Transportation Planning

George Willlooughby,
Senior Executive Engineer
Roads, Transportation & Public Safety
Department
19th May 2015
 Transportation

Design Guidance
DMURS
NTA Funding
Road Schemes
Typical Information
Additional Information Requests

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 Design Guidance
NRA DMRB
Road link & junction design
Sightlines
TD 41-42 revised in 2011 Now includes design standards for local and
regional roads
Traffic Management Guidelines
Junction design, VRU facilities, traffic calming
NTA National Cycle Manual
Cycle facilities
DMURS
Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets
Published 2013
Replaces DMRB in urban areas

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DMURS
Design Manual for Urban Roads & Streets
Jointly Published by DTTAS & DoECLG in March 2013
For use in urban areas cities, towns & villages
Applies to ALL roads & streets in urban areas except:
Motorways
In exceptional circumstances, certain roads & streets with the written consent of a
sanctioning body (NRA, NTA, DTTAS)
Use of the Manual is mandatory, and it supercedes the DMRB in urban areas
Purpose
Fill a policy gap
Emphasis in road design standards on catering for vehicular traffic
DMRB has been used as a default standard
Provide practical design measures to implement Government Policy e.g.
Smarter Travel (2009)
Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009)
Draft Planning Guidelines: Local Area Plans (2012)
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DMURS
Need for DMURS
Car dependence is now built-in to urban areas as the norm
Application of DMRB - prioritisation of vehicular traffic over other modes
Proliferation of Distributor type roads: Creates a hostile environment for VRUs:
Almost free-flow conditions Promotes faster, inappropriate speeds
Wide, open roads Severs communities
No active frontage Reduces access to public transport
Accesses minimised Lack of surveillance
No parking Inhospitable crossing facilities
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DMURS
What DMURS Promotes:
A balanced approach to street design
Recognise that roads/streets have many functions, and balance function and context
Better Connected Communities

Conventional Network DMURS Network

Dead ends Connected Streets
Higher Speed & Volume External Roads Traffic Calmed Streets
Larger Junctions Smaller Junctions
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DMURS
Self-Regulating & Liveable Streets:
Speed based on a visual/psychological
interpretation of the street
Regulation plays a secondary role
Place Making & Attractive Streets
Example of a street in Youghal, Before
& after
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DMURS
Application of DMURS
Promotes a multidisciplinary approach to street design
Offers guidance for all stages of development, from plan preparation to detailed
design
Contains a range of measures & guidance for Architects, Engineers, Planners,
Landscape Architects etc.
Manual includes a range of hard & soft measures to create self-regulating
streets, including:
Building heights & street widths
Hard & soft landscaping
Active street edges
Signage & road markings
Street furniture
Materials & finishes
Reduced horizontal & vertical alignment standards
Reduced stopping sight distances & visibility envelopes
Reduced corner radii & junction geometry
 NTA Funded Schemes
NTA Sustainable Transport Measures Grants (STMG)
Annual funding to improve VRU facilities and to encourage use of
sustainable travel modes.
Wide range of schemes completed including:
Swans Junction (Naas)
Johnstown roundabout upgrade
Captains Hill junction upgrade (Leixlip)
Fortbarrington Road junction (Athy)
Various footpath improvement schemes (e.g. Rathangan, Ardclough,
Prosperous, Athy, Caragh, Athgarvan, Castledermot)
Approx. 1.4 million secured for 2015, examples of schemes include:
Bus Hub Main Street Naas (Part 8 approved, to go to construction)
Dublin Road Naas (Part 8)
Maynooth North South Corridor(Part 8)
GDA Cycle Network 3 schemes, newbridge rd to sallins, kill to maudlins,
kilcullen rd to naas (design and Part 8)

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 Road Schemes
R407 Enfield Edenderry: Construction completed including
Kilshanroe and Johnstownbridge works.
Sallins Road roundabout improvement works.
Construction due to start in Q3 2015.
Athy Southern Distributor Road:
Route selection & preliminary design to be completed
Preparation of CPO documents & detailed design
Dunmurray Link Road:
Design substantially completed.
Construction due to start in Q3 2015.
Newbridge Link Road:
Design to be completed
Engagement with adjacent developers ongoing
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 Submission Information
Pre-Planning:
Location map
Preliminary Site Layout, if available
Access Proposals
Preliminary estimate of likely trip generation & car parking demand

Application:
Detailed site layout & access proposals
Full details of sight lines (DMRB or DMURS as appropriate)
Estimate of number & type of traffic movement
Traffic & Transportation Assessment (Consult with Transportation Dept. at
Pre-Planning to determine scope)
Road Safety Audit Stage 1, where required
Travel Plan where applicable
Mobility Plan where applicable.
Robust estimate of car parking demand & associated parking layout

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 Common AI Requests
Sight lines:
No sight lines shown
Full extents not indicated
Boundaries unclear (Topographical survey often required OS mapping is rarely sufficient)
Sight lines not in accordance with standards (insufficient y distance, drawn incorrectly etc.)
Traffic & Transportation Assessment:
Insufficient count data provided 12 hour counts required as a minimum (See NTA Specification for
Traffic Counts for guidance)
Full input data not included (Counts, TRICS etc.)
Full output data not included (All software outputs to be included)
Assumptions not clearly stated, or lacking in justification
Travel Plans, Mobility Plans, Road Safety Audits or other supporting documentation required
Consult at Pre-Planning Stage to determine if needed
Car Parking:
No assessment of likely car parking demand
No comparison with Development Plan standards
Change of use applications Comparison with existing & proposed uses

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