Speed limits and A7, Colby

Summary

A request was made regarding the decision-making process for speed limits and specific changes to the A7 road in Colby between 2011 and 2017. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed policy documents, traffic count samples, and briefs for the road changes, but redacted personal signatures citing data protection exemptions.

Key Facts

• There are no panel appointments for determining speed limits; decisions are based on the 'Policy and Rationale Relating to Highways, Transport, Drivers and Vehicles'.
• Traffic counts are the primary evidence used for speed limit assessments.
• The speed limit on the A7 between Arbory School and Cronk y Thatcher was reduced from 50mph to 40mph as part of a broader traffic management scheme.
• The reduction in speed limit was not caused by insufficient road surface adhesion standards.
• Signatures on provided documents were redacted to protect personal data.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-01-19
• 2017-02-01
• 2011
• 50mph
• 40 MPH
• 14 week
• 60 pages
• IM74679I
• Road Traffic Regulations Act 1985
• Data Protection Act 2002
• section 25

Exemptions Cited

• Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Personal Data)
• Data Protection Act 2002

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

FOI Reference No: IM74679I Request under The Freedom Of Information Act 2015 (“The Act”)

Thank you for your request dated 19th January 2017

You asked for the following information:

Setting of Speed limits

1. Please provide the information of who decides what speed limit is to be in place for any particular section of road. This should include any panel appointments and from what areas.

2. Please provide the information of what evidence is required and presented when the assessment is made by the individual and panel.

3. Please provide the detail of how this decision is then publicly promulgated.

4. Please provide the details then applicable to the section of road A7 between Arbory School and Cronk y Thatcher, Colby . For each change back to 2011.

4a. The Change from being Unrestricted Zone (National Limit applies) down to 50mph

4b. The most recent change from 50 MPH down to 40 MPH

4c. Why after a 14 week period of major road repairs to improve on the road surface condition and improve water run off any actual change was then deemed necessary to make a reduction in the applicable speed rating in the zone.

4d. Is the change made as the road surface material is not sufficient adhesion standard to enable a 50MPH rating.

Response to your request

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested; the reasons and statutory exemption sections are shown as part of the corresponding answers below.

1. Our ‘Policy and Rationale Relating to Highways, Transport, Drivers and Vehicles’ sets out what we will do with speed limits for the Island. I enclose a copy of the relevant information in Appendix 1. There are no panel appointments for determining speed limits.

2. Traffic counts are undertaken and used in the assessment. The results of these counts are available on request. I enclose a sample copy of the information generated from traffic counts in Appendix 2.

3. The Department complies with Schedule 2 of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1985. This Act is available online and can be found by following this link (the relevant part starts on page 47):

http://www.legislation.gov.im/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1985/1985- 0020/RoadTrafficRegulationAct1985 2.pdf

In order to publicise the above, the Department does the following:

Copies of Traffic Orders are publically available through Tynwald Library, either by visiting the library or at the following link (when a login screen appears, simply close it and you will be taken to the appropriate search page):

http://www.tynwald.org.im/links/tls/SD/Pages/default.aspx

The Department also has regular meetings with Local Authorities and the Police where speed management is discussed. The minutes from these meetings can be found under ‘Downloadable Documents’ by following this link

https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/infrastructure/

4a. A copy of the brief for the section of road in question is enclosed in Appendix 3. Signatures have been redacted from this document under section 25 of the Act, as they are considered personal data under the Data Protection Act (see exemption details below)

4b. A copy of the Traffic Regulation Order Information Sheet detailing amendments to be made
to the order in relation to the recent changes, is enclosed in Appendix 4. The order can also be found on line at the link detailed above. Signatures have been redacted from this document under section 25 of the Act, as they are considered personal data under the Data Protection Act (see exemption details below)

Under section 25(2)(a) “Information is Absolutely exempt personal information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the subject; and (b)(i) “falls within section 1(1)(a-d) …of the Data Protection Act 2002”

4c. The recent works on the A7 and the speed reduction are all part of the one scheme to improve the traffic management through this area, and they work together to achieve the desired outcome of the brief.

4d. No.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically to foi.doi@gov.im or by delivery/post to Mr Ian Harris, Department of Infrastructure, Sea Terminal Buildings, Douglas, IM1 2RF. An electronic version and paper version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/

Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;

1 Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or

2 Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your rights to review is on the Information Commissioner’s website at: www.inforights.im/

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found at https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/

Appendix 1

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

Isle of Man Consultancy Services - Traffic Management Work Package ROUTE STUDY - A7 BALLABEG Report JMP Consultants Ltd

Isle of Man Consultancy Services - Traffic Management Work Package : SCT4143-1/2 iii

Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 EXISTING CHARACTERISTICS 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................2 General Characteristics ..............................................................................................................................2 Existing Traffic Volumes .............................................................................................................................3 Existing Traffic Speeds ...............................................................................................................................4 Accident Data..............................................................................................................................................6 3 IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS AND CONSTRAINTS 8 Summary...................................................................................................................................................23 4 OPTIONS 25 Option Benefits .........................................................................................................................................29 Summary...................................................................................................................................................30 Tables and Figures Figure 2.1 Extent of route ..........................................................................................................................................2 Table 2.1 A7 Traffic Volumes .....................................................................................................................................4 Table 2.2 A7 Traffic Speeds ......................................................................................................................................4 Figure 2.2 A7 Traffic Speeds (Northbound / Westbound) ..........................................................................................5 Figure 2.3 A7 Traffic Speeds (Southbound / Eastbound) ..........................................................................................5 Table 2.3 A7 Accident Statistics ................................................................................................................................6 Figure 2.4 A7 Accident Statistics ...............................................................................................................................6 Figure 2.5 A7 Ballabeg Accident Locations and Class ..............................................................................................7 Figure 3.1 30mph limit on approach to Ballabeg from the east .................................................................................8 Figure 3.2 30mph limit on approach to Ballabeg from the south ...............................................................................9 Figure 3.3 Obscured signage on the A7 approaching Ballabeg from the east ........................................................10 Figure 3.4 Existing signage on approach to Ballabeg from the west .......................................................................11 Figure 3.5 Existing signage on approach to Ballabeg from the south ......................................................................11 Figure 3.6 Existing rubber kerbing at Duck Street junction ......................................................................................12 JMP Consultants Ltd iv Isle of Man Consultancy Services - Traffic Management Work Package : SCT4143-1/2

Figure 3.7 New Road approach to junction with Duck Street ..................................................................................13 Figure 3.8 On-street parking on the A7 north of Duck Street ...................................................................................14 Figure 3.9 Visibility to the south of Friary Park ........................................................................................................15 Figure 3.10 Visibility to the north of Friary Park .......................................................................................................15 Figure 3.11 Road markings at the A7 Duck Street / New Road junction .................................................................16 Figure 3.12 Road markings at junction accessing Ballacubbon Close ....................................................................16 Figure 3.13 Lack of road markings adjacent to Arbory Parish Hall ..........................................................................17 Figure 3.14 Existing signage on the A7 northbound ................................................................................................17 Figure 3.15 Existing footway provision on Duck Street ............................................................................................18 Figure 3.16 Existing footway provision on A7 adjacent to Friary Park .....................................................................19 Figure 3.17 Footway provision on the A7 adjacent to cemetery ..............................................................................19 Figure 3.18 Termination of footway north of Friary Park ..........................................................................................20 Figure 3.19 Termination of footway at shelter and recycling area. ..........................................................................21 Figure 3.20 Existing bus stop opposite Vicarage Close ...........................................................................................22 Figure 3.21 Forward visibility on A7 .........................................................................................................................23 Table 3.1 A7 Ballabeg - SWOT Analysis .................................................................................................................24 Figure 4.1 Gateway feature approaching Ballabeg from the west ...........................................................................26 Figure 4.2 Gateway feature approaching Ballabeg on New Road from the south ...................................................27 Figure 4.3 Transition zone and overrun area ...........................................................................................................28 Figure 4.4 Extent and location of proposed build outs .............................................................................................29 Table 4.1 Option Benefits ........................................................................................................................................29 Appendices Appendix A Accident Locations Appendix B Preliminary Options Appendix C Recommended Options JMP Consultants Ltd

Isle of Man Consultancy Services - Traffic Management Work Package : SCT4143-1/2 1

1 Introduction 1.1 JMP Consultants Ltd (JMP) has been commissioned by the Isle of Man (IoM) Government Department of Infrastructure (DoI) to provide consultancy services. The services required by the DoI included a route study of the A7 through the village of Ballabeg. 1.2 At the request of the DoI, the route study undertaken for Ballabeg included the following actions:
Detailed site survey;
Safety review;
Identification and design of necessary improvements to reduce risk to road users and increase sense of place within identified village / settlement / residential areas; and
Outline scheme design drawing. 1.3 To inform the above, JMP undertook a detailed site survey of the above route on Tuesday 2nd February 2016. 1.4 This report discusses the findings of the detailed site surveys and opportunity for improvement where improvements are considered to be necessary. Notwithstanding the identification of problems specific to this route, this has been undertaken on the basis of a baseline SWOT analysis 1.5 In terms of developing improvement options, due cognisance has been given to the guidance set out in the following publications.
Designing Streets; The Scottish Government (2010);
Manual for Streets 2; CIHT (2010);
Manual for Streets; Department for Transport (2007);
TRL 641 ‘Psychological’ traffic calming; TRL (2005);
TRL 385 ‘Traffic calming in villages on major roads: Final report; TRL (1999);
LTN 1/11 Shared Space; Department for Transport (2011);
LTN 1/08 Traffic Management and Streetcape; Department for Transport (2008);
LTN 1/07 Traffic Calming; Depart

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