LGV HGV Car/LGV HGV 07:00-10: :00-16: :00-19: Table 10: A379 RSI Expansion Factors Time Period RSI MCC Expansion Factors Car/LGV HGV Car/LGV HGV Car/LGV HGV 07:00-10: :00-16: :00-19: Table 11: Exminster RSI Expansion Factors Most of the factors are below 10 which is acceptable. The HGV factor for the A379 in the AM is quite high at 17. During model development this factor will need to be carefully considered. 5.7 Trip Length Distribution The trip length for each record was calculated as the crow-fly distance between the origin and destination locations. The total frequency for trip lengths at 5km intervals was then calculated from expansion factors. The distribution of trip lengths are shown in Diagram 5 and Diagram 6. 20

25 Diagram 5: A379 RSI Trip Length Distribution The trip length interval with the highest frequency over the 12 hour period on the A379 is 0-5km which reflects the urban nature of traffic from Bridge Road heading westbound. Diagram 6: Exminster RSI Trip Length Distribution The trip length distribution for Sannerville Way (Exminster) is slightly different with a peak at 5-10km which would include trips from Exminster to Exeter. There is also a noticeable drop off at 20km which would represent the distance from beyond Dawlish to Exeter. Such locations have an alternative route to Exeter via the A380 which may be the cause of this observation. 21

26 5.8 Purpose Splits The origin and destination journey purposes were considered to give each record one journey purpose. The purposes combined with the count data indicate the purpose split profile at each RSI site throughout the day. These profiles are shown in Diagram 7 and Diagram 8. Diagram 7: A379 RSI Purpose Splits Diagram 8: Exminster RSI Purpose Splits 22

27 5.8.2 As expected there are a large proportion of commuter (Home Based Work) trips in the AM between 07:00 and 10:00. At Exminster from 10:00 onwards the dominating purpose is Home Based Other which includes social, recreation, leisure and shopping trips. At the A379 however the purposes are quite balanced between Home Based Other and Employers Business. This is likely to be due to the proximity of the RSI site to Marsh Barton. A higher proportion of commuter trips are observed at the A379 than Exminster in the PM between 16:00 and 19:00 which reflects the tidal nature of the Exminster road (Sannerville Way) The Department for Transport (DfT) Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) Unit includes recommended journey purpose splits for use in economic appraisals of transport projects. These are divided into work and non-work (commuting and other) travel and have been derived using data from the National Travel Survey ( ). Table 12 shows the recommended values for cars. 7am 10am 10am 4pm 4pm 7pm 7pm 7am Work 6.8% 8.3% 5.5% 3.6% Commuting 40.6% 11.6% 32.3% 26.4% Other 52.7% 80.1% 62.2% 70.0% Table 12: WebTAG Car Purpose Splits Comparable values have been calculated from the RSI data for each site and are shown in Table 13 and Table 14. 7am 10am 10am 4pm 4pm 7pm 7pm 7am Work 11.0% 14.9% 7.1% 11.8% Commuting 57.0% 9.2% 17.6% 27.4% Other 32.0% 75.9% 75.3% 60.7% Table 13: Exminster RSI Car Purpose Splits 7am 10am 10am 4pm 4pm 7pm 7pm 7am Work 15.8% 31.2% 12.0% 22.1% Commuting 58.9% 9.1% 40.5% 30.9% Other 25.3% 59.7% 47.5% 47.0% Table 14: A379 RSI Car Purpose Splits Observed work proportions throughout the day are higher than the recommended values in each time period. Commuting during the AM is high at both RSI sites and is low at Exminster in the PM. The journey purpose splits deviate from those given in WebTAG, the key difference is the significantly higher proportion of work trips. This feature is likely to be due to the sites proximity to the Marsh Barton trading estate. It is likely to result in a higher than average proportion of business user benefits arising from the Bridge Road scheme. 23

