RTS 14 guideline development

Objective

To provide technical expertise into design layouts in RTS 14 for facilities for vision impaired users in New Zealand. The layouts needed to reflected real world environments that designers could use

Client

Land Transport Safety Authority

Location

New Zealand-wide

Deliverable

Working plans for the RTS 14 Guidelines for facilities for blind and vision impaired pedestrians

Timeframe

Project Status

RTS 14 1st ed. published 2003 on LTNZ website. 3rd ed. published in 2015

Background

The project was to provide real intersection and mid-block layouts that practitioners could use to design and implement vision impaired ‘user friendly' facilities. LTSA (now NZTA) recognised that many vision impaired standards used ‘simple' or 'ideal' situations that could not be replicated in most design situations.

Warren Lloyd (now a ViaStrada director, but employed by Christchurch City Council during this project) worked alongside Paul Durdin and Tim Hughes to develop this Road Traffic Standard. The RTS 14 guide is currently available on the NZTA website. 

"As a traffic engineer, it was a responsibility and a privilege to provide the design drawings in my specialist area of expertise. It was great to be part of the RTS 14 team to design good facilities for the blind and vision impaired people across New Zealand."