BWB Consulting - Integrated Engineering and Environmental Consultants
NET Line 1
Location: Nottingham
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Nottingham Express Transit (NET) Line 1 is the first phase of Nottingham's light rail tram system. BWB were appointed at the outset of construction by contractor Carillion to assist and advise on ´traffic management´ issues, many aspects of which were unresolved when work began on site.
Effective ´traffic management´ is a vitally important task on light rail projects to ensure that the street running sections operate safely and efficiently in the environment shared with all other users of the highway. BWB were instrumental in the outline design of shared junctions and street running sections, having particular regard to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists.
Cyclists are at particular risk from the hazard of the rails and BWB devised a cycle strategy, including signage and road marking design, to encourage cyclists to use streets and alternative routes away from the tram wherever possible. This fed into detailed design of some of the features, including shared use signal controlled crossings.
Park and ride is an important feature of the system and it connects to both new and existing park and ride sites. BWB designed a signage strategy to encourage patronage of the sites and direct drivers to them on the most direct and appropriate routes.
The system has been operational since Spring 2004 and is a great success with excellent reliability and patronage level to date exceeding forecasts. This has been achieved in parallel with excellent safety standards, with very few personal injury accidents attributed either to tram vehicles or the infrastructure they use.