BBPG
Traffic Survey
Summary
This survey was undertaken to establish the time it
took to travel between Pilgrim Hospital Roundabout and Tesco Roundabout.
Forty-four per cent of journeys took more than 20 minutes with an average of
21.92 and a range of 6 – 46 minutes, to cover the 3.1 miles via John Adams way
or 3.6 miles via Sluice Bridge.
The results of several variable factors included in
the survey are included but because of the small numbers, the results are not
statistically significant but may be interesting for future study.
BBPG Traffic Survey December 2005 –
February 2006
INTRODUCTION
Boston
is a typical small market town in the fens with a road system designed and
built for a bygone age of slow moving traffic. The town sits on the banks of
the river Witham dividing the town in half, with two bridges linking the north and
south banks which are the only means of driving through the town.
Boston’s
economy is supported by two main industries: agriculture, in an area where a
large amount of the countries vegetables are either grown or processed and an
active dock. Boston is also on the main route used by holiday traffic from the Midlands
heading for the Lincolnshire coastal resorts. Associated with these three
traffic user groups are locally and internationally owned Juggernauts (some
with trailers), slow moving tractors and cars towing caravans, all of which take
more space, have longer stopping distances and are slower to accelerate from a
standing start.
Added to the traffic problem is the fact that all the
large retail outlets and supermarkets are sited on the south side of the town
which necessitates half the population crossing the town to shop, whilst the
largest employer Pilgrim Hospital and majority of the schools are located on
the north side. Furthermore, public transport is poor and is inappropriate for
people making bulky or heavy purchases. A car is important in a rural area if
one is to have full access to local facilities and essential if one lives in a
surrounding village, has small children, is elderly or disabled.
This survey therefore was carried out because it is
perceived that the 3 miles journey from one side of the town to the other takes
far too long. The cause of the delays are variously blamed by local people on
the number of traffic lights, the bridges, the numbers of heavy good vehicles
and the siting of the new ASDA in an already busy part of town.
The aim of this survey was simply to establish the
average time taken to drive the distance between Pilgrim Hospital roundabout (Pilgrim),
and Tesco roundabout (Tesco), using either John Adams Way (JAW), or the Sluice
Bridge (SB).
Within the survey we chose to also look at variables
which might affect the time taken on these journeys including the: time of day,
day of the week, the route and road conditions. The survey form was designed to
discover which, if any, of these factors might be of significance.
RESULTS
50 journeys are included which were surveyed
between 15.12.05 and 12.02.2006
1 Average journey time by any route was
21.92 minutes
|
Pilgrim roundabout to Tesco roundabout
|
|
Number of journeys
|
Via JAW
|
Via SB
|
Average time
|
Range
|
|
25
|
22
|
3
|
24. 84
|
9 - 46
|
|
|
22
|
|
25. 56
|
9 - 46
|
|
|
|
3
|
19. 7
|
16 - 25
|
|
Tesco roundabout to Pilgrim roundabout
|
|
Number of journeys
|
Via JAW
|
Via SB
|
Average time
|
Range
|
|
25
|
17
|
8
|
18. 1
|
6 - 36
|
|
|
17
|
|
17. 9
|
6 – 36
|
|
|
|
8
|
18. 75
|
11 - 29
|
Table 1
Table 1 gives the average journey times and ranges for the 50 journeys
2 The
route:
Routes
There are 4 routes within this survey:
a) Pilgrim to Tesco via JAW
b) Pilgrim to Tesco via SB
c) Tesco to Pilgrim via JAW
d) Tesco to Pilgrim via SB
The distance: The
distance between Pilgrim and Tesco is:
Pilgrim
to Tesco via JAW 3.1 miles
Pilgrim
to Tesco via SB 3.6 miles
Traffic control measures:
TL Traffic lights
(including those on 2 roundabouts)
TLP Traffic lights with added
pedestrian programmed crossing facility
PC Pelican crossings with
pedestrians activated lights
LC ** Level crossings
with lights activated when trains are due
RA Roundabouts
**Level crossings
These are of some significance when
travelling through Boston since there are 32 trains scheduled to stop
at Boston station on weekdays (Central Trains Guide 3, 11 December 2005 to 10 June 2006) and these trains cross all 3 level
crossings, 2 of which affect either route.
