Transport Assessment Good Practice

Compiling a Transport Statement or a more complex Transport Assessment Report is at the core of the professional activity for Modal Group. Modal's transport planning consultants are often required to prepare these statements and reports to accompany planning applications where the development proposals may have an effect on the public highway.

After receiving instruction to carry out an assessment, and as long as the proposals are not secret, Modal Group Ltd will approach the local Highway Authority and discuss the scheme in general and scope the parameters required to carry out the project. This will have the advantage of not only getting to know the Highway Officer involved, by agreeing whether the transport evidence required need only be in the form of a Transport Statement, a requirement for smaller developments, or the lengthier and more in depth Transport Assessment Report. Additionally, scoping the development proposals with the Highways Officer will agree what parameters or information would be required in the report as well as getting an early indication as to what are the local issues and what sort of contributions, if any the Highways Authority would look for. This should result in saving time later once the Application is submitted and reports sent to the Consultees who can then raise issues and make comments.

The Four Stage Model Approach
When carrying out the highway study, Modal Group, in most cases, will follow the typical 4 stage model approach. This is where we look at:
1. The development's likely traffic generation
2. How the traffic distributes across the highway network.
3. The modal split of the traffic, such as the split between types of vehicle (car, bus, cycle etc) as well as considering pedestrians or any other mode of transport
4. Assigning the traffic to the local highway network.

By following the 4 stage model, Modal Group will have a good prediction of travel characteristics of the development proposals. By comparing these with what is currently happening on the local highway network. This may need traffic surveys to get a present day snapshot. Modal Group can assess the significance of the additional development traffic, if any, would have on the operation of the local highway network for the opening year of the development proposals or the design year which could be a number of years ahead.

If there is no significant impact then there may be no need for any off-site highway works, however if there is a significant impact then Modal Group Ltd can assess and advise the Client on what highway works will need to be carried out, such as junction improvements or road widening. Any such highway schemes would then require a Road Safety Audit, carried out by an independent highway consultancy, a service Modal Group Ltd can offer to other designers.

The Effect of Additional Development Traffic
In some instances, the impact of additional development traffic could be mitigated by encouraging the developments end users to make fewer car journeys by car sharing, promoting cycle, bus and pedestrian forms of travel. Modal Group Ltd would prepare a separate document called a Travel Plan which would bring all this information as well as advising on how to monitor the effectiveness of the Travel Plan and identify targets for the end users to achieve.

After all the above information has been prepared, and in most cases, Modal Group Ltd will continue to liaise with the local Highway Authority in order to discuss any other issues or concerns that may arise with the aim to get the Highways Officer to recommend the scheme to the Planning Officer.

To get in touch with Modal Group for a no-obligation chat please phone 015398 86015 or contact us via the website at Modal Group.