Take a fresh look at traffic in villages

Cars and lorries are part of our lives, for better or worse. Maintaining and protecting the quality of life against a background of growing traffic volumes is perhaps the greatest challenge facing most rural communities.

Fresh ideas are emerging to help address rural traffic issues. The approach places community engagement at the heart of the process, building on local energies, creativity and commitment to contribute to the work of the highway authority.

A new toolkit has been produced by the Dorset AONB Partnership and Ben Hamiliton-Baillie Associates to stimulate such engagement. Building on ideas generated by experiences from the UK and elsewhere in mainland Europe, this toolkit outlines some simple and practical ways for local communities to address problems commonly associated with traffic in rural villages. These include:

• Understanding how the character of the built and natural environment to can be exploited to influence driver behaviour

• Employing the principles of ‘psychological traffic calming’ to influence driver speeds and responses.

• Expanding the menu of measures available to local communities and local highway authorities beyond standardised highway measures. Such measures are intended to build on the principles of “place-making”, to make villages more distinctive and recognisable, introducing elements of intrigue, uncertainty and interest to alert drivers to the specific context of their surroundings.

• Redefining the boundaries for responsibility and management of village streets and spaces

Download Traffic in Villages or contact the Dorset AONB Team for more information on 01305 228239.