What are streets for? What story should they tell? Featuring Ben Hamilton-Baillie. Produced by Martin Cassini in association with Maniac Films.
Showing posts with label Crosswalks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crosswalks. Show all posts
Friday, May 22, 2015
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Shared Space pedestrian and traffic interaction, Bern, Switzerland
"Free-flowing pedestrian and traffic flows along this busy suburban arterial route into Bern. illustrates the potential for improving pedestrian flows where a low-speed traffic environment has been created. Road carries over 20,000 vehicles per day. First three years of this and similar schemes have seen traffic flows improve, pedestrian delays reduced and significant improvements in accident rates. All former signal-controlled pedestrian crossings were removed."[Ben Hamilton-Baillie and Fritz Kobi]
[Note the children's play structure with bouncing kids at the roundabout in the background. Also the emergency vehicle @ 4:23 min. shows how the pedestriam median refuge is mountable in emergencies. ]
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Blind man slams Coventry 'shared space' junctions
By Tina JundayNov 23 2011
...Coventry City Council has ditched traffic lights in eight busy junctions and put in 20mph speed limits to give drivers and pedestrians equal priority as part of a “shared space” scheme.
Council leaders say the schemes will lead to road users paying more attention and make the city centre safer, more attractive and pedestrian-friendly. But Jim Smallman, aged 62, of Green Lane, Finham, says the European-style changes have created “no-go areas” for the blind.
Read More http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2011/11/23/blind-man-slams-coventry-shared-space-junctions-92746-29827275/#ixzz1eaBb4icJ
...Coventry City Council has ditched traffic lights in eight busy junctions and put in 20mph speed limits to give drivers and pedestrians equal priority as part of a “shared space” scheme.
Council leaders say the schemes will lead to road users paying more attention and make the city centre safer, more attractive and pedestrian-friendly. But Jim Smallman, aged 62, of Green Lane, Finham, says the European-style changes have created “no-go areas” for the blind.
Read More http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2011/11/23/blind-man-slams-coventry-shared-space-junctions-92746-29827275/#ixzz1eaBb4icJ
Monday, October 19, 2009
Traffic light failure reduces jams
TRAFFIC light failure at one of Winchester’s busiest junctions produced a surprise result – fewer jams. [ Hampshire Chronicle 18th October 2009 ]
The fault occurred early on Tuesday (October 13) where Southgate Street meets High Street.
The bottleneck often forces drivers to queue for several hundred yards along Southgate Street and the city’s one-way system.
Yet there were only a handful of vehicles on both sides of the junction while the lights were broken. There were also no reports of accidents.
Nearby traders, who see the jams on a daily basis, said the traffic was much lighter.
Matt Lunney, a negotiator at Pearsons estate agents in Southgate Street, noticed the difference.
He said: “Everything is settling down and there’s only been one or two people going a bit too fast along Southgate Street.
“The traffic isn’t too bad. It often goes back a fair way from here but that doesn’t seem to have happened this morning.”
Across the road, Susan Whyman runs the Childhood’s Dream toyshop, and said traffic was flowing freely.
She said: “I drove through it to get to work this morning. There doesn’t seem to be any trouble outside but I’m not sure if it would stay that way if a large truck came around the corner.”
Along with lorries, many buses also use the junction, including the Bluestar 1 service to Southampton.
Alan Weeks of the Winchester City Residents’ Association often rides the bus into town, and went through the affected junction. While vehicles were doing fine, he said it was risky for pedestrians.
“The people crossing the road were taking their life in their hands, as there weren’t any gaps in the traffic,” he said.
Winchester Friends of the Earth spokesman, Chris Gillham, said they wanted pedestrians to have more priority over cars.
One idea to achieve this in Winchester is ‘shared space’, which includes reducing street furniture.
Mr Gillham said they would support having fewer traffic lights, not just as part of the scheme, but to reduce street clutter too.
County council engineers fixed the fault before Tuesday evening’s rush hour. Traffic returned to normal the next day, with longer queues.
The county council was asked if it might consider switching them back off as an experiment, but it said it would compromise pedestrian safety.
Apart from the Southgate Street lights, there are nine further sets on Winchester’s one-way system in Union, Eastgate, Upper Brook, St George’s and Jewry Streets, along with North Walls and Friarsgate.
The fault occurred early on Tuesday (October 13) where Southgate Street meets High Street.
The bottleneck often forces drivers to queue for several hundred yards along Southgate Street and the city’s one-way system.
Yet there were only a handful of vehicles on both sides of the junction while the lights were broken. There were also no reports of accidents.
Nearby traders, who see the jams on a daily basis, said the traffic was much lighter.
Matt Lunney, a negotiator at Pearsons estate agents in Southgate Street, noticed the difference.
