Robert Thomas’ Post

👋 There’s some high-vis about Hay Street East! 👷♂️👷♀️🚧 We’re converting Hay Street to a two-way street between Bennett Street and Victoria Avenue to make it easier for you to get around your city. The new two-way design will deliver better traffic flow, improved parking bay access and pram ramps, more street trees and better street lighting. The works are taking place in stages over the coming months. So on the way to a better street, there’ll be a few disruptions that we’ll do our best to minimise – you can expect some noise, speed restrictions and some restricted accesses for vehicles and pedestrians. By the way, this isn’t our first road-eo – our Two-Way Street Program has previously delivered the successful conversion of city streets like William Street, Beaufort Street and Barrack Street. More at: https://lnkd.in/gs-iWTkt

Having recently travelled through Euston to visit family, thorugh a congested and overcrowded concourse, the experience contrasts with distant memories taking the opposite journey as a child, excitedly arriving into London from Scotland having travelled on one of the new InterCity HSTs at the time. The level of passenger growth has far exceeded the stations ability to cope and has come to typify the poor experience of using Euston today, as I read in the recent Guardian article https://lnkd.in/e6PPNhR2 , as well as Hugh Pearmans recent Instagram post; https://lnkd.in/eJ85S2e2 The original Euston station represented the very cutting edge of passenger transport, opening in 1837 as part of the London & Birmingham Railway Company, but by the 1960's, had no room to grow and was replaced by the current station built in conjunction with the electrification of the West Coast line. After 50+ years in operation the 'new' station is now outdated and dangerously overcrowded, it's replacement long overdue and has never been well integrated with the other interchange modes of transport. The front door is physically remote from Euston Road compounding the discomfort, lack of orientation, navigation and delivers a poor customer experience beyond the station itself. While work was done to de-clutter and improve movement through the concourse in the mid 2010's, funded in part through enhanced retail and a new mezzanine seating area, this was intended a short term solution ahead of the badly needed renewal by HS2. For a while, the decluttered concourse had space to breathe again and the clerestory glazing allowed light to spill down onto the serpentine flooring with visual connections reintroduced to the outside at ground level, more recent additions however have begun to clutter the space again and connections lost. What is needed is a new, joined-up and integrated facility, one that properly stitches into the urban fabric, connects with community and city beyond. At the heart of a properly considered masterplan which properly considers all the multi modal interchange demands; Euston could be one of the best connected and vibrant neighbourhoods. It is possible to deliver that and there is evidence of just such an endeavour with John McAslan + Partners design at Kings Cross and the recently opened Belfast Grand Central, delivering a step free integrated transport hub, filled with light and ease of movement. Grand Central sits at the heart of a new residential led and mixed use neighbourhood, arranged around public spaces, pedestrian connectivity and active travel into the local community and wider city. So, I hope that before too long, a third incarnation of Euston is one which contributes to the city, is placemaking and once again represents a new era in railway history on these islands, this time not just for the short term, but for generations to come.

The FIRST post in my "32 days of Case Studies in Retrofitting Suburbia" project, undertaken in the weeks leading up to my keynote in March at ULI Australia's National Conference: Case Study II.1: Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA, USA One tactic towards improving public health is to prevent injuries in the first place, through design. Before retrofitting, the Aurora Avenue North corridor, north of Seattle, was a typical suburban arterial road, a classic “auto mile,” of car dealerships and box stores, dangerous to pedestrians. New crosswalks, sidewalks, greened medians, enhanced lighting, and bus rapid transit in dedicated lanes dramatically improved the corridor’s safety and performance. As the ULI’s 2016 report “Building Healthy Corridors: Transforming Urban and Suburban Arterials into Thriving Places” reminds us, 40% of children in the US walked to school in 1969, and only 13% did in 2009. Similarly, 9.9% of commuters walked to work in 1960 and only 2.8% did so in 2013. If we want to reduce car dependence and increase levels of walking, we must retrofit more streets for safety. Image: The Shoreline Interurban Trail Bridge, by CH2MHill Engineers, Clinkston Brunner Architects and Hough Beck Baird Inc., featuring public artwork by Vicki Scuri SiteWorks. #RetrofittingSuburbia #urbandesign #urbandevelopment #DisruptAutomobileDependence #ImprovePublicHealth ULI Australia Suburban Futures Ellen Dunham-Jones Mike Day of Hatch

Essential Tampa Parking Lot Signs and Their Importance Tampa parking lot signs can enhance your property in countless ways, improving safety, accessibility and curb appeal. You can consider installing many types of signs, and requirements to remain code-compliant will vary based on the type of property you have and the design of your parking lot. However, there are also several essential parking lot signs every parking lot needs...https://lnkd.in/eCSUSGe3

The strategic plan for a commercial district with an international identity offers a new approach to suburban retrofit based on a string of parking lot transformations.

🚧 NSW’s New Design of Roads and Streets Manual 🚧 There’s been a lot of excitement around the launch of Transport for NSW’s updated manual! To make it easier, we’ve taken the time to summarize the key changes. How do these updates impact your work or community? Let’s discuss! #CrossleyTP #GuidingCommunities #StreetDesign #UrbanPlanning #MovementandPlace

𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘁: 𝗔 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 How do you create something that truly stands out? We believe every project is an opportunity to make a difference. The Mace Parking Lot in Eagle, ID isn’t just a place to park—it’s a thoughtfully designed space that connects the community to the Boise River and the Eagle Greenbelt. Here’s what made it special: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Feedback from Eagle residents shaped the final design, ensuring the parking lot meets local needs. 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲: The design addressed floodplain constraints, wetlands, and incorporated sustainable grading practices. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆: ADA-compliant stalls and safe road access make the lot welcoming and functional for all visitors. This parking lot might be small, but its impact is anything but. It’s a gateway to nature, a model of thoughtful design, and a reflection of HECO Engineers’ commitment to excellence. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? Let’s talk about how thoughtful engineering can elevate your next project.

Reimagining Your Street How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.

Purpose Of Setback (Concluding Part) This include: 1. Safety: Setbacks promote safety by reducing fire hazards and allowing adequate access for emergency vehicles between buildings. 2. Aesthetics: They help preserve neighborhood character and aesthetics by preventing overcrowding and maintaining open spaces. For more on purpose of Setback, advantages of Setbacks including it's conclusion please visit https://lnkd.in/dBr5Wmzc or scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and click on YouTube icon to visit our YouTube channel for it and previous property's article video.

What if pedestrian safety feature could be turned into statement designs that improve safety as much as they appeal to residents and visitors? The City of Palm Desert invested $1 million into enhancing walkability and calming traffic along El Paseo Drive, its iconic shopping and entertainment destination. Our design, engineering, and project management for these improvements included: 👀 High-visibility crosswalks at intersections ♿ Updated ADA-accessible ramps 🚶 Painted bulb-outs to shorten crossing distances ⚠️ Bright speed tables at mid-block crossings with RRFB signals The goal? Boosting pedestrian safety and promoting multi-modal transportation in this vibrant area. What street enhancements would you like to see in your city? #InterwestConsulting #CaseStudy #TransportationDesign #SAFEbuilt #CommunityDevelopment #CityEngineering #TrafficEngineering