Design of parking bays.

To help achieve a reduction in PTW theft the Council will adhere to the following guidelines and encourage others to do the same. PTW parking bays should be provided in well lit places and where there are many passers-by providing ‘casual surveillance’. This can help deter thieves as they risk being disturbed when trying to steal the bike. In car parks covered by Closed Circuit Television Cameras PTW parking bays should be covered by the cameras’ range and angle of view. Anchor points should be provided to give the rider something secure to fix their bike to. These should be robust and be able to defeat attempts to lift them out of the ground or breach them with cutting tools. The anchor point should be compatible with a wide range of bike types and locking devices. A height of 60cm will accommodate a range of wheel sizes and hinder thieves from using the ground as leverage for bolt cutters and jacks. Anchor points should be located in positions that do not pose a hazard to partially sighted or disabled people. (A Guide to the Design and Provision of SECURE PARKING FOR MOTORCYCLES, 1996 Edition, Nich Brown.)

Many PTWs are stolen by being lifted into a van and then driven off. Good design can help minimise this type of theft by stopping vans etc from pulling up close to parking bays. Unless special measures are taken situations will inevitably arise when PTW parking spaces are used or blocked by other vehicles. Rails or bollards around the PTW parking area can help address both of these problems. Sufficient space should however be provided to allow the rider to manoeuvre the bike into position.

Secure Car Park Schemes.

In order to achieve a reduction in PTW theft the Council will investigate the merits of the Secure Car Park Scheme. This initiative was set up by the police with the support of other interested groups. It encourages public and private car park operators to improve their security standards to reduce criminal activity and increase public confidence in the facilities provided. The scheme is not only geared at existing car parks but also at new car parks so that good design can be adopted from the outset.

The scheme works by car park operators requesting an inspection by a qualified Police Crime Prevention Officer to ensure standards conform with specific crime prevention criteria. Where standards fall short advice and encouragement is then given to these operators to achieve the level of security required.

Car parks with security standards which meet the criteria gain a prestigious award consisting of a plaque incorporating the ‘Secure Car Parks’ logo. They have the right to display this plaque on their premises. Two grades are available, gold and silver depending on the standard achieved.

The ‘Secure Car Park’ Scheme is being administered by the Automobile Association. They publish information about the location and grading of secure car parks and provide advice to the motoring public.

Locker facilities.

PTW riders wear helmets and often waterproofs/protective clothing. A helmet alone is expensive costing between £150 and £400. Upon arrival at their destination they need somewhere to store this gear. If they leave it on the bike secured as best they can it is still vulnerable to theft. Even if they carry it with them it may still be stolen if, for example, it is hidden under their desk at work or put down for a few seconds whilst in a shop. Secure lockers at parking bays can help solve this problem. The scope for having the cost of the lockers provided for by sponsorship will be looked into.

Dealers and manufacturers.

This Strategy highlights that it is not only the Council and the Police who have a responsibility to tackle PTW theft but also dealers and manufacturers. Anti theft measures need to be integrated into PTWs at the design stage. Dealers also have a role to play at the point of sale such as giving advice on security products. There is a market both in stolen bikes and parts. Occasionally there may be the odd dealer or breaker who are suspected of handling stolen bikes/parts or being relaxed in their attitude to this matter.

Powered two wheeler manufacturers and dealers can help tackle theft by fitting data tags as standard on all new models and providing disc locks or chains with all new machines.

Sandwell riders will debate bike security at club meetings etc and become familiar with PTWs that are sold with good security design. These comments will be exchanged between each other and even forwarded to dealers and manufacturers.

Riders responsibilities.

Some thieves actually target PTWs because they know some are easy to steal. Riders themselves can sometimes be guilty of not taking sufficient care to protect their machines from being stolen. This could be through ignorance of the problem or that they are unaware of what they can do to make the bike more secure. In some cases it may simply be due to carelessness. By raising awareness amongst riders themselves of PTW security the opportunity for stealing PTWs would fall leading to a corresponding fall in the number of PTW thieves operating. An ongoing Police Crime Prevention Campaign targeted at PTW riders will be suggested to remind riders that it is their responsibility not to leave a bike vulnerable to theft. All PTW parking bays will have a sign reminding riders to leave their bikes securely locked.

Bike Watch.

