Conference speaker will present Britain’s first ‘turbo-style’ roundabout

12.00 | 8 May 2017 |

The latest presentation to be added to the 2017 National Road Safety Conference agenda will explore pedestrian and cyclist safety and comfort at busy urban roundabouts.

Patrick Lingwood, walking and cycling officer at Bedford Borough Council, will present Britain’s first ‘turbo-style’ roundabout as part of a session looking at public health, sustainability and active travel.

The session will also feature a presentation from Dr James Woodcock, Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), University of Cambridge, who will examine the health impacts of a mode shift to walking and cycling.

Patrick Lingwood’s 30-year career in walking and cycling has included overseeing the Cycle City and Town programme and as cycling advisor to then minister of transport Norman Baker.

In his current role at Bedford Borough Council, Patrick organised a conference in 2015 focusing on modern roundabouts, showcasing the ‘turbo-style’ roundabout at Union Street in Bedford (pictured below) – described as the first of its kind in Britain.

Completed in October 2014, the Union Street project saw the conversion of an existing busy two-lane roundabout (34,000 vehicles per day), which had high pedestrian and cyclist casualty rates, with various design innovations.

These included cycling ‘zebras’ installed on all four arms to cater for the needs of the 500 cyclists and 2,500 pedestrians crossing daily.

Patrick’s presentation will recount some of the challenges in getting political approval and responding to sometimes hostile media feedback, going on to evaluate how the roundabout works in comparison to others before outlining its benefits in terms of user safety and comfort.

2017 National Road Safety Conference
In a break from tradition, the 2017 National Road Safety Conference is being organised by a committee drawn from Road Safety GB North West, North East and Yorkshire & Humber regions, rather than a single regional team. It will take place in Manchester on 14-15 November and is co-sponsored by Colas, Jenoptik Traffic Solutions UK and Insure The Box.

More than 150 people have already registered to attend, and 14 organisations have booked to participate in the exhibition which runs alongside the conference.

The agenda will include sessions focusing on public health, sustainability, active travel and road safety casualty reduction, and the use of behavioural change techniques (BCTs) in road safety interventions.

There will also be a ‘Topical Topics’ session, the ever-popular Question Time and a Fringe programme running in tandem with the main agenda. ‘Pick my brains’, which was successfully piloted at the 2016 conference, will be repeated this year.

Click here to register to attend; click here for more information about exhibiting; or for more information contact Sally Bartrum (delegate registration and exhibition) or Nick Rawlings (speakers and agenda) on 01379 650112.

 

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