The County Surveyors' Society, the Department of Transport, and the Scottish and Welsh Offices have carried out a joint investigation into the problem of speeding in villages. The VISP (VIllage SPeed control) Working Group was set up to undertake the study, with technical input from TRL. Twenty-four villages in Great Britain, where there were plans to install engineering measures on the main road, were selected for monitoring. The sample covers a wide geographical spread, and various road types, village sizes and traffic flows. Measures include conspicuous signing, a variety of road markings, surface treatments, road narrowing and rumble devices. These are generally on the approach to the village (`gateway' treatments), but a number of schemes also include measures in the village. The villages monitored are as follows: Bigrigg (Cumbria), Billingford (Norfolk), Bloxham (Oxfordshire), Burland (Cheshire), Contin (Highland), Crimond (Grampian), Crondall (Hampshire), Dairsie (Fife), Gisburn (Lancashire), Halberton (Devon), Hartley Wintney (Hampshire), Hermitage (Berkshire), Jersey Marine (West Glamorgan), Long Preston (North Yorkshire), Ludford (Lincolnshire), Matfield (Kent), Middleton (Humberside), North Frodingham (Humberside), Roade (Northamptonshire), Sanquhar (Dumfries & Galloway), South Warnborough (Hampshire), Stratton-on-the-Fosse (Somerset), Temple Sowerby (Cumbria) and Tunstall (Lancashire). The monitoring involved `before' and `after' measurements of traffic speeds and volumes. Some public opinion surveys of residents were also undertaken. The report supplements the final report of the VISP Working Group (IRRD 864990). It provides comprehensive details of each of the schemes, with plans and photographs, and details of the monitoring and the results for each village. (A)
Abstract