Elements to consider when planning National Roads

• Limited frontage access

• Development set well back from the highway;

• All access to premises provided via provincial roads;

• Number of intersections to be minimized;

• Suitable at-grade channelized intersections for minor flows and other elements

• No roadside vendors

Elements to consider when planning Expressways

• No frontage access:

• Development set well back from the highway;

• Grade separated intersections for extremely high flows and other intersecting
expressways;

• Number of intersections to be minimized and

• Where necessary or for emergency purposes, parking/stopping to be provided

clear of the main carriageway.

Main elements to consider when planning Provincial Roads

include:
• Limited frontage access. In exceptional circumstances, large individual
developments may have direct access when a high level intersection is provided

• Development set back from the highway;

• Most development to be given access via intersections with local distributor roads;

• All intersections will normally be at-grade;

• Turning traffic should be separated out from the through traffic;

• Separated pedestrians/bikeways remote from the carriageway;

• Pedestrian crossing points should be clearly defined and controlled;

• Parking on the road should not be permitted;

• Bus stops and other loading areas (only permitted in exceptional circumstances)
should be in separate well designed lay bys;

• Regular stopping places for paratransit vehicles (i.e., private, non-corporately run
public transport operating vehicles smaller than buses or AUV's) should be
identified and safe stopping places established; and,

• No roadside vendors.
Main points to consider in planning City/Municipal roads are as
follows:
• The road is only for local traffic; through traffic is adequately accommodated on an
alternative more direct main road;

• Where possible, an industrial traffic route should not pass through a residential
area;

• Vehicle speeds should be kept low so long straight roads should be avoided;

• Parking is allowed, but alternative off-road provision should be made if possible;

• Non-motorized traffic is of equal importance to motor traffic and separate route

should be provided if possible;

• Where non - motorized traffic needs to use a local distributor it should be

separated from motorized traffic;

• The road width can be varied to provide for parking or to give emphasis to
crossing points depending upon traffic flows;

• Bus stops and other loading areas (only permitted in exceptional circumstances)
should be in separate well designed lay bys;

• Through-movements should be made awkward and inconvenient to discourage

them; and,

• No roadside vendors.

Important elements to consider for barangay roads:

• Vehicle flows to be kept to a minimum;

• All through traffic eliminated;

• Vehicle speeds to be kept low by careful and deliberate inclusion of obstructions to

create meandering alignments;

• Access roads kept short where possible;

• Cul-de-sac and loop roads to be used wherever possible to deter through traffic;

• Intersections to be three rather than four leg and kept compact to aid pedestrian
movement;

• Pedestrian and vehicles can 'share' space;

• Carriageway width can be reduced to emphasize pedestrian priority;

• Entrance/exit points of access streets should be clearly identified by threshold

treatments, e.g. changes in geometric layout, landscaping, building development or
even gateways and signing;

• Parking and stopping within the streets is permitted although adequate provision
should be provided within individual properties or separate garage areas;
• Use of fully mountable curbs for vehicles may enable reduced road width and
reduced standard alignments to be used by emergency and service vehicles, or for
occasional parking; and, • Firepaths (emergency accesses for the engines) can be
kept clear by using diagonal closures to eliminate parking spaces or by ensuring
other nearby owners gain access by the same route so that they keep them clear.

In planning new pedestrian networks and areas the key points to

consider are:
• Residential, industrial and commercial areas should be linked by footpaths
providing the most direct and pleasant route between destinations.

• Any deviation from a direct route should be more attractive than a less safe option;

• All crossings with main routes should be grade separated wherever possible and if
not possible additional at-grade facilities (e.g. refuges or pedestrian crossings)
should be provided to minimize crossing problems;

• Vertical rerouting (via over bridge or underpass) is much less attractive to

pedestrians than at grade facilities;

• The vertical and horizontal alignments of pedestrian routes can include much
steeper gradients and sharper bends than for a roadway for motor traffic;

• Open aspects need to be maintained, particularly at intersections and

underpasses;

• In shopping and commercial areas priority needs to be given to pedestrians;

• Where motor vehicles are displaced, adequate capacity (for loading, parking and
movement) needs to be available elsewhere on the surrounding roads but such
facilities should always be within easy walking distance;

• If no alternative provision can be made for motor traffic, consideration may be

given to pedestrianization by time of day i.e .. vehicle access allowed only when
pedestrian flows are light (e.g. very early in the morning or late at night);

• Connections to bus stops, parking areas and stations are vital and should be
convenient; and,

• All pedestrianized areas must have provision for access of emergency vehicles
and refuse collecting vehicles.

Where a bypass can be justified, the most important

considerations are:
• The opportunity should be taken to reinforce the road hierarchy by down-grading
the old road to discourage through traffic;

• Access to the bypass should be restricted to only a few points where safe
intersections and spur roads can be provided to link to the existing network. Direct
access from frontage land should not be permitted; and,

• Provisions should be left for future expansion or development of the community

but such developments should be served by service roads and spur roads.
When choosing a design speed, the following factors need to be
considered:
• Function of the road An arterial road such as a national highway would generally
have a higher design speed than a local road.

• Anticipated operating speed. For example, a national highway in an area with

steep terrain would generally have a lower design speed (i.e. smaller radius curves)
than a national highway in flat terrain where higher speeds would generally be
anticipated and hence large radius curves adopted. In these examples the
anticipated operating speed of the new facility (that may include improved alignment
and road surface), should form the basis for determining an appropriate design
speed, rather than the operating speed of the existing road.

• Anticipated speed limit. When considering the design speed along a route, it may
also be necessary to adopt a different design speed for different sections of the
road as circumstances change. For example within a town or on the road section
between towns.

• Economics. The implications relating to cost of construction.