He said: “Everything is settling down and there’s only been one or two people going a bit too fast along Southgate Street.
“The traffic isn’t too bad. It often goes back a fair way from here but that doesn’t seem to have happened this morning.”
Across the road, Susan Whyman runs the Childhood’s Dream toyshop, and said traffic was flowing freely.
She said: “I drove through it to get to work this morning. There doesn’t seem to be any trouble outside but I’m not sure if it would stay that way if a large truck came around the corner.”
Along with lorries, many buses also use the junction, including the Bluestar 1 service to Southampton.
Alan Weeks of the Winchester City Residents’ Association often rides the bus into town, and went through the affected junction. While vehicles were doing fine, he said it was risky for pedestrians.
“The people crossing the road were taking their life in their hands, as there weren’t any gaps in the traffic,” he said.
Winchester Friends of the Earth spokesman, Chris Gillham, said they wanted pedestrians to have more priority over cars.
One idea to achieve this in Winchester is ‘shared space’, which includes reducing street furniture.
Mr Gillham said they would support having fewer traffic lights, not just as part of the scheme, but to reduce street clutter too.
County council engineers fixed the fault before Tuesday evening’s rush hour. Traffic returned to normal the next day, with longer queues.
The county council was asked if it might consider switching them back off as an experiment, but it said it would compromise pedestrian safety.
Apart from the Southgate Street lights, there are nine further sets on Winchester’s one-way system in Union, Eastgate, Upper Brook, St George’s and Jewry Streets, along with North Walls and Friarsgate.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Pedestrian Safety in Sweden
"...The main result was that crossing at intersections where there is zebra marking seems to result in higher risk for an individual pedestrian than crossing at other intersections. It was also shown that signalized intersections do not provide a safe crossing situation for pedestrians...
...The general explanation to these remarkable results was that pedestrians experience a false feeling of safety when protected by zebra marking or signalization. Another way of expressing it could be that pedestrians cross more carefully when no help is provided...
...The conclusion from most recent research is that there is a need to guarantee either completeseparation between pedestrians and vehicular traffic, or create good conditions for properinteraction between the pedestrian and the driver... " [more]
...The general explanation to these remarkable results was that pedestrians experience a false feeling of safety when protected by zebra marking or signalization. Another way of expressing it could be that pedestrians cross more carefully when no help is provided...
...The conclusion from most recent research is that there is a need to guarantee either completeseparation between pedestrians and vehicular traffic, or create good conditions for properinteraction between the pedestrian and the driver... " [more]
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Main Street Dims Its Lights
Ashland's award-winning investigative reporter Bob Plain who for many years sleuthed for the Daily Tidings "City Beat" has returned to his hometown of East Greenwich, RI and is now Managing Editor of a newly-launched online local newspaper My02818.com .
A recent article shows that East Geenwich is, like Ashland, having ideas about street lighting, sustainability and safety issues.
Main Street Dims Its Lights
"...“We wanted to see if the cobra lights are really needed,” he said. “If people decide it’s not working, we’ll change it back.”The idea percolated out of the Downtown Planning Initiative, a subcommittee of the East Greenwich Planning Board. The town council approved the idea in December and National Grid turned off the cobra lights last week.He said the change will also save the town money on its electric bill and said the reduced light will have a “natural traffic calming effect” on Main Street. “Traffic will definitely slow down”... [more]
Another article in the newspaper shows that they too are also looking at light rail options for their community.
article: An East Greenwich Train Station
"...East Greenwich and the state have expressed interest in locating a rail station in East Greenwich since 2004, and some conceptual groundwork for transit-oriented development zones in town has already been completed..."
[more]
A recent article shows that East Geenwich is, like Ashland, having ideas about street lighting, sustainability and safety issues.
Main Street Dims Its Lights
"...“We wanted to see if the cobra lights are really needed,” he said. “If people decide it’s not working, we’ll change it back.”The idea percolated out of the Downtown Planning Initiative, a subcommittee of the East Greenwich Planning Board. The town council approved the idea in December and National Grid turned off the cobra lights last week.He said the change will also save the town money on its electric bill and said the reduced light will have a “natural traffic calming effect” on Main Street. “Traffic will definitely slow down”... [more]
Another article in the newspaper shows that they too are also looking at light rail options for their community.
article: An East Greenwich Train Station
"...East Greenwich and the state have expressed interest in locating a rail station in East Greenwich since 2004, and some conceptual groundwork for transit-oriented development zones in town has already been completed..."
[more]
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
In Ashland, Cars Rule - OK?
