Buckinghamshire Highways Asset Management Strategy 2021
Hierarchy
In order to represent each assets’ contribution to our corporate objectives, the county’s highway network is assigned a hierarchy category.
Following the recommendations and principles of the guidance document “Well-managed Highway Infrastructure”, the entire network is categorised as outlined in the table below. The hierarchy enables a risk-based approach by dictating the safety and condition survey regimes and influences the prioritisation of works programmes allowing Buckinghamshire Highways to efficiently maintain a safe network.
The allocation of Hierarchy is carried out using a route-based approach following the guidance below.
Carriageways
| Hierarchy category | Hierarchy name | Description |
|---|---|---|
2 |
Strategic route |
The most heavily trafficked A roads |
3a |
Main distributor |
The remaining heavily trafficked A roads |
3b |
Secondary distributor |
Lightly trafficked A roads, all B roads, heavily trafficked C roads and all traffic-sensitive streets |
4a |
Local inter-connecting (link) road |
Remaining C roads and non traffic-sensitive bus routes |
4b |
Local access road |
Roads providing local access |
Footways
| Hierarchy category | Hierarchy name | Description |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Primary Walking Route |
Busy, urban shopping areas, large offices, transport hubs, and amenities that generate significant footfall (or a combination). |
2 |
Secondary Walking Route |
Medium use routes feeding into Primary Routes, High Streets in smaller towns and local shopping parades in larger towns (over 5 shops). Footways outside schools, amenities and transport hubs that generate moderate footfall. |
3 |
Link Footways |
Connecting footways through urban areas. Footways serving small amenities and single businesses/shops and busy rural footways. |
4 |
Local Access Footways |
Footways associated with low usage estate roads and cul-de-sacs. |
5 |
Rural Footways |
Footways adjacent to rural/semi-rural roads where there are no significant property frontages. |
6 |
Low Use Remote Footways |
Footways not adjacent to highways and some surfaced Public Rights of Way. |
Cycleways
| Hierarchy category | Hierarchy name | Description |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Cycle lane |
Part of the carriageway adjacent to the kerb. |
2 |
Cycle track |
A route for cyclists not touching the public footway or carriageway. |
3 |
Shared cycleway or footway |
Either segregated by a white line/other feature or unsegregated. |
Changes to the hierarchy
The highway network is constantly changing. Therefore, the hierarchy assignments will undergo a continuous review and updating process.
The network will be reviewed through the following means:
- New and Adopted Streets
- Changes in use or traffic flows
- Applications for change to the hierarchy categories
New and adopted streets will be assigned a hierarchy category consistent with adjacent streets in accordance to a route-based approach. Changes in use or traffic flows may prompt a review of the road and associated route’s hierarchy. Local Area Technicians and Local Members may apply to change the hierarchy of a section of the carriageway. This will be dealt with in the same way as for newly adopted streets.
The allocation of roads within the hierarchy will be periodically reviewed at a network level and revised to reflect local factors and influence to best represent the network’s contribution to the council’s Strategic Objectives. This will include identifying those assets which are critical to the operation of the network to maximise availability of the network.