The issue of theft can be addressed in a number of ways. One example of good practice is the ‘The Leicestershire and Rutland Motorcycle Watch’ scheme. This is a partnership approach to the problems of PTW theft involving Leicestershire Police Motorcycle Dealers, Training Centres, Clubs and Pubs. The objectives of the scheme are:-

A dedicated confidential and free telephone number has been set up and is publicised for people to pass on information about PTW thieves. ‘Motorcycle Watch’ has a list of participants who receive regular up-to-date information about recent PTW crimes. Participants are helping the police to help themselves by providing more ‘eyes and ears’ to gather information. Sandwell’s own Bike Watch scheme will be developed.

Working with young people and adults.

It is estimated that 70 per cent of PTW theft is of smaller machines by young people. These machines are often used only for joy riding on open space, and especially in Sandwell, along canal towpaths. As well as being a crime in itself joy riding is a nuisance to local residents. Often a stolen PTW will change hands many times making it almost impossible for the police to trace its history and prove it is stolen. Without firm evidence that it is stolen they are unable to take the bike from the rider.

There can be no better way of addressing PTW crime than by stopping it happening in the first place. It is one of the objectives of the Tipton Wheels Project set up in 1991 to reduce vehicle crime arising from young people being bored and having nothing to do. The project has 2 full time staff and 3 to 4 volunteers. When it first started between 10 to 20 youths per night would attend and spend their time working on cars, motorbikes and push bikes. About 400 young people, both male and female have since passed through the scheme.

The benefits of the project to PTW users are two-fold. It helps to reduce bike and car theft by young people and the riding experience they gain helps them to go on to become better and safer motorcyclists and car drivers. The project is now looking at setting up other projects across Sandwell and has the full support of the Council and Sandwell riders.

10. Parking.

Shared objective: To provide powered two wheeler riders with an adequate supply of safe and secure to park.

Issues.

Powered two wheelers are no different to cars in that they need somewhere to park once they have arrived at their destination. Motorcyclists consider that they are not catered for in this respect - there is an inadequate supply of dedicated and secure parking spaces. It is in the interests of the Council and local businesses to provide quality parking for PTWs in Sandwell’s town centres. Powered two wheeler riders are also shoppers and the availability of parking influences where they choose to spend their money.

National Campaigns such as ‘are you doing your bit?’ and TravelWise are encouraging the public to travel by more sustainable modes of transport including bus and rail. To enable the motorist to travel by these modes park and ride car parks are built at railway stations and sometimes on the edge of town centres. If PTW users are also to be encouraged to travel by bus or train these park and ride sites must also include quality PTW parking. The White Paper ‘A New Deal For Transport: Better For Everyone - DETR 1998' states that local authorities should address PTW parking in their Local Transport Plans. It requires that Councils should ‘consider specific measures to assist motorcyclists such as secure parking at public transport interchange sites’.

Actions and Policy.

The Council will increase the supply of PTW parking to meet demand by adopting parking standards. Developers will be required to provide parking for powered two wheelers, the number of spaces needed would depend on the size and type of the development. The amount of PTW parking will be equal to 5 per cent of the number of publicly accessible car spaces normally provided. Powered two wheelers spaces are in addition to those required for pedal cycles.

As already mentioned riders need somewhere to store their helmets and protective clothing upon arrival at their destination. In some circumstances lockers should be provided. The provision of lockers shall be an integral part of new developments and a condition of planning approval. Alternatively secure PTW parking with lockers could be funded by sponsorship, an obvious example is local PTW dealers.

When PTW parking is provided it should be properly designed so that riders have the confidence to use it. If there is a risk of theft it will not be used, riders will park instead at safer locations not originally intended for PTWs. Some rider chose to travel by PTW because they value the accessibility they afford. To ensure PTW parking is used it should be located as near as possible to the riders final destination.

The Council will promote good PTW parking design. The site chosen for PTW parking should not be prone to flooding, falling tree sap, bird droppings. They should not be placed over drain gratings where if dropped keys would be lost. Some PTWs can be quite heavy and they need a good level surface to be parked upon. Poor quality black top that becomes soft in hot weather is unsuitable and the bike stand will sink into the surface and the bike will eventually topple over. The size of off-street PTW parking bays is crucial to good design. They should all have bollards to prevent cars from parking or obstructing them and have anchor points. Whenever on-street parking bays are provided it will be located in positions where the rider can park, dismount and secure the bike without road safety being compromised.

