Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety and Mobility in Europe

International Scan on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility:

May 2009

Sponsored byFederal Highway Administration (FHWA)

American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)N C H R P

Outline

1. Introduction2. General Findings: broader issues and themes that

provide context for later details3. Key Findings: details for the 5E’s

– Engineering– Education– Enforcement– Encouragement– Evaluation (Monitoring)

4. Recommendations2Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Scan Team• Ed Fischer Traffic Safety Engineer Oregon DOT• Gabe Rousseau Bike/Ped Program Mgr. -FHWA• Shawn Turner (Report Facilitator), Texas Transportation

Institute• Ernie Blais, FHWA, Vermont Division• Cindy Engelhart, Virginia DOT• David Henderson, Miami Dade County MPO‐• Jon Kaplan, Bike/Ped Program Mgr. - Vermont AOT• Kit Keller, Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals• James Mackay, Bicycle Technical Committee, National

Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices• Priscilla Tobias,Traffic Safety Enginer Illinois DOT• Diane Wigle, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration• Charlie Zegeer, The University of North Carolina Highway

Safety Research Center

Scan Tour Objectives

• Improving Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility– Policy– Engineering– Education– Enforcement

• Safe Routes to School Programs• Monitoring Usage Levels and Exposure• Safety Research and Evaluation

4Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

May 2009 Scan Tour

5

Bristol London

Berlin

Potsdam

Winterthur

Bern

Copenhagen

Malmö

Lund

Nakskov

Sweden

United Kingdom

Denmark

Germany

Switzerland

City Populations• Bern, CH – 343,600• Winterthur, CH – 100,000• Copenhagen, DK – 520,000• Nakskov, DK – 14,000• Lund, SE – 76,000• Malmo, SE – 290,000• Berlin, GE – 3.4M• Potsdam, GE – 152,000• Bristol, UK – 421,000• London, UK – 7.5M

Deliberate Combinationof Policies and Practices

• Urban and land use policy• Political support at all levels, not just staff• Motor vehicle operating costs• Parking policies• Enforcement policies• Street design hierarchy• Integration with public transport• Connected on-street and off-street networks• Traffic safety education for children• Many other details that make walking and bicycling easy,

convenient, and enjoyable8Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Historical Perspective


Bic

yclin

g M

ode

Sha

re -

%

Conscious Effort to Change

• Forty years ago Copenhagen was just as car-clogged as anywhere else but now 37% of commuters crossing the city boundary ride bicycles each day. That number rises to 55% in the city proper. Copenhagenizing is possible anywhere.

www.copenhagenize.com

Winterthur, Switzerland


(Source: Presentation by Stefan Gerber, City of Winterthur, Switzerland)

Pedestrian Priority Zone inHistorical City Center, 2009

Winterthur, Switzerland

12(Source: Presentation by Stefan Gerber, City of Winterthur, Switzerland)

1955 1970

20001980

Strøget, Copenhagen, 1960


Source: Gehl and Gemzøe, New City Spaces, 2000

Strøget, Copenhagen, 2000


Source: Gehl and Gemzøe, New City Spaces, 2000

Bern, Switzerland, 1960s/70s

15Introduction General Findings Key Findings RecommendationsSource: http://www.parlament.ch

Bern, Switzerland, 2009


Safety-in-Numbers(Awareness-in-Numbers)

• When pedestrians and bicyclists are a common element on/along streets, motorists expect their presence

• For this reason, biking and walking is actively promoted beyond providing “asphalt and concrete”


Engineering Measures for Pedestrians

• Passive detection to call, truncate, extend, or cancel pedestrian phase (PUFFIN signal)

• Near-side pedestrian signal heads


Engineering Measures for Pedestrians

• Crossing islands• Railing to direct

pedestrians to preferred crossing locations

• Raised crosswalks at unsignalized crossings


Pedestrian Refuge - Bern

Ped Crossing - Bristol

Engineering Measures for Bicyclists

Intersection safety• Convex mirrors• Advanced stop bars• Bicycle-specific traffic signals• Bike boxes


Advanced stop line - Copenhagen

Bike Box - London

Bike Signals – Copenhagen/Berlin


Separated facilities• Cycle tracks• Cycle paths


Cycle Track - Copenhagen


Pavement markings• Dashed bike lanes through

intersections• Color at conflict points• Longitudinal bike symbols


Bike lane - Berlin

Bike lane - Berlin

Low