A local resident recently wrote to the Editor of Ashland's Daily Tidings newspaper:
Pedestrians, save gas by not making traffic stop for you
Pedestrians! Don't make autos stop for you at crosswalks! Although autos are required by law to stop for pedestrians, we'd use less gasoline and create less pollution if pedestrians waited for traffic to clear before crossing, or walked half a block to the closest stoplight...So all you oh-so-green Ashlanders, do your bit to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lessen the risk of global warming — don't make vehicles stop for you at crosswalks!
read entire letter at [link]
Perhaps a better solution might be to eliminate all the traffic signals and reduce the speed of vehicles such that pedestrians could safely cross anywhere between the slow-moving traffic. Drivers would be watching the pedestrians rather than the green-for-GO signal above them.
Sounds like - Shared space ! see video - Introduction to Shared Space
Pedestrians, save gas by not making traffic stop for you
Pedestrians! Don't make autos stop for you at crosswalks! Although autos are required by law to stop for pedestrians, we'd use less gasoline and create less pollution if pedestrians waited for traffic to clear before crossing, or walked half a block to the closest stoplight...So all you oh-so-green Ashlanders, do your bit to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lessen the risk of global warming — don't make vehicles stop for you at crosswalks!
read entire letter at [link]
Perhaps a better solution might be to eliminate all the traffic signals and reduce the speed of vehicles such that pedestrians could safely cross anywhere between the slow-moving traffic. Drivers would be watching the pedestrians rather than the green-for-GO signal above them.
Sounds like - Shared space ! see video - Introduction to Shared Space
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Just step out, pedestrians are told. Drivers will stop
Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent , The Times
Pedestrians are being encouraged to walk out in front of cars and traffic lights have been removed in a unique experiment on Britain’s roads.
Drivers no longer have the right of way on the ring road in Ashford, Kent, and have to negotiate their way across junctions, with no signs or lines to guide them. All road users, whether travelling on foot, by bicycle, car or bus, have equal priority and must use eye contact to decide who goes first...
...But Ashford is the first place to introduce the purest form of shared space, under which traffic lights are considered not only unnecessary but a potential cause of collisions.
The theory is that lights lull people into a false sense of security, meaning that they pay less attention on a green light and fail to notice someone stepping off the pavement.... [more]
Videos here and here
Pedestrians are being encouraged to walk out in front of cars and traffic lights have been removed in a unique experiment on Britain’s roads.
Drivers no longer have the right of way on the ring road in Ashford, Kent, and have to negotiate their way across junctions, with no signs or lines to guide them. All road users, whether travelling on foot, by bicycle, car or bus, have equal priority and must use eye contact to decide who goes first...
...But Ashford is the first place to introduce the purest form of shared space, under which traffic lights are considered not only unnecessary but a potential cause of collisions.
The theory is that lights lull people into a false sense of security, meaning that they pay less attention on a green light and fail to notice someone stepping off the pavement.... [more]
Videos here and here
Cities try to improve crosswalk safety
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
Cities alarmed by deaths and injuries of pedestrians are ramping up efforts to make crosswalks safer for people on foot, especially seniors and children who need more time to cross streets.
A pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash in the USA every 110 minutes; one is injured every nine minutes, according to federal data. Crosswalks can be especially perilous for the elderly. ..
In 2006, 471 pedestrians nationwide were killed in crosswalks, down slightly from 488 10 years earlier, according to the NHTSA. Several factors contribute to danger at crosswalks:
•Highways are designed and built primarily to accommodate vehicles, not pedestrians.
•Most pedestrian accidents at intersections involve turning vehicles. Drivers who routinely fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks run little risk of being cited unless they actually strike a pedestrian.
•About one-third of pedestrian deaths result from their disobeying traffic signals or using poor judgment, according to federal data.
see story of yet another crosswalk accident in Ashland on Feb. 18. 2009 :
Car Hits Woman Crossing
Cities alarmed by deaths and injuries of pedestrians are ramping up efforts to make crosswalks safer for people on foot, especially seniors and children who need more time to cross streets.
A pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash in the USA every 110 minutes; one is injured every nine minutes, according to federal data. Crosswalks can be especially perilous for the elderly. ..
In 2006, 471 pedestrians nationwide were killed in crosswalks, down slightly from 488 10 years earlier, according to the NHTSA. Several factors contribute to danger at crosswalks:
•Highways are designed and built primarily to accommodate vehicles, not pedestrians.
•Most pedestrian accidents at intersections involve turning vehicles. Drivers who routinely fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks run little risk of being cited unless they actually strike a pedestrian.
•About one-third of pedestrian deaths result from their disobeying traffic signals or using poor judgment, according to federal data.
see story of yet another crosswalk accident in Ashland on Feb. 18. 2009 :
Car Hits Woman Crossing
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