To ensure that riders will use the parking facilities provided they will need to be directed to it by road signs. The parking also needs to be signed again in the car park not only so that the rider can find it but also to let motorists know it is for PTW use only. These signs should also carry a reminder for the rider to leave their powered two wheeler securely parked. ‘Lock it or lose it’ is a good message. The cost of these could be meet through sponsorship.

Powered two wheeler users have no objection to paying a reasonable charge for secure parking with facilities such as lockers for the storage of protective gear. The revenue generated could be used for their up keep. However PTWs will be exempt from parking charges where no special measures have been taken to properly accommodate them. For the same reasons PTWs should also be excluded from road pricing in whatever form. This is justifiable on policy grounds since PTWs have congestion benefits over the driver only car.

In streets where residents parking schemes are in operation PTWs will be exempt.

11. Road surface and highway design.

Shared objective: To address the traffic and highway engineering concerns of powered two wheeler riders.

Issues.

Road surface.

Powered two wheelers are often highly sensitive to imperfections in the riding surface which may not affect cars. ‘A Study of Motorcycle, Moped and Scooter Use in Sandwell’ found that ‘road surface’ ranked second as motorcyclists main concern. Many PTW accidents are attributable to road surface problems such as fuel spillage, pot holes, wet roads, ice, slippery inspection chamber covers , wet leaves and debris on the carriageway.

Fuel spillage leaves the road treacherously slippy. It can be caused by drivers not properly securing their fuel caps or overfilling their tanks. Poorly maintained or badly designed tanks can also be a cause. Often a trail of diesel can be followed though finding its source is almost impossible, though in some cases vehicles can be followed and seen to be spilling fuel. Sometimes there is spilt fuel on the highway outside lorry/bus depots etc. Similarly there is often mud on the road in the vicinity of building sites. In both of these cases the cause of the problem is more obvious.

Roads need to be regularly swept to remove patches of grit etc. Often this accumulates in the centre of road junctions. Road sweepers should also take care not to create patches of grit over time by always missing the same part of the road. The salt put on roads in winter can create the same problem though obviously this is better than ice. When roads are gritted care should be taken to spread the salt evenly.

Water leaking onto the highway can be a serious problem particularly in the winter when it may freeze and turn to ice. The responsibility for remedying this problem may in some cases be with the Water Authority.

A PTW rider needs to keep constantly checking the road surface ahead to be aware of potential problems. The poorer the quality of the surface the more this needs to be done, the rider is momentarily taking his eyes off the road. With better road surfaces drivers of all classes of vehicles would be able to give more attention to other hazards.

Junctions.

The single most likely site of a collision involving a PTW is at, or near, an urban road junction. Viability, complexity and approach speeds are all significant. Roundabouts and other priority controlled junctions are more hazardous for PTWs than signal controlled junctions. Lane markings and widths are significant especially at entrances and exits (Motorcycle Industry, Powered Two Wheelers, The SMART Choice in Local Transport Plans, A Policy Resource Kit).

Lane widths.

Although most PTWs are able to maintain general traffic speeds in most situations mopeds are designed not to exceed 30 mph. Heavy traffic flows and high proportions of HGVs presents a hazard for all types of PTW. Attention to nearside lane width is important to ensure safe passing of and passing by PTWs. Other considerations in nearside lane width are stationary vehicles, car doors opening and left turning vehicles.

Reporting problems.

It is the Council’s absolute responsibility to keep roads safe. Every six months all roads are inspected by being walked. The target is to repair any defects within 24 hours, in 85 to 95% of cases this is met. Street lights are patrolled every fortnight. The Council relies upon the general public to inform them of any problems, though in many cases these go unreported. The Council has telephone lines to report problems though awareness of these numbers amongst PTW riders is poor. Similarly the telephone numbers for the Highways Agency are also not commonly known or perceived as difficult to obtain.

Repairs.

After road works the carriageway should be reinstated to the highest standard. When services have been laid or dug up often it is repaired leaving a patch of sunken/uneven blacktop. Those at the Highway Authority responsible for checking the quality of reinstatement should make it clear from the outset that the standards expected will not be compromised.

Roundabouts.