|
Route
|
Traffic Control Measures
|
|
TL
|
TLP
|
PC
|
LC
|
RA
|
Total
|
|
Pilgrim to Tesco
via JAW
|
4
|
6
|
6
|
2
|
4
|
22
|
|
Pilgrim to Tesco
via SB
|
3
|
6
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
17
|
|
Tesco to Pilgrim
via JAW
|
3
|
6
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
20
|
|
Tesco to Pilgrim
via SB
|
2
|
6
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
17
|
Table 2
Table 2 Shows the number and variation in traffic control measures en route
Speed limits
With the exception of the John Adams Way (which has a 40mph speed limit) both routes are controlled by a 30mph speed limit.
3 Time of day
|
Time of day
|
Route via
|
Number of journeys
|
Average
Journey times
|
Time
range
|
|
Pilgrim-Tesco
|
Tesco-Pilgrim
|
|
JAW
|
SB
|
JAW
|
SB
|
|
08.01 - 10.00
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
|
7
|
27.6
|
13 – 46
|
|
10.01 - 12.00
|
5
|
|
1
|
1
|
7
|
24.3
|
15 – 41
|
|
12.01 - 14.00
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
22.4
|
13 – 38
|
|
14.01 - 16.00
|
4
|
|
6
|
5
|
15
|
22.2
|
11 – 43
|
|
16.01 - 1800
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
7
|
18.0
|
11 – 36
|
|
18.00 - 20.00
|
4
|
|
|
|
4
|
13.7
|
11 – 19
|
|
20.01- 22.00
|
|
|
4
|
|
4
|
10.3
|
6 - 14
|
Table 3
Table 3 Shows the times of day when journeys started. It shows routes used,
the actual time taken and the average times and ranges for all the journeys.
4 Days
of the week
|
Days of the week
|
Route via
|
Number of Journeys
|
Average journey times
|
Time range
|
|
Pilgrim-Tesco
|
Tesco- Pilgrim
|
|
JAW
|
SB
|
JAW
|
SB
|
|
Monday
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
9
|
14.9
|
11-20
|
|
Tuesday
|
5
|
|
4
|
|
9
|
30.4
|
13-46
|
|
Wednesday
|
4
|
|
2
|
2
|
8
|
19.1
|
12-35
|
|
Thursday
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
11
|
23.9
|
6-43
|
|
Friday
|
5
|
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
21.9
|
11-38
|
|
Saturday
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
13.75
|
11-18
|
Table 4
Table 4 shows the number of journeys (excluding rush hour
times) made each
day of the week by the 4 different routes
giving their average time in minutes
and the range of times within that
average.
|
Journeys during Rush hour – all routes
|
|
Day of the week
|
|
Average journey time
|
Range
|
|
7.30- 9.15
|
12.30-13.30
|
16.00 18.00
|
|
Monday
|
|
|
2
|
13.5
|
11-16
|
|
Tuesday
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
31.0
|
13-46
|
|
Wednesday
|
|
|
2
|
12
|
12-12
|
|
Thursday
|
1
|
|
1
|
27
|
25-29
|
|
Friday
|
|
2
|
|
28
|
18-38
|
|
Saturday
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday
|
|
2
|
|
15.5
|
13-18
|
Table 5
Table 5 Shows the 17 journeys from this survey which were undertaken
during the rush hour(s), with the average
journey time in minutes and the
range of journey times.
5 Times taken for journeys
|
Time taken for journeys
|
|
5-10
|
11 -15
|
16-20
|
21-25
|
26-30
|
31-35
|
36-40
|
41-45
|
45-50
|
|
|
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
16
|
|
44% of journeys
took more than 20
minutes to
cover the 3.1/ 3.6 miles
|
|
|
|
11
|
16
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
18
|
|
27
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
18
< |
