Kerb Planner
It makes sense that given the value of the kerbside, how it is used has been planned well. The rules governing how the kerbside is used, who may use it and at what time, should be consistent with delivering the best value from the kerb for the community it serves.
Optimising the Kerbside
Kerb Planner is a desktop tool for local authorities to explore different configurations and restrictions at the kerbside. The tool draws on the adjacent land use and other inputs to establish all the competing demands on the kerbside across the day. It evaluates the costs or benefits of allowing, or restricting, each of those demands, for each kerbside configuration. The tool undertakes these calculations for a wide spectrum of uses that may consist of bays for disabled parking, shoppers, loading, taxis and passenger pick-up/drop-off, bus stops, clearways and safety margins, residents’ or long stay parking, amenity space, parklets or trees and the introduction of cycle lanes or bus lanes.
Social Value
For each configuration the tool determines the impact on users and the impact on the community. It considers the changes to the time and distance for users wishing to access premises fronting the kerbside, their search time, vehicle time savings or delays, vehicle security, personal safety and practicality. It also quantifies the impact of the configuration on the local community, including the expected change to air quality, road safety, noise, severance, neighbourhood security and long-term health. For the wider transportation network, the costs and benefits of changes to through traffic volumes or speeds, including that arising where the kerbside is given over to a cycle or bus lane, are also considered.
Evidence
The tool provides an evidence-based quantitative evaluation of how well the kerbside is delivering against the values of the local authority and the community they represent. It is an objective device for assessing whether the current configuration best serves the public and is delivering on the local authority’s strategic aims.
One configuration can be directly compared, and quantified, against another. The tool provides an aid for local planners to determine better options for kerbside use that may depart from the long-established practice.
Clear, Objective Evaluation
Its clear, objective approach to evaluation, make it valuable in the process of securing funding, and essential in explaining proposed changes to local stakeholders.
Parking Perspectives 01245 266355