Data collection
Permanent traffic counters are in continuous operation and monitor traffic levels within Lancashire. This equipment has been installed progressively on cordons around a number of town centres and on screenlines throughout the County from 1997 onwards. These counters provide data of the highest quality and remove the need to rely upon the application of standard seasonal factors.
The assessment of traffic levels has differentiated between those roads for which the County Council is the highway authority, non-core Trunk Roads and the core Trunk Road network. The cordons are located on the perimeters of urban centres at positions where traffic movements into the town centres can best be monitored. The screenlines are located between principal towns.
Urban Cordons and Inter-Urban Screenlines
The traffic data presented in the assessment are 24 hour, 7 day average values and have been analysed on a quarterly basis. At this stage there is insufficient data available to derive factors that could be used with any degree of confidence and so annual traffic levels have been presented. The urban areas that have been assessed are Lancaster and Preston, for which five years data are available, and Accrington and Burnley, for which baseline data are presented. The inter-urban screenlines include Burnley/Pendle, North Rossendale, Preston/Blackburn, Preston/Lancaster, Fylde/Wyre and West Lancashire.
The following abbreviations are used:
AADF - Annual Average Daily Flow
QADF - Quarterly Average Daily Flow
Urban Cordons
NB: Traffic levels during the first half of 1998 were abnormally low due to major sewer works in the city centre, which caused considerable disruption to traffic conditions. Also, traffic levels at specific locations on the cordon between April 2000 and March 2001 were affected by the construction of a new bus station.
|
7 Day, 24 Hour Average Traffic Flow |
||||||||
| Cordon |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
| Lancaster |
92200 |
92300 |
93300 |
92600 |
92800 |
93600 |
93600 |
93800 |
| Preston |
187400 |
188200 |
185100 |
183200 |
179700 |
180900 |
180400 |
180600 |
| Accrington |
|
|
83200 |
82300 |
82300 |
81700 |
81100 |
82300 |
| Burnley |
|
|
152100 |
150000 |
146800 |
147200 |
149300 |
150500 |
Note: Only complete AADF are included in the above table.
Inter-Urban Screenlines
The opening of the M65 extension to M6 and M61 (Blackburn Southern Bypass) is likely to have contributed significantly to the increased flows on this screenline between 1997 and 1998.
The opening of the M65 extension to M6 and M61 (Blackburn Southern Bypass) had a major effect upon traffic levels across the screenline.
|
Screenline Summary |
||||||
| Screenline | Road Type |
7 Day, 24 Hour Average Daily Flow |
||||
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | ||
| Burnley/ Pendle |
All Roads |
75,400 |
75,800 |
78,000 |
80,100 |
81,700 |
| LCC Roads |
75,400 |
75,800 |
78,000 |
80,100 |
81,700 |
|
| North Rossendale |
All Roads |
76500 |
77,000 |
79,600 |
82,600 |
82,800 |
| LCC Roads |
41,000 |
40,800 |
42,000 |
43,500 |
43,400 |
|
| Non Core Trunk Roads |
6,000 |
5,800 |
6,100 |
6,200 |
6200 |
|
| Trunk Roads |
29,500 |
30,400 |
31,500 |
32,900 |
33,200 |
|
| Preston/ Lancaster |
All Roads |
82,100 |
81,800 |
83,600 |
85,000 |
85,900 |
| LCC Roads |
15,300 |
14,900 |
15,300 |
15,400 |
15,000 |
|
| Trunk Roads (including Motorways) |
66,800 |
66,900 |
68,300 |
69,600 |
70,900 |
|
| Preston/ Blackburn |
All Roads |
93,400 |
96,300 |
99,300 |
101,400 |
102,800 |
| LCC Roads |
39,700 |
39,400 |
40,100 |
40,400 |
40,200 |
|
| Non Core Trunk Roads |
12,600 |
14,100 |
14,700 |
13,900 |
13,900 |
|
| Trunk Roads |
41,100 |
42,800 |
44,500 |
47,100 |
48,700 |
|
| Fylde/ Wyre |
All Roads |
110,700 |
110,600 |
114,000 |
115,000 |
114,800 |
| LCC Roads |
55,200 |
53,400 |
53,700 |
55,100 |
54,200 |
|
| Trunk Roads (including Motorways) |
55,500 |
57,200 |
60,300 |
59,900 |
60,600 |
|
| West Lancashire |
All Roads |
44,400 |
44,500 |
44,200 |
45,100 |
45,100 |
| LCC Roads |
15,200 |
15,300 |
15,200 |
15,700 |
15,600 |
|
| Non Core Trunk Roads |
29,200 |
29,200 |
29,200 |
29,400 |
29,500 |
|
Table shows last 5 years data only
Urban Traffic Growth
The urban cordon charts show that in al the urban areas the growth of traffic is below the target maximum growth over the Local Transport Plan period. The growth is measured from the baseline year of 1999. The growth for each urban area is as follows: -
| Town | Growth |
| Accrington |
0% |
| Burnley |
+.033% |
| Lancaster |
+1.30% |
| Preston |
-1.42% |
Annual Traffic Volumes by Types of Road
The analysis of the screenlines by type of road show that the growth in traffic on Lancashire County Council roads is 2.71% since the baseline year of 1999 and the growth on non-trunk core roads is 2.06% over the same period. These are both below the maximum target growth of 1% per annum (5%) in total. The highest growth in traffic is shown on motorways and core trunk roads being 10.85% since the baseline year of 1999.