rural roads - a different environment - australasian college
TRANSCRIPT
Rural Roads - A Different Environment
Presentation to
ACT & Region Chapter
Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS)
7 May 2013
Greg Miller
Melissa Weller
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Key messages
• The road environments that drivers
encounter on NSW rural roads are very different to ACT urban/rural roads
• They are different because
• Available funding
• Competing priorities
• Varied terrain & environments e.g. mountain escarpments
• Existing alignments. Unplanned.
• Traffic volumes & types of vehicles
• We need to reiterate the message of, “Drive to the Conditions and the Road
Environment”.
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
The Yass Valley LGA Perspective
• The township of Yass is located 45 minutes from
Canberra
• The Yass Valley LGA includes the villages of:
Sutton; Murrumbateman; Gundaroo; Binalong;
Wee Jasper; Bowning; Wallaroo and Bookham.
• Total Yass LGA population is 15,020 (2011 Census)
• The area is experiencing significant rural growth
with an average annual population growth rate
of 2.8% (2006 – 2011)
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Key economic activity in the region includes
• Agriculture (notably wool and cattle)
• Increasingly - cold climate wineries
• Tourism also contributes generously to the economy.
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
The township of Yass and Villages in this LGA -
are located in the commuter belt
• 69.7% of residents travel to work by car
• Almost 50% (of labour force) commute from the
Yass Valley LGA to the ACT for work *using 2006
Census data only
• Only 1.7% travel on public transport
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Our Road Network
• The Yass Valley Council maintains 1221 km of
road
• 89% of roads in the Yass Valley LGA are
unclassified
• 55% of these unclassified roads are unsealed or
gravel roads
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
What does all this equate to?
• Traffic peaks due to commuter activity
• Residents travelling longer distances to work,
school and services
• Tourists and visitors driving on unfamiliar rural
(unclassified roads and/or gravel roads)
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
What is different about rural or unclassified
roads? • The road environment is more varied including unsealed roads
(or gravel roads)
• Roads are narrow with poor alignment affecting the road speed environment (including short sight distances)
• Road conditions change rapidly due to prevailing weather conditions – corrugations, dust, potholes
• Traffic volume and vehicle mix is varied and includes heavy vehicles, agricultural equipment, livestock and wildlife
• People fail to SLOW DOWN and DRIVE TO CONDITIONS
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
For example…
• Take a drive along
Mulligans Flat Road o Identified by RMS as a
‘hotspot’ for black spot
funding
o Most crashes are ‘run off
road’
o 7 crashes (2006 – 2011)
five of these with injury
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
An Engineering perspective
•Road hierarchy
•Sight distance
•Horizontal and vertical alignments
•Road corridors including lanes,
cross falls and super elevation.
•Intersection geometry and
treatments
•Safety barriers, lines & signs
•Pavement surfacing and skid
resistance
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Road hierarchy
NEW SOUTH WALES •State Highways
•Hume & Federal Highways – dual carriageway. 110km/h
•Barton Highway – some dual carriageway. Kings & Princes
Highways – single carriageway. Predominantly 100km/h with
some 70, 80 & 90 km/h
•State Roads (2000 – 5000 vpd)
•MR56 – Lachlan Valley Way
•MR84 – Burley Griffin Way
•Regional Roads (1000 – 2000 vpd)
•Murrumbateman Road
•Local Roads
ACT •Arterial - Tuggeranong P’way, Gungalin Drv, Belconnen Way
•Subarterial - Limestone Ave, Northbourne Ave, Barry Dve
•Collector – Barry Drv, Haydon Drv, Antill St.
•Local Roads – suburban streets
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Road geometry – Sight distance
•A principle aim in road design is to
ensure that a driver has sufficient sight
distance to be able to perceive any
road hazards in sufficient time to take
action to avoid mishap.
•Stopping sight distance
•Overtaking sight distance
•Sight distance at night
•Sight distance at horizontal
curves
•Sight distance at combined
horizontal and vertical curves
•Sight distance at intersections
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Road geometry – Horizontal & vertical alignments
•Horizontal alignment
The speed adopted on an open road is affected more by the
driver’s perception of the horizontal alignment of the road than by
any other single design feature. Generally, the adopted
alignment should be as direct as possible, with curve radii as large
as practicable.
