Leicester City Council
Local Authority / Fire Service
Action Planned
Leicester City Council will investigate potential improvements to the junction, including advanced cycle stop lines, road markings, parking restrictions, and signal timing changes to reduce conflict between cyclists and vehicles, with a view to including improvements in future works programmes. (AI summary)
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Dear Dr Swann; Re: Anais Chantal Thouvenot: Thank you for your letter dated March 2015 enclosing the Regulation 28 Report resulting from the Inquest of Miss Anais Chantal Thouvenot: Firstly may take the opportunity to express our deepest sympathy to the bereaved family and friends of Miss Thouvenot following her tragic fatal accident. The Council takes its duty to maintain the public highway in a safe serviceable condition very seriously and have taken time to carefully review the concerns you have outlined in your report concerning the safety of the highway junction layout at Regent RoadlKing StreetlUpper King Street. have examined recorded personal injury accidents information relating to accidents that have occurred the past 25 years at the junction. In that time there have been five such accidents, including the tragic event of gth November 2014. The five accidents resulted in six casualties one fatal and five slight: The five slight casualties consisted of; two vehicle drivers, one vehicle passenger, one motorcyclist and one pedestrian. Detailed examination of the circumstances of each accident has demonstrated no common traits to which a pattern could be attributed. At signal controlled junctions in Leicester, there has been an average of 1.1 accidents per annum (using the last 10' years for which data is available): The junction of Regent Road/kKing StreetlUpper King Street has an average of 0.2 accidents per annum Therefore it is considered that this junction is significantly safer than similar junctions in the city. Your report specifically includes the following detailed matters of concern which address below: Visibility at the junction; Absent or inadequate filter lanes; The contour of the road at this junction. LEIC E STER ciTY C ouncil City Hall; 115 Charles Street Leicester LEI IFZ M leicester-gov uk Cicy City 24th and over
The junction design and signalling arrangements have taken account of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (Volume 6, Section 2, Part 3 TD 50/04 The Geometric Layout of Signal Controlled Junction Signalised Roundabouts): As such, constraints such as existing road geometry, buildings and availability of land have been considered in accordance with TD50/04 junction inter-visibility has been maximised: The existing road geometry at the junction renders the provision of both cycle and all-vehicle lanes difficult: In addition, loss of the right turn lane into King Street may not be of any benefit to cyclists , but could cause problems with traffic flow through the junction, adding to congestion. It may also result in inappropriate driver behaviour which could have detrimental effect on the safety of cyclists through the junction: The gradient through the junction is estimated to be around in 45. This equates t0 a gradient of
2.2% . The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (Volume 6, Section 1, Part TD 9/93 Amendment No Highway Link Design)states that the desirable maximum gradient for all- purpose single carriageway roads is 6%. The gradient through the junction of Regent Road/King StreetlUpper King Street falls well within the design requirements of TD 9/93. The record of road safety at the junction of Regent RoadlKing StreetlUpper King Street is considerably better than most of the 204 traffic signal controlled junctions in Leicester. The design of the junction has been reviewed with regards to its inherent safety it performs well against the requirements of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. In view of the existing record of safety at the junction, any changes would have to be carefully considered to ensure they would not have an adverse effect on road safety at the site. However, during the review of the junction and in the interest of improving general amenity, reducing road danger for cyclists and other road users in line with current best practice guidance , several potential actions have been identified for investigation: Provision of Advanced Cycle Stop lines in both directions on Regent Road and removal of the right-tum lane markings into Street (ti) Adding road markings to define the cycle crossing route between Upper King Street King Street Extra road markings t0 discourage car drivers from queueing across the junction. Parking and loading restrictions along the whole of Regent Road and the introduction of cycle lanes or maintenance of on-street parking and removal of this part of Regent Road as a strategic through road. The Leicester Cycling Campaign Group has made comments since the accident have been about their concerns relating t0 vehicles turning right out of King Street without giving way or having any regard to cyclists coming out of Upper King Street: Both approaches currently run in the same stage_ Each approach could run in different signal stages, thus removing this potential conflict; with the cycle approach from Upper King Street only appearing if a present: This work to carry out investigation of potential improvements will be carried out over the next few months with a view t0 including any identified improvements in future highways and transport improvement works programmes_ LEICE STER citY CoUNCTL City Hall; 115 Charles Street; Leicester LEI IFZ Mleicestargov uk and and and very and King and cycle
briefing paper on the tragic accident involving Miss Thouvenot_which included the Regulation 28 Report, was considered by the Mayor at a meeting on 22nd April 2015. At the meeting;, the City Mayor agreed this response to the Regulation 28 Report; trust that this letter provides an acceptable response to the points raised in the Regulation 28 report.
The junction design and signalling arrangements have taken account of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (Volume 6, Section 2, Part 3 TD 50/04 The Geometric Layout of Signal Controlled Junction Signalised Roundabouts): As such, constraints such as existing road geometry, buildings and availability of land have been considered in accordance with TD50/04 junction inter-visibility has been maximised: The existing road geometry at the junction renders the provision of both cycle and all-vehicle lanes difficult: In addition, loss of the right turn lane into King Street may not be of any benefit to cyclists , but could cause problems with traffic flow through the junction, adding to congestion. It may also result in inappropriate driver behaviour which could have detrimental effect on the safety of cyclists through the junction: The gradient through the junction is estimated to be around in 45. This equates t0 a gradient of
2.2% . The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (Volume 6, Section 1, Part TD 9/93 Amendment No Highway Link Design)states that the desirable maximum gradient for all- purpose single carriageway roads is 6%. The gradient through the junction of Regent Road/King StreetlUpper King Street falls well within the design requirements of TD 9/93. The record of road safety at the junction of Regent RoadlKing StreetlUpper King Street is considerably better than most of the 204 traffic signal controlled junctions in Leicester. The design of the junction has been reviewed with regards to its inherent safety it performs well against the requirements of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. In view of the existing record of safety at the junction, any changes would have to be carefully considered to ensure they would not have an adverse effect on road safety at the site. However, during the review of the junction and in the interest of improving general amenity, reducing road danger for cyclists and other road users in line with current best practice guidance , several potential actions have been identified for investigation: Provision of Advanced Cycle Stop lines in both directions on Regent Road and removal of the right-tum lane markings into Street (ti) Adding road markings to define the cycle crossing route between Upper King Street King Street Extra road markings t0 discourage car drivers from queueing across the junction. Parking and loading restrictions along the whole of Regent Road and the introduction of cycle lanes or maintenance of on-street parking and removal of this part of Regent Road as a strategic through road. The Leicester Cycling Campaign Group has made comments since the accident have been about their concerns relating t0 vehicles turning right out of King Street without giving way or having any regard to cyclists coming out of Upper King Street: Both approaches currently run in the same stage_ Each approach could run in different signal stages, thus removing this potential conflict; with the cycle approach from Upper King Street only appearing if a present: This work to carry out investigation of potential improvements will be carried out over the next few months with a view t0 including any identified improvements in future highways and transport improvement works programmes_ LEICE STER citY CoUNCTL City Hall; 115 Charles Street; Leicester LEI IFZ Mleicestargov uk and and and very and King and cycle
briefing paper on the tragic accident involving Miss Thouvenot_which included the Regulation 28 Report, was considered by the Mayor at a meeting on 22nd April 2015. At the meeting;, the City Mayor agreed this response to the Regulation 28 Report; trust that this letter provides an acceptable response to the points raised in the Regulation 28 report.