TEMPORARY DROP-OFF ZONE, LUTON AIRPORT

PROJECT

We were appointed by Ryebridge Construction on behalf of London Luton Airport (LLA) to undertake a number of Road Safety Audits for the proposed Temporary Drop-Off Zone near to the terminal.

APPROACH

Works were proposed to provide a temporary drop-off zone that allowed a direct pedestrian route to the terminal.

We carried out Road Safety Audits (RSA) at Stage 1 (Preliminary Design), Stage 2 (Detailed Design) and Stage 3 (Completion) of the design process. All Road Safety Audits were carried out by our independent team of Road Safety Auditors, fully qualified in accordance with DMRB GG119.

A key issue related to the circulation of vehicles within each aisle, which would be in an anticlockwise direction, such that vehicles would effectively be driving on the right hand side. This would also mean that many vehicle passengers would need to enter/exit vehicles into a live traffic lane. The Stage 1 RSA suggested that the arrangement be reversed. However, the designer and client team disagreed with this, as it had potential to increase conflict and delay at the junction with the main circulating route, due to vehicles turning right out of the aisles having to wait for vehicles turning right into the aisles.

OUTCOME.

On review as part of the Stage 2 RSA, it was felt that appropriate mitigation measures had been included, such as wide through lanes, a pedestrian margin with coloured surfacing and wide parking bays, to minimise conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, such that the issue was not raised further by the Auditors.