•Vertical Alignment
The elevation of the control line of a roadway is referred to as its
vertical alignment or its grade. As with the horizontal alignment,
the grading of a road affects travelling speeds, road safety and
the appearance of the road.
•Coordination of Horizontal and vertical alignments
A more pleasing three-dimensional road design is achieved if the
horizontal and vertical curves are kept in phase. The design speed
of the road in both the horizontal and vertical planes should be of
the same order.
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Road cross sections
•Lanes
These can include two lane, two way rural roads, multilane rural
roads, divided carriageways and urban roads made up of travel
lanes, auxiliary lanes, parking lanes, turning lanes, overtaking lanes
and cycleways. Also to consider are shoulders, medians and
vehicle stopping areas e.g. truck parking, rest facilities, driver
reviver, breakdown bays and bus bays.
•Cross fall
Cross fall on road pavements are designed for 3%. This will provide
for adequate drainage of the road pavement. Where this can not
be achieved or maintained, safety will be compromised.
•Superelevation
Horizontal curves are superelevated to balance the effects of
centrifugal force. The amount of superelevation will depend on
vehicle speed, curve radius and pavement surface
characteristics. The rate to be adopted is chosen for the aspects
of safety, comfort and appearance.
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Intersections •Signalised
•Roundabouts
•Right turn treatments – urban
•Minimum treatment
•Right turn bays including painted and raised medians
•Seagull treatments
•‘S’ lanes
•Right turn treatments – rural
•‘BAR’ – basic right turn – minimum treatment
•‘AUR’ – auxiliary right turn
•‘CHR’ – channelised right turn
•Left turn treatments
•‘BAL’ – basic left turn – minimum treatment
•‘CHL’ – channelised left turn
•Median cross overs
•Urban property access
•Rural property access
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Safety barriers, lines and signs
•Safety Barriers
•Briffen wire rope
•Guardrail or W-beam
•Thrie Beam
•Vertical concrete barriers
•Line marking
•Integral component of
controlling traffic
•Amount varies depending on
road hierarchy
•Ongoing maintenance vitally
important (every 1 to 2 years)
•Signage
• regulatory i.e. speed zones
•Advisory i.e. yellow & black signs
•Guide posts
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Pavement surfacing and skid resistance
•Pavement surface types
•Bitumen seal
•Asphaltic concrete
•Concrete
•Unbound gravel
•Skid Resistance
•RMS use SCRIM testing to ascertain
pavement surface texture & degree of
polishing
•Consider surfacing such as ‘Griphalt”
which is a proprietary product of Thin
High Textured Asphalt Surface.
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Crash data
ACT Drivers crashing in Eurobodalla, Palerang,
Queanbeyan, Cooma, Goulburn & Yass local
government areas
•2007 – 2010 total of 513 crashes
•19 fatalities – 316 injured
•99% involved cars
•30% speed – 10% fatigue – 3% alcohol as
contributing factors
•70% fine weather conditions
•75% dry road surface conditions
•67% in daylight
•32% in 100km/h speed zoning
•40% on classified roads (excl State hwy)
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Crash data
Crash Types (2007-2010) - Crashes in Eurobodalla,
Palerang, Queanbeyan, Cooma, Goulburn and Yass
local government areas
•19% Off road on curve, hit object
•18% Rear-end
•10% Intersection, adjacent approaches
•8% Head-on, not overtaking
•5% Hit animal
•4% Off road, on curve
•3% Off road, on straight
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Crash Data Snapshot: (RMS Data to 2010)
•50% of crashes occur on State highways, 30% on
unclassified roads, and 20% on classified roads.
•Speed is still the biggest contributing factor to road
crashes, followed by fatigue.
•Most crashes occur in daylight and fine weather.
•The number of crashes on roads in close proximity
to the ACT is increasing.
