Description: Through time many streets have become the victims of street clutter as a result of the inclusion of excessive amounts of street furniture: conventional parking and direction signs, advertising, and ad hoc signing to reduce specific inappropriate activities. Each of these combine to create a foreground that is confused and cluttered, where all emphasis has been taken away from a pleasant built environment. In particular much of the street signing has been implemented at different times, responding to the immediate needs of the street. It is important to strike a balance between essential signing and unnecessary, unsightly clutter.

Issue: This has always been a dilemma for traffic engineers who are responsible for both providing information to road users and maintaining highway safety, though no signs are required by Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions (TSRGD) 2002 per se. There is increasing realisation of the intrinsic value that a quality uncluttered street environment brings to its surroundings, and designers should start from a position of having no signs, and introduce them only where they have a clear function.

Strategy:

The Erith sign reduction scheme included the following process:

Sign and post inventory gathering
An inventory of existing signs and posts within a defined area of study was taken and the data recorded on a plan to an appropriate scale. Positions for signs and posts were sited on plans, numbered and labelled to match or correspond with their pictures. Sign locations and picture records become vital when examining options for the amalgamation of some signs.

Eliminating unnecessary signs and posts
A group of engineers and highways council officers with local knowledge walked the scheme to decide which signs and posts needed to be removed. At this stage unwanted street bollards and other signs like street names were recommended for removal.

Rationalising of signage
Once unnecessary signage had been removed, there was then a rationalisation of any remaining signs, and those that could be amalgamated into one were combined. Where combined signs met the road safety standards but not the TSRGD legislation 2002, then special dispensation was requested from the Department of Transport. On many occasions, ‘direction’ signs were repeated too often and were combined and located strategically.

Outcome: The outcome of the project has been perceived as a success by the local authority as the character of the street has been greatly enhanced by the reduction in street signage clutter without the need to reduce vehicle safety. However, suggestions for future schemes to reduce sign clutter are to include urban designers in the process, eliminating unnecessary signs and posts and exploring opportunities to mount signs on buildings and existing posts, and reduce yellow lines.