Oxford Circus really has the X factor - 03 March 2010
The Atkins-designed Oxford Circus diagonal crossing has proven an instant success with reduced pavement congestion, a doubling of walking speeds and one in six visitors using the diagonal routes. According to Transport for London’s (TfL) business model it should generate around £6.5 million in benefits from pedestrian and vehicle journey time savings - recouping its costs inside a year.
The so-called X factor crossing was analysed by Atkins’ pedestrian modelling team, during the Christmas 2009 shopping period. As well as flow improvements, the TfL funded research found that safety had been improved with up to 20 per cent more pedestrians now obeying the crossings’ green man phases. The team concluded this was because pedestrians were less stressed as congestion had been cut, pavement space had increased and the diagonals had added new faster routes across the Circus.
Elspeth Finch, a director with Atkins’ Intelligent Space business and the scheme’s pedestrian modelling consultant said: “The use of a diagonal crossing on such a scale was a first in Europe and the challenge was modelling how people would react to the changes. We approached this by using state of the art computer modelling techniques to analyse the expected behaviour of 5000 virtual visitors and the results now prove our modelling was extremely accurate. In fact journey times were slightly shorter than expected.
“While design solutions will change, this sort of technology is just as applicable to a hospital, a major sporting event or a school - it is all about understanding the routes people want to take and supporting them through design.”
Elspeth unveiled the results during a presentation on the redesign of London’s major public spaces at Ecobuild in London’s Earl Court. The diagonal crossing generated international headlines when it opened on 2 November 2009 as Mayor Boris Johnson hailed it as a ‘triumph for British engineering’. The scheme was jointly funded by TfL and The Crown Estate as a way of making the area work better for the 200 million visitors each year. The project was led by Westminster City Council and TfL and is seen as an excellent example of partnership working. Atkins provided project management, transport & pedestrian modelling and urban design services.
Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London’s transport advisor, said: “Oxford Circus is one of the most popular destinations in the world, but used to be let down by poor design, overcrowding and a general sense of frustration at its most important junction. The new crossing has brought the area into the 21st century by jettisoning unnecessary street clutter and railings, which frees people to move through it in an instinctive and direct way. This is one of dozens of sites across London that the Mayor is funding as part of his focus to improve public spaces. The proof of the pudding is in the eating though as Oxford Circus is now a much more pleasant space for all those who use it."
David Brown, Managing Director for Surface Transport at TfL, said: “This new, world class diagonal crossing, which TfL part-funded, is already showing great benefits for pedestrians who travel through the area every day.
“We are currently analyzing our own research on traffic flows through the area but early results are showing that all road users, including buses, have not been detrimentally affected by the huge benefits that pedestrians are receiving from this crossing.”
Westminster City Councillor Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for city management, said: "The fact the crossing will virtually pay for itself within a year through the benefits to business clearly demonstrates that investing in the West End pays substantial dividends for London's economy. The crossing has dramatically transformed the area and has proved enormously popular with both visitors and businesses. We look forward to leading on yet more high profile and exciting projects as we continue improving central London ahead of 2012."
Atkins is also providing pedestrian modelling services at the Pembury Hospital in Tunbridge Wells which is due to be the first UK hospital to accommodate all of its patients in single rooms rather than open wards. Atkins’ main task was modelling walking distances between rooms to assess the potential impact on clinical care.
You can read more on the BBC website.
Ends
For more information:
Andy Winstanley
Head of media relations +44 (0)1372 752018 / +44 (0)7803 259643
andy.winstanley@atkinsglobal.com
Notes to editors:
Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is one of the world's leading engineering and design consultancies. We have the depth and breadth of technical expertise to respond both to the complex challenges of major infrastructure projects, and the urgent transition to a low-carbon economy. Whether it’s the concept for a new skyscraper, the upgrade of a rail network, the modelling of a flood defence system or the improvement of a management process, we plan, design and enable solutions.
Recent projects include:
• Major infrastructure works, such as the design and programme management of the civil works for the Dubai Metro red and green lines;
• High profile transport planning and urban design – our innovative scheme to deliver a diagonal crossing at London’s Oxford Circus has helped tackle the problem of pedestrian crowding;
• Key rail projects – providing architectural and engineering design services on London’s Crossrail, Europe’s biggest civil engineering project, and designing stations, tunnelling and track systems on Gautrain, South Africa’s first high speed line.
• Multidisciplinary building design – North Wood Primary School in Darlington is an exemplar project which raises standards for environmental design and community engagement;
• Vital water and environmental projects – as part of a joint venture, Atkins is providing technical assistance to the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme in Nigeria, which will benefit up to three million people.
Atkins was named among the 20 Best Big Companies to Work For 2009 by The Sunday Times; The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2009; and The Times Top 50 Companies Where Women Want to Work 2009. The company was construction and civil engineering sector winner for the fourth consecutive year in the Target National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2009 and was named Consultancy of the Year in the CIBSE Low Carbon Performance Awards 2010.
Atkins is the official engineering design services provider for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.