Speed Limits
High Risk Pedestrian Areas- 40 kph

Low risk pedestrian areas - 60 kph

High Speed Road with Separate Lane for Non-Motorized Vehicles:

-- 80 kph - An 80kph speed limit would be appropriate on a high standard duplicated
carriageway road where there is only occasional access from adjoining properties.

--100 kph - A 1 00 kph speed limit would only be appropriate on very high standard
expressways, which have a low crash rate. These expressways should have a high
standard geometry and should be free of roadside hazards. If hazards exist and
they cannot be removed or modified, they should be shielded with a safety barrier.

Road Capacity
The capacity of a route can be affected by the following factors:
• Number of Lanes;
• Lane and shoulder width;
• Terrain and road gradient;
• Traffic composition;
• Side friction such as the presence of road furniture and pedestrians; and
• Intersection capacity (priority of movements, traffic signal phasing, number of
lanes etc.).

The general guidelines in planning for public transport facilities

are as follows:
• Lay-bys should be positioned on straight, level sections of road and should be
visible from a good distance in both directions.

• On rural roads, it is cheaper to provide lay-bys at transitions from cut to fill.

• Access to lay-bys should be convenient and safe for vehicles and also for
pedestrians in the case of bus stops.
• Advance warning signs could be erected to alert drivers of the approach to lay-
bys, and to the possible presence of pedestrians
ahead.

• Adequate queuing and waiting areas should be available so that waiting

passengers do not use the road or a dedicated bus lay-by.

• Where space is limited, it may be possible to link premises using a service road,
which runs behind the premises and turns to rejoin the main road only when a
convenient and safe location is reached. At this point, parking and other potential
visual obstructions should be carefully controlled.

Vulnerable road users include:

• Pedestrians
• People with disabilities
• Non-motorized vehicles
• Motorcycles

Parking Near Intersections

Vehicles parked near intersections can obstruct the flow of turning traffic. Thus,
parking should be prohibited within the following minimum distances from the
boundaries of intersecting roads:

• Parallel parking - 6m on both approach and exit sides

• Angle parking- 12m on approach side, 9m on exit side

It is desirable that on the approach side of a signalized intersection, parking be

prohibited for a distance large enough to store as many vehicles as can cross the
stop line in one phase from the curb lane.

Angle Parking
All forms of angle parking present a greater hazard than parallel parking. Therefore
the function of the road needs to be considered relating to proposals for angle
parking on or adjacent to roads.

Generally, the use of angle parking shall be:

• Expressways - No provision except for off-road roadside stopping areas.

• National Road- Parking and maneuvering associated with angle parking to be

executed completely clear of through traffic lanes. A physical separation in the form
of an outer separator should be made between the parking-maneuvering area and
the through traffic lanes.

• Provincial Roads - Angle parking on these roads may be appropriate. However, it

is preferable that the marked parking bays and
maneuvering area are physically protected with a curb extension.

• Municipal/City Road - The maneuvering of vehicles for parking may encroach into
the through traffic lanes on that side of the center line. It is also desirable that the
marked bays should be physically protected as discussed for secondary arterial
roads.

• local Roads - The maneuvering of vehicles for parking may encroach onto both
traffic lanes where traffic volumes are low and the level of delay or congestion can
be accommodated.
The following guidelines should be observed for angle parking:

• The words "Angle Parking' shall be indicated on the parking signs as well as the
angle of parking to the curb;
• Pavement marking of parking bays is desirable, particularly where the required
angle is not 45 or 90 degrees; and
• Angle parking shall not be installed where visibility restrictions would create a
hazardous operating environment, such as the inside of a bend or on a crest.

Parking Adjacent To Barrier Lines

When considering parking adjacent to barrier lines the following factors should be
considered:

• If parking maneuvers can be made clear of through lanes. Generally, at least 3

meters needs to be available for moving traffic between the parked vehicle and the
barrier line for a single lane of traffic.

• The loss of capacity during parking maneuvers if the maneuvers are not
completely clear of through lanes.

• The safety and potential of vehicles crossing the barrier line to pass a vehicle in a
parking or unparking maneuver even though this is an unlawful maneuver.

Lighting
Generally, there is a need to improve street lighting especially where there are high
pedestrian flows. The most important aspects to consider are:

• Evenness and type of illumination is important (refer Figure 12.1 ). This requires
good design and regular maintenance. A routine maintenance program should be
initiated and all installations inspected on a regular basis;

• Light poles should be sited in positions where they will not be a danger to a
vehicle leaving the road or designed as frangible poles (slip-base poles or impact
absorbent poles) that slip away or collapse on impact. In other situations, a safety
barrier may need to be provided to protect occupants of an errant vehicle.

• Signs and road markings should be visible at night. Where lighting is not feasible,
use of reflective material is a useful, cheaper alternative;
• Lighting is most important at key locations such as at sub-standard design
sections, at sites where the layout may be unclear, at intersections, and where
pedestrians cross; and,

• Consideration should be given to the use of high pressure sodium or metal halide
lighting, particularly at key points, as it is much more efficient than mercury or
tungsten lighting.

Safe Design Principles

The first aim of safe road design is to ensure that road users remain safely on the
road. This depends on the following factors:

• a sound road surface;

• an adequate width or cross-section;

• horizontal and vertical alignment;

• good visibility/sight distance;

• delineation and signing;

• provision for pedestrians, pedal cyclists and people with disabilities;

• management of traffic conflicts at intersections; and,

• speed management.

Other aspects that could contribute to loss of control on curves are:

• Adverse superelevation;

• Poor sight distance; and

• Poor surface condition.

Other types of improvements that could be considered are:

• Curve radius improvement; and

• Pavement widening.