The AA also found that motorcyclists are over represented in accidents at traffic islands. Large roundabouts such as Birchley Island in Sandwell often have high entry speeds and more than two lane approaches. The circulatory carriageway is wide which permits the traffic to travel relatively fast around the island. Circulating PTWs are often struck by vehicles that fail to give way on entering the roundabout (What goes wrong in highway design, AA Policy Group, February 1999).

Inspection chambers.

There are 28,000 inspection chamber covers in Sandwell. These are sometimes made of smooth metal which offers comparatively little skid resistance especially in wet and icy conditions. The danger they pose is not helped when they are positioned in the centre of the carriageway especially if this is on a bend, or a roundabout’s circulatory carriageway/exit. They may force riders into a hazardous line in order to avoid them possibly resulting in loss of control or collision. The blacktop surrounding manholes is prone to breaking up resulting in a pot hole.

White lines.

White lines in the road are often repainted many times making them stand proud of the road surface. This causes PTW riders problems because the carriageway is uneven and can steer the rider out of line. This matter is made worse as some white lines are smooth and offer little skid resistance particularly when wet.

Street furniture.

Road side furniture, such as lamp posts, road signs or bus stops etc close to the carriageway can cause a rider further injury if they have an accident. A rider wearing protective clothing that has an accident resulting in them sliding on the highway is more likely to be seriously injured if they hit an object than if they gradually slide to a halt. It is out of the question to remove every single obstacle but it is possible to limit their number, protect them and avoid dangerous locations such as the outside of bends or the apex of junctions.

Overbanding.

Overbanding refers to the use of bitumen to seal joints in the road surface, often following road works. Bitumen causes PTW riders considerable problems particularly in wet conditions when its skid resistance is much lower than that of the surrounding black top. Sandwell Council does not use overbanding for these reasons. It is also considered to be expensive and can shine in the street lights if wet possibly appearing to a road user as a white line.

Surface dressings.

Given that skidding is a major hazard to PTW riders the problems caused by tar and surface dressing when the traffic itself is relied upon to complete the rolling process should be recognised. Loose chippings can build up on centre lines and apexes making cornering and overtaking unnecessarily hazardous.

Traffic calming.

There are now many roads in Sandwell which have been traffic calmed. Generally traffic calmed roads can cause difficulties for PTW riders if the calming measures are poorly positioned, unlit and not well sign posted. Table Two presents the different types of traffic calming measures, the problems they cause PTWs and measures that PTW riders suggest would improve their design.

TABLE TWO:- Traffic calming measures, issues and good design.

Actions and Policy.

The procedures for reporting problems on the highway will be reviewed and improved. This will begin by raising awareness of all the relevant telephone numbers for reporting problems. The idea of producing a credit card containing all this information will be looked into. The cost of producing this card could be covered by advertising on one side perhaps by a local PTW dealer. Posters could be printed giving details of these telephone numbers and displayed in libraries and PTW shops etc.

Postage paid postcards for road users for them to note down problems on the highway such as pot holes, broken street lights, and spilt water etc will be considered. These would then be posted to the Council making them aware of problems so that action can be taken.

The mechanism for reporting sites and vehicles guilty of leaving fuel or mud on the highway will be reviewed. The target will be to address and remedy problems within 24 hours.

The position of inspection chambers is constrained by the location of the services beneath the road to which they provide access. However, when new roads are being built inspection chambers carefully positioned away from the centre of the road and not on a bend will be encouraged. Those existing inspection chamber covers offering poor skid resistance will be identified and have their skid resistance brought up to an appropriate standard. It is good practice to avoid differentials in skid resistance particularly on bends, at roundabout approaches, circulatory carriageways and roundabout exits.

Careful consideration will be given to the location of street furniture. When alternatives exist it will not be sited in positions where it is likely to be hit by any road user who for what ever reason loses control of their vehicle.

All traffic calming measures will be well sign posted and lit at nights. Speed humps should not be located in the vicinity of junctions, on bends or the approaches to them. The preferred type of speed bump is a speed cushion that gives powered two wheelers the opportunity to pass to the side of it. Overall though, horizontal deflections such as chicanes, build outs and road narrowing are considered the safest way to calm the speeds of all road users without causing hazards to powered two wheelers.

When white lines are being repainted care should be taken to ensure that the build up of layers of paint does not result in the line causing the road surface to be uneven. Use those types of white lining that give greatest skid resistance.

After road works the Council will exercise its powers to ensure that the reinstatement is satisfactory.

CONTINUE