Dear Sir or Madam,

Please would you inform me of the precise nature of any agreement
between Hackney Borough Council and Transport for London regarding
the installation of trafic calming measures on bus routes.

I would like to know what limits are placed on such measures, and
specifically how this compares to non-bus routes.

Would you also let me know whether any arrangement to limit speed
bumps on bus routes is a mandated statutory arrangement or a
response to lobying by TfL.

Yours faithfully,

John King

Dear Sir / Madam,

The new FOI Officer for LB Hackney is Aysha Mukhtar, who can be
contacted at [email address] or on 020-8356 4032

Regards

Rayna Ninova-Balogun
Business Support Officer
Customer & Corporate Services Directorate
Room 37, HTH,
Mare Street,
London
E8 1EA
Tel: 020-8356 4482
Fax: 020-8356 4004
Email: [email address]
www.hackney.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Dear Mr King

Thank you for your FOI request. We will send you a response within 20
working days as stipulated by the Act.

Kind regards.

Aysha Mukhtar
Information Governance Officer

6-15 Florfield Road
London E8 1DT
Tel: 0208 356 4032
Fax: 0208 356 2598
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Dear Mr King,

Thank you for your enquiry about road humps on bus routes.

The regulations for the size and layout of traffic calming features are
discussed at length in various technical notes and guidance documents
published by for one, the Department of Transport. Within London the
Local Authorities and Transport for London work together with bus
operators to improve services and the introduction of well designed
traffic calming measures on bus routes can improve road safety whilst
having little or no adverse effect on bus passengers and services.

Transport for London updated a guidance note relating to traffic calming
on bus routes in September 2005 (note BP2/05 and available via the TfL
website at

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/b...
gmeasuresleaflet-rev-final.pdf
<http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/b...
ngmeasuresleaflet-rev-final.pdf> ) and this update took into account the
latest research regarding buses and traffic calming (including the use
of traffic calming on routes used by articulated buses).

This is the only specific 'agreement' that I could refer you to in terms
of traffic calming on bus routes.

The guidance in that advice note calls for the use of a shallow gradient
and lower height if a vertical deflection device such as a speed cushion
or table is used.

The general requirements for road humps (and any vertical deflection)
are given in the road hump regulations (see Traffic Advisory Leaflet
7/96 available on line via
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tal/...
mpsregulations1996
<http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tal/...
umpsregulations1996> ). The maximum height recommended for any vertical
speed feature would be 100mm with a maximum on/off gradient of 1 in 10.

On bus routes the Bus Priority Team would generally expect that to be in
line with the guidance contained in the advice note BP2/05 which
proposes a lower height of 75mm maximum and on/off gradients of 1 in 8
maximum. These are the only - in your terms - 'limits' placed on bus
routes.

Finally with regards to the suggestion of a limit on the numbers of
vertical traffic calming features placed on bus routes the advice from
London Buses is as follows:

* Speed tables are acceptable where no other measures are
suitable. Cumulative effect of all measures must be taken into account
* Up to five speed tables acceptable on a route: Up to 75mm high,
1 in 20 maximum on/off gradient, 6000mm long flat top but 12500mm for
articulated bus
* Speed cushions are acceptable where vertical measures are
necessary. Cumulative effect on a bus route has to be taken into
account. Cars must not be allowed to park within 25 metres of a cushion
and care must be taken in the detailed design of layouts
* Up to ten sets of cushions per direction acceptable with a
minimum of 80m spacing preferred in a series.
* Cumulative effect of all measures should be considered on bus
routes.
* Height max: 75mm. Width max: 1700mm including side slopes of 1
in 4 max. On/off gradient of 1 in 8 max
* There is no statutory arrangement to limit traffic speed, it is
guidance only. BPT and London Buses and their Operators are some of a
number of statutory consultees who provide feedback on such schemes and
excessive numbers of features on an alignment may also receive negative
feedback from the emergency services for example.
* Our concern and guidance is based on passenger comfort, driver
comfort and the maintenance of buses. Excessive features may adversely
affect passengers, may cause long term injury issues with drivers who
have to endure them for a long time during the course of their shift and
may damage buses if the features themselves are not properly maintained
or incorrectly built. We can't enforce that a highway authority reduce
the number of features, however we may object to traffic orders or take
other measures if any issues are arising.

I would stress that as noted above there is no statutory agreement that
limit the number of speed cushions on a bus route and the restrictions
suggested on numbers, heights and distances are for guidance purposes
only.

I trust that this has fully answered your original enquiry however
should you wish to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours Sincerely

Steve Walker

Traffic and Transportation Manager

Neighbourhoods and Regeneration

Tel: 0208 356 8 157

steve.walker @hackney.gov.uk <mailto:[email address]>

www.hackney.gov.uk

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please would you inform me of the precise nature of any
agreement

between Hackney Borough Council and Transport for London
regarding

the installation of trafic calming measures on bus routes.

I would like to know what limits are placed on such
measures, and

specifically how this compares to non-bus routes.

Would you also let me know whether any arrangement to limit
speed

bumps on bus routes is a mandated statutory arrangement or
a

response to lobying by TfL.

Yours faithfully,

John King

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