Case study

Map detail from the RBKC project

The steps to success

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) commissioned Buchanan Order Management to implement a new map-based Traffic Order ParkMap system. This was an important step, watched closely by other London authorities with great interest, since RBKC were the first London authority to choose to replace their text TMO’s with map schedules.

The first task was to accurately reflect the existing on-street restrictions with the restriction data on the map schedules. Secondly the map-based TMO approach needed to be more efficient and cost effective than text Orders. To achieve greater accuracy, RBKC choose to load on-street survey data onto ParkMap rather than use the existing text descriptions from their TMOs.

A second source of on-street survey data was also used to validate this data. Buchanan Order Management’s surveyors were commissioned to check those locations where discrepancies between the different sets of survey data were identified. This provided RBKC with confidence that their map schedules would be accurate and correctly reflect all existing on-street restrictions.

The appearance of the map schedules

Consideration then moved to the look and style of the map schedules. Since RBKC has a high urban density and the majority of its streets have a wide range of restrictions, it was decided to use a map grid of 1:625 at A3, as opposed to the more widely used scale of 1:1250 at A3. Due to the number of restrictions that would need to be represented a separate map legend was used rather than one incorporated into the body of the map schedules.

A balance was determined between adding labels to each map schedule describing restriction days and times of operation and using different line styles for restrictions that were described more fully in the map legend. Too much reliance on labels would have made the map schedules appear cluttered. Alternatively, too many different line styles and a large legend would have made the maps more difficult to interpret. Buchanan Order Management worked on proposals for RBKC’s consideration and approval.

Each of RBKC’s alternative residential parking times is represented as a separate line style

It was decided that each alternative residential parking time would be incorporated into a separate line style and that these would be identified and described within the map legend. This eliminated the need for residential parking labels on the map schedule. A similar approach was taken for ‘no waiting’ restrictions, but a common ‘no waiting’ line style was also labelled within the body of each map schedule displaying its times of operations. Buchanan Order Management chose the style, colour and mapping technique in order to maximise the clarity of the data presented.

The results

The map schedules have been in use since August 2012. See panel (right) for the benefits realised in that time.

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