28 6 Journey Time Data 6.1 Introduction Journey times for 6 specified routes into and out of Exeter have been calculated and recorded for 3 time periods: AM peak (8-9), interpeak (10-4) and PM peak (5-6) The 6 routes are shown in Figure 4 and comprise: 1. A30 to Exe Bridges via Alphington Road; 2. Topsham to Exe Bridges via Topsham Road; 3. Junction 29 to Exe Bridges via Magdalen Road; 4. Junction 29 to Exe Bridges via Heavitree Road; 5. M5 Junction 30 to Marsh Barton via the M5 and Alphington Road; and 6. M5 Junction 30 to Marsh Barton via Bridge Road Each route has also been split into north and south bound or east and west bound, as appropriate. 6.2 Methodology Trafficmaster data for each section of road in Exeter was obtained in hour intervals from 07:00 until 19:00. This provided details of the length of each link and the time taken to travel along it on average during that given hour By combining the data for all the sections that comprise a given route, the length and time taken for a journey along it at a given time can be calculated. The interpeak results were identified by averaging the results from hours 10:00-16: Data Analysis Table 15 shows observed journey times for each route and time period. Route Route 1 NB Route 1 SB Route 2 EB Route 2 WB Route 3 EB Route 3 WB Route 4 EB Route 4 WB Description A30 to Exe Bridges via Alphington Road A30 to Exe Bridges via Alphington Road Topsham to Exe Bridges via Topsham Road Topsham to Exe Bridges via Topsham Road M5 J29 to Exe Bridges via Magdalen Road M5 J29 to Exe Bridges via Magdalen Road M5 J29 to Exe Bridges via Heavitree Road M5 J29 to Exe Bridges via Heavitree Road Length (km) Journey Time (mm:ss) AM IP PM :53 6:39 8: :05 7:45 9: :28 13:38 17: :32 12:53 15: :55 14:58 21: :52 15:05 20: :40 15:08 21: :26 15:10 20:34 24

29 Route Route 5 EB Route 5 WB Route 6 EB Route 6 WB Description M5 Junction 30 to Marsh Barton via the M5 and Alphington Road M5 Junction 30 to Marsh Barton via the M5 and Alphington Road M5 Junction 30 to Marsh Barton via Bridge Road M5 Junction 30 to Marsh Barton via Bridge Road Table 15: Journey Time Analysis Length (km) Journey Time (mm:ss) AM IP PM :34 8:42 8: :09 9:52 10: :11 9:11 10: :55 9:05 11: In general, AM and PM peak journey times are higher than the interpeak. All routes except route 1 southbound and route 5 eastbound are slower during the AM peak compared to the interpeak by 3 to 6 minutes. With the exception of route 5, the PM peak journey times are between 1 and 6.5 minutes slower than the interpeak The longest route is route 5 (M5 Junction 30 to Marsh Barton via Alphington Road). However, except for Route 1 southbound, route 5 eastbound is the quickest route leaving the city in all time periods Routes 5 and 6 have the same start (M5 J30) and end (Marsh Barton) point, with route 5 using the M5 and A30 and route 6 using Bridge Road. Route 6 is significantly shorter in distance however the journey times are similar to route 5 for all time periods. The average speed for route 6 is therefore much lower than route In the eastbound direction route 5 (M5) is consistently quicker than route 6 (Bridge Road), saving 4.5 minutes in the AM peak. In the westbound direction, route 6 is slightly quicker in the AM and interpeak but almost two minutes slower in the PM Routes 3 and 4 both start and end at M5 J29 and Exe Bridges with route 3 using Magdalen Road and route 4 using Heavitree Road and Western Way. In the AM, route 4 is over one minute quicker in the eastbound direction. Westbound, route 4 is around 30 seconds quicker. During the interpeak both routes have very similar journey times with route 4 only taking 5-10 seconds longer. In the PM neither route is consistently quicker than the other with route 3 being 30 seconds quicker eastbound but route 4 being 15 seconds quicker westbound. 25

30 7 Conclusion 7.1 Summary of data analysis From the ATC analysis it is evident that there has not been significant change in traffic flows across the study area over the past 5 years. Traffic flows are highest on weekdays (Monday-Friday) and are generally flat across the months of the year with no significant seasonal variation. Peak periods in the study area have been identified in the AM as 08:00-09:00 and in the PM as 16:00-18:00 with interpeak flows between 10:00-16:00 relatively flat In the vicinity of Marsh Barton, there are a large proportion of HGVs generated by the trading estate. These cause high than average HGV proportions in the vicinity of the proposed scheme. In particular there is a very high proportion of employer s business trips travelling to and from Marsh Barton Analysis of journey times across the city show that a high level of congestion, particularly in the AM and PM peak. Journey times are slow throughout the day, particularly on the radial routes and on Bridge Road. 7.2 Junction It is acknowledged that improvements at M5 Junction 29 opened in January 2013, which is between the dates most count data was collected (2012) and the RSIs were conducted (June 2013). The most significant element of the scheme was enabling traffic from Exeter to join the M5 southbound which was not previously possible. Prior to the scheme, traffic making this movement had to join the M5 at Junction 30. As this should only affect routing between junctions 29 and 30 (north of Bridge Road) there should be no impact on traffic at the RSI sites therefore it is appropriate to include the 2013 RSI data in the 2012 traffic model. 26