Photographic illustrations of hazards
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The following photographs are examples of some of the problems that can be faced by pavement users across the City.
3.1 Temporary building works
Building works, which obstruct the pathway and are not adequately marked, have no safe diversion; this results in pavement users being put at risk when they transfer to the roadway. The works shown are next to a permanent road crossing, thus increasing the range of hazards.
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Solution: see 4.1: summary of suggested solutions for temporary works
Street cafés
Street cafés, tables and chairs create an obstruction to the pathway and thus can be considered to be a hazard particularly to anyone with impaired vision.
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Solution: see High visibility temporary barriers or guards
3.3 Street Furniture
(a) Whilst litterbins are essential, and flowerpots improve the environment, such aesthetics are negated by the lack of the recommended tactile or tonal warning on the pathway.
(b) Randomly parked vehicle are an ever-present hazard.
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Solution for obstructive Parking: Law enforcement by existing staff.
Solution for hazardous street furniture: use correct tactile paving boundaries and use contrasting colours on all obstructions.
3.4 Street advertising
(a) The placing of caravan and advertising hoarding in an unprotected area is unsatisfactory.
(b) Single directional finger posts, such as the one shown below is a welcome information source; however the text size and colour co-ordination on the example given, renders it impossible to be read by even partially sighted people.
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Solution (a) as for pavement cafés
Solution (b) Install the ‘talking lamppost’ system, or much larger signs at eye level.
3.5 Tactile paving
This photograph shows tactile modified blister paving which has been used to mark obstructions. However, the obstruction, which is a street litterbin, has been placed on the tactile area, not inside it, thus rendering the tactile warning zone useless for visually impaired pedestrians.
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Solution: ensure that any obstructions are all located within the tactile boundary.
3.6 Scaffolding / building works
Scaffolding or other building works, which obstruct the pathway, should be clearly marked in accordance with the regulations.
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Solution: see 4.1: solutions for temporary works.
3.7 Market stalls
This is an example of a market stall being displaced from its regular stand, because of temporary building works obstructing the footpath. The totally unacceptable consequence is that the remaining public footpath width is less than safe for wheelchairs and the available headroom must be in doubt.
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Solution: Enforce the appropriate regulations to ensure public safety; probably, as in this case, by moving or eliminating the stall.
3.8 Reduced pathway width
The pathway width has been reduced to a width unacceptable for wheelchairs by scaffolding. This should never have been authorised without making alternative provision. Inconsiderate parking has exacerbated this situation.
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Solution: Correct authorisations and enforcement for temporary works and parking.
3.9 Confusing street markings
The pathway obstructions, as shown below, seem to have been ‘boxed’ off with a different form of tactile marking which has resulted in a confused pathway system.
There must also be some doubt about the available width for wheelchairs between the railings, bollards and the kerb.
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Solution: in both cases: redesign.
3.10 Advertisement board obstructions
The placing of obstructing advertising boards, as in the example shown below, is unacceptable, for obvious reasons.
The photograph also illustrates the fact that low litterbins increase the likelihood of injury to a visually impaired pedestrian.
The narrow building vehicular entrance is itself a hazard, especially in this instance where delivery vehicles are often in the process of moving.
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Solution: enforcement of random advert placing; use of high litterbins and bollards; adequate tactile drop kerbs to vehicular access.
3.11 Typical obstructions including low bollards
The type of works obstruction shown below is totally unacceptable and should have been stopped immediately.
The photograph also shows typical obstructions found in the city, low litterbins and low bollards. Bollard posts which are not clearly defined by the use of tonal contrast and / or lack of tactile paving at a road crossing are a common hazard for visually impaired pedestrians
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Solution for litter bins and bollards: both should be round in plan, no less than 1.2 metres high and coloured in strong contrast to its immediate surroundings with contrasting or high visibility markings near their tops. Bollard type pathway lighting is confusing to some people; high level street lighting should always be adopted.
3.12 Badly situated bollards, tactile paving & raised road surfaces
The badly-spaced bollards illustrated below, although of the correct height, are not clearly visible or not close enough together to deter parking or driving onto the area.
Ideally, tactile paving should be laid outside this public library for the road crossing; but, in this particular case it may mean repeated repairs because of private hire vehicle parking.
The use of a raised road surface and the lack of barriers around a pedestrian crossing allowing access to dropped kerbs clearly encourages inconsiderate parking.
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Solution: a review of provision is needed to increase pedestrian safety.
3.13 Hazardous barriers
The remains of the barrier shown below has become hazardous; since it now fails to deter or protect, it should be reviewed or repaired.
The parking on this pathway, which is not the shop owner’s curtilage should be dealt with, as a matter of urgency.
As noted in other examples throughout this report, the low unmarked bollards are a hazard and clearly do not serve to deter vehicles driving or parking on the pathways of this shopping area.
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Solution:a review of provision is needed to increase pedestrian safety.
3.14 Dangerous street signs
The Percy Street signpost in the middle of footpath is an example of how a large and heavy duty traffic direction signage should not be situated in the middle of a busy pedestrian thoroughfare.
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Solution: A new sign structure is required.
3.15 Obstacles encountered by wheelchair users
In the example show below, there is no obvious route for a wheelchair user to get from Pilgrim street to the Tyne Bridge, that most famous of all Northeast Landmarks.
The signage on the route is no use for any visually impaired pedestrian.
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Solution for wheelchair users: a major redesign
Solution to aid navigation by visually-impaired people: bigger signs, no higher that subway roof height, as well as the installation of the ‘React’ System.
3.16 Wheeled bins (no photograph)
Common problems encountered with wheeled bins are:-
Wheeled bins being left which obstruct pathways, thus preventing the passage of wheelchair users passing on the footpath.
Wheeled bins with no contrasting colour or high visibility attributes also create a major hazard for some visually impaired people.
In each case, the problem is exacerbated when high winds scatter bin contents, to cause even worse obstructions.
Solution: It is considered that these bins are a legal obstruction under the Highways Act and a problem which has been generated by the Local Authority who therefore have the responsibility of solving it. Failure to do so will more than likely result in some form of litigation under the Highways or DD Act.
3.17 Dog fouling
There is still, despite legislation, an unacceptable occurrence of dog fouling. This is an unacceptable environmental hazard for all pathway users but particularly so for visually impaired people who are usually unable to avoid it.
Solution for dog fouling: Legal enforcement.
3.18 Overhanging trees and shrubs
As shown below overhanging tree and shrub vegetation can easily injure and shock pathway users. In wet, or freezing, weather, this can be most unpleasant to pathway users and dangerous for people with a range of impairments, including visually impaired people.
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Solution for overhanging vegetation: enforce those responsible to cut back and clear.