MERAKI has undertaken the design and implementation of a variety of traffic and transportation projects over the last 25 years. These projects have been for both public and private sector clients throughout the UK.
Since the mid 90’s, MERAKI has undertaken the design and implementation of a variety of traffic and transportation projects. These projects have been for both public and private sector clients throughout the UK.
MERAKI has been involved in a diverse range of schemes such as:
- Junction improvements including roundabouts and traffic signals
- Pedestrian and cycle route improvements and crossings
- Carrying out Transport Assessments, Transport Statements and Technical Notes which involved both the preparation and checking of the reports
- Developing numerous cycling facilities, as well as carrying out cycle audits and reviews on many existing facilities
- Travel Plans
- Construction Management Plans
Traffic Signal Design
MERAKI has been involved in traffic signals for over 25 years working for local authorities and Highways England as well as developers providing expert advice on access proposals to new developments.
MERAKI can provide detailed modelling in the form of LINSIG and TRANSYT to develop sig-nal designs and ensure that proposed schemes can accommodate both the existing and fu-ture traffic demands at signal junctions.
MERAKI has been doing this for various Managing Agent Contractors on the Trunk Road network for over 15 years and in that time have successfully bid for over £120 million in im-provements and developed major signal improvements at over 30 motorway and trunk road junctions.
MERAKI has been involved with a number of clients developing traffic signal designs to improve both traffic capacity and to enhance cycle and pedestrian access across busy roads. These schemes have involved MOVA, SCOOT, Bus Priority and UTC.
MERAKI has been involved in a diverse range of schemes such as:
- Traffic signals at motorway interchanges
- Traffic signals at busy local junctions in towns and cities
- Traffic signal improvements to allow for the construction of new developments.
- Improvements to existing signal junctions with new methods of operation and in many cases improved pedestrian and cycle facilities.
Cycling Schemes
The development of safe and comprehensive cycling facilities is now recognised as one of the best ways to introduce environmentally friendly, personal transport facilities into our towns, cities and countryside. The Government through the DfT are providing huge levels of cycle infrastructure money.
The need for these facilities to be both safe, easily understood and to conform with all the relevant criteria, often imposes considerable demands on hard-pressed Local Authority staff.
Over the years, MERAKI has been involved in developing numerous cycling facilities around the UK, as well as carrying out cycle audits and reviews on many existing facilities.
Junction Design
MERAKI assist clients with junction design using the latest versions of LINSIG, ARCADY, PICADY and TRANSYT. Junction design can be carried out either as a single site highway improvement or as part of a larger traffic management study.
MERAKI use the latest version of AUTOCAD to produce detailed scheme designs.
Our experience
As part of all the developments that MERAKI works on access arrangements to the development is a major aspect of the work and achieving access that both meets local and national design standards is essential. MERAKI has developed numerous simple and complex priority junction designs over the last 25 years.
MERAKI has undertaken numerous traffic signal junction designs for both the private and public sector and are currently working on a number of traffic signal improvements in Scarborough and Harrogate for North Yorkshire County Council as part of a resilience scheme to allow the construction of housing over the next 15 years within the local plan.
MERAKI is also in the process of designing a new access roundabout to allow the construction of 300 houses in Norfolk. The detailed design will need to go through technical approval with the local authority and includes all aspects of the design.
Pedestrian Schemes
Over the years, MERAKI have carried out the preliminary and detailed design of a number of pedestrian schemes in the UK. MERAKI has also carried out a large number of independent pedestrian crossing assessments (following the LTN 1/20 process) for clients such Environment Agency and WSP.
Our experience
Some of the design schemes have been associated with major long-term diversion works of footways which have included diversion signing, Road Safety Audit and consultation with local members.
Many of the traffic signal design schemes involve the introduction and new signalised pedestrian facilities especially close to schools and hospitals.
MERAKI has developed many pedestrian schemes associated with new developments that need to provide pedestrian access to the wider area and link in safely with existing infrastructure these more often than not look at improved footway and uncontrolled crossing facilities.
MERAKI has audited a large number of pedestrian improvements as part of the Road Safety Audit process. More recently we have been involved in a Road Safety Audit associated with a new stadium in Gateshead that involves mass departures and arrivals of pedestrians across a wide area of local roads and existing footway infrastructure. Elements of the scheme involves shared space.
Travel Plans
The fundamental aim of a Travel Plan is to reduce travel by car, thereby improving the environment by reducing congestion and improving local air quality. Reducing car travel will also improve the health and fitness of road users who walk or cycle instead of using their cars. More often than not they are developed as part of a larger scale development and are needed to comply with the planning process.
A Travel Plan should be a combination of both behavioural and physical initiatives adopted by an organisation to reduce dependency on car travel and to promote the alternative modes of transport or ways of working which reduce or eliminate the use of a car.
Travel Plans can be particularly important for new developments and help demonstrate a positive commitment to reducing the impact of the development and should be a positive step to obtaining a planning permission.
Different types of Travel Plans
There are various types of Travel Plans which can be carried out including:
- School Travel Plans
- Workplace Travel Plans
- Residential Travel Plans
The above Travel Plans can be devised for organisations as appropriate. MERAKI has experience in carrying out this type of work for a variety of clients for both new developments and for existing businesses.
Transport Assessment, Statements and Notes
We can provide Highways Statements and Transport Assessments for all types and sizes of projects. For smaller schemes that do not meet the threshold criteria for a full statement we offer a bespoke Highways and Transport report that deals comprehensively with all aspects of the scheme proposals. We have an extremely high success rate in achieved planning permissions where clients have used our reports to support smaller schemes.
Our transport assessments are prepared to align with relevant national, regional and local planning policy and guidance, typically including the following:
- Scoping study
- Accessibility audit
- Policy review
- Junction/network capacity assessments
- Identification of impacts and subsequent mitigation measures
- Transport implementation strategies
- following submission of the transport assessment we provide extensive advice on the subsequent negotiation of any Section 106 or Section 278 Agreements
- expert witness at appeals and public inquiries.
- Road safety audit RSA 1, 1/2, 2 and 3.
Construction Traffic Management Plan
Increasingly local highways and planning authorities are requiring applicants to provide a plan for the safe management of construction traffic during a project. For example, the construction access route must be considered at the design stage and kept in mind during the entire process. If the site is difficult to access, there will be a significant cost implication that must be factored into the build. The document will also be subject to stringent public scrutiny by residents, council officers, local councillors and other interested parties, so it must be fit for purpose.
MERAKI has developed a number of CTMP’s associated with both residential and commercial developments and has more recently been involved in a significant development which will introduce over 10,000 heavy commercial vehicle trips on both local and trunk roads. Included within this scheme was a structural report on the route to understand if the additional traffic will cause long term structural defects and a dilapidation report was undertaken.
