Road Safety Engineering creates a safer environment for all road users and helps reduce the severity and number of casualities that result from collisions. We at CST Group seek ways to improve the road environment to provide better integration between the various modes of transport and above all pedestrian and cyclist safety. This may involve simple things like adding a new sign or road markings, or more complex solutions such as changing the layout of the road. Works can be implemented at single sites, ie a junction improvement scheme; along routes, ie a speed limit; or over an area, ie a Traffic Calming scheme.
Traffic Calming is intended to slow vehicular traffic and/or reduce vehicle usage of a route in order to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable users and improve the environment for residents.
Traffic calming was traditionally justified on the grounds of pedestrian safety and reduction of noise and local air pollution which are side effects of the traffic. However, streets have many social and recreational functions which are severely impaired by car traffic. Research undertaken as far back as the 1970’s found that residents of streets with light traffic had, on average, three more friends and twice as many acquaintances as the people on streets with heavy traffic which were otherwise similar in dimensions and traffic flow. The basis for traffic calming is broadening traffic engineering to include designing for social inclusion, something that continues to challenge the mindset of the majority of developers and planners on this island.
CST Group’s engineers have worked on many such schemes individually prior to the formation of the group and continue to provide this service today. A sample of our engineers work includes Coton Park, Rugby (UK), Mungret College, Limerick and New Line Street, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare.
Our investigations into urban shared space and driver behavior both in Ireland and overseas provides suitable knowledge for undertaking designs for all road types and spaces.