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Where crashes occur
Where Accidents Occur in Yass Valley Council area
2005 - 2010
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Year
Pe
rce
nta
ge
of
Ac
cid
en
ts
State Highway
Classified Roads
Unclassified Roads
Crashes in the Eurobodalla per km per Road
1996-2011
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Kings Hwy
Princes Hwy
Other
Eurobodalla
Roads
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Contributing factors
Casualties - Contributing Factors for Yass Valley Council area
2005-2010 (categories not exclusive)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Year
Number of casualties
Seatbelt Fitted But Not Worn
Fatigue
Alcohol
Speed
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Crash Data Accidents by Posted Speed Limit that occured in Yass Valley Council Area
2005 - 2010
1%
8%6%
2% 3%
79%
0%
11%
1%4% 4%
81%
0%
7%
1%
9%
4%
79%
2%
7%4%
1%3%
82%
0%
10%
3%1%
4%
82%
0%
10%
2%5%
7%
76%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
Not more than
40km/h
50km/h 60km/h 70km/h 80km/h 90 km/h and over
Posted Speed Limit
Perc
en
tag
e o
f A
ccid
en
ts 2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Traffic types and volumes
•Peak holiday and weekend traffic
•Vehicles towing caravans, boats and horse floats •B-doubles
•Bus and coaches
•Motor homes
•Agricultural and farming equipment
•Light and heavy trucks •Motorcycles – group rides on weekends
•Provisional and inexperienced drivers
•Weather – fog & rain. Dry weather = dust on unsealed roads
•Yass Valley Council has the Hume, Barton and Federal highways crossing their LGA
•Eurobodalla has the Kings Highway and Princes Highway
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
What is Local Government doing?
• Education and Enforcement – Safer People and Safer Speeds
• Kings Highway Road Safety Partnership – involving NSW and ACT
Police, NSW Councils, NSW and ACT road authorities, and NRMA-ACT
Road Safety Trust
• Press and radio media campaign in ACT and surrounding districts
• Enforcement strategies by Australian Federal Police and NSW Police
• Continued emphasis on Barton Highway, Kings Highway safety
• Lobby for elevation of the Barton & Kings Highways in State funding
priorities
• Investigation of further campaigns to target both surrounding local
government residents and ACT drivers
• Identify funding opportunities to address black spots on Council’s
road network (e.g. Mulligan’s Flat).
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Past Campaigns
• Barton Blitz - Barton Highway Safety Campaign
– The project combined high visibility policing with an awareness campaign.
– Yass Valley Council and the NSW Police Local Highway Patrol teamed up to blitz speeding motorists on the Barton Highway.
– Speed has been identified as the biggest single contributing factor in crashes on the highway.
– Over a 6 year period there have been 159 crashes on the Barton Highway with 10 people killed and 107 injured.
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
Past Campaigns
Take Me Home Country Road
Gravel Roads Campaign 2005/06
• Partnership between Yass Valley and Upper Lachlan Councils, NRMA ACT Road Safety Trust, Motor Accidents Authority and the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW ($143,100 in funding in total)
• Designed media strategy to promote message of ‘Slow Down’ and ‘Drive to Conditions’ and increase awareness of hazards and the dangers of driving on rural and unsealed roads – particular emphasis on reaching ACT drivers.
• 36.96% reduction in gravel road crashes in the project area, 22% decrease in crashes involving ACT motorists, 58% reach of target audience, 42% recall of message
Rural Roads – A Different Environment
The key messages to take home
• The road environments that drivers encounter on NSW rural roads are very
different to ACT urban/rural roads
• They are different because
• Available funding
• Competing priorities
• Varied terrain & environments e.g.
mountain escarpments
• Traffic volumes & types of vehicles
• We need to reiterate the message of, “Drive to the Conditions and the Road Environment”.
Acknowledgements
• Simon Cassidy – Director Operations
Yass Valley Council
• Karen Sydenham – Road Safety Officer Eurobodalla Shire Council
• Melissa Weller – Operations Support & Road Safety Officer, Yass Valley Council
• Greg Miller – Divisional Manager Technical Services – Eurobodalla Shire Council