One Way Streets ...

[JamesAC]

At our local neighbourhood watch meeting tonight, several (car orientated) people were pressing for one-way streets to be imposed on our neighbourhood, because parked cars on each side of the road often make it impossible for two-way traffic to proceed normally.

As a keen cyclist, I'm quite against the idea (a minority of 1, as it happens). One-way streets will mean that traffic speeds will significantly increase; ok for motorists, but an increased hazard for every other sort of road user.

There are a couple of schools nearby, and a dozen or so children cycle to school. This will stop, I imagine, when a) they are intimidated by faster cars, and b) they have to cycle at least three sides round a square to get back to where they came from.


Is there any research, or Policy Statement or whatever, that spells out why having one-way streets is a Bad Thing?

 

[summerdays]

Going back to my time on when I was involved in the school travel plan, we in our naivety suggested to the council that it would be easier to make the road around the school one way due to the narrow road and parked cars along one side being one of the issued raised by the parents in a survey we conducted. The Safe Route to School officer pointed out that cars would be able to increase their speed and therefore that wouldn't be a change they would be willing to make. So it was very quickly dropped from the plans.

What makes them think that creating one way streets means people will park only on one side of the street? That has nothing to do with traffic flow but with parking restrictions.

I don't think he is suggesting that ... more that the motorists will not have to stop and give way to cars coming the other way - hence leading to a speeding up of the traffic and making the experience more unpleasant for cyclists and pedestrians - as well as not so safe.

If they really want to get around the problem of cars parked on both sides ... how about suggesting that they put in double yellow lines on one side as User says - that might make them change their mind .

 

[BSRU]

There was an article in a national newspaper recently going on about London's one way streets stating they were a bad 1970's decision purely done for one set of road users, cars.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I live on a one-way street and we rarely get speeders down it... I suppose it all depends on which way it leads (i.e our is parallel to the "main" road but points away from the direction to the nearest motorway). Double yellow lines along one side don't stop people parking there though, although generally it is the opposite side that they park on.. and if enough park on that side it makes it difficult to park on the other side as the road's not really wide enough.

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

What makes them think that creating one way streets means people will park only on one side of the street? That has nothing to do with traffic flow but with parking restrictions.

I think you are misunderstanding the original comment. Because there are now parked cars on both sides of the street, the road is too narrow for two-way traffic to proceed normally, i.e. for cars to pass each other.

Making the street one-way is a 'solution' to that traffic-flow problem, while keeping all the parking that currently exists on the street.

 

[Richard Mann]

Manual for Streets (DfT) recommends against (para 4.2.8).

 

[Riverman]

One way streets? Seemed to be a lot in Spain when I was there.

 

[JamesAC]

I think you are misunderstanding the original comment. Because there are now parked cars on both sides of the street, the road is too narrow for two-way traffic to proceed normally, i.e. for cars to pass each other.

Making the street one-way is a 'solution' to that traffic-flow problem, while keeping all the parking that currently exists on the street.

That's exactly the case.

 

[dellzeqq]

Gate at one end of the road to stop through traffic? Could be difficult for school buses, though. It will increase property values, which tends to make it popular.

 

[snorri]

Is there any research, or Policy Statement or whatever, that spells out why having one-way streets is a Bad Thing?

From the cyclists pov, is it possible a One Way system with contra-flow for cyclists might be better than the existing setup?





edit Maybe not if they are going to continue to allow parking on both sides.

 

[porteous]

From the cyclists pov, is it possible a One Way system with contra-flow for cyclists might be better than the existing setup?





This certainly works in Belgium's towns (although it can be disconcerting if you don't know about it when visiting from the UK and driving a car!)

 

[summerdays]

From the cyclists pov, is it possible a One Way system with contra-flow for cyclists might be better than the existing setup?

edit Maybe not if they are going to continue to allow parking on both sides.

It depends on the amount of space - they are good where the road space is wide enough for the one way traffic and bikes but they do tend to bring you close to the door zone if it was on a road that was double parked. Plus I think your visibility to the oncoming motorist is better when not against the clutter of parked cars. That's based on my experience using them around here.

 

[pshore]

James,

b) they have to cycle at least three sides round a square to get back to where they came from.

It's not just the cyclists having increased distance. By forcing people to drive further, you are effectively increasing the amount of traffic on the local roads. That decreases safety for children on approach roads.

If you can find an existing street that has the proposed design everybody might be able to spot issues more easily than from plans or just an idea. Eg traffic speed, parking, can you cross the road etc.

 

[dellzeqq]

It's not just the cyclists having increased distance. By forcing people to drive further, you are effectively increasing the amount of traffic on the local roads. That decreases safety for children on approach roads.

If you can find an existing street that has the proposed design everybody might be able to spot issues more easily than from plans or just an idea. Eg traffic speed, parking, can you cross the road etc.

while that makes perfect sense, the evidence is that if you cut out a route, traffic in the locality diminishes. Nobody really knows why, so they call it 'traffic evaporation'

But, in a general way, I'm sure you're right. There's probably many mnore ways of skinning this particular cat

 

[pshore]

while that makes perfect sense, the evidence is that if you cut out a route, traffic in the locality diminishes. Nobody really knows why, so they call it 'traffic evaporation'

But, in a general way, I'm sure you're right. There's probably many mnore ways of skinning this particular cat

Interesting. I had not heard that phrase before so I googled it and there is an inspiring story about it here:
http://www.onestreet.org/resources-for-increasing-bicycling/115-traffic-evaporation

I suppose it is just the reverse of the argument 'if you build more roads, they get filled with more cars'.