AN EVALUATION OF THE VISUAL IMPACT OF RURAL ROADS AND TRAFFIC

A survey of the visual impact of roads and traffic on the lake district scenery was made in the summer of 1975. Residents and visitors to the lake district were asked to assess views on a cine film using a seven box rating scale. The films showed a number of typical lake district scenes with roads of differing standards superimposed and carrying different amounts of traffic. Ratings became less favourable as the size of the road construction increased but, contrary to the pilot survey, increases in moving traffic had little effect except in the most picturesque locations. Further research on the impact of moving traffic is to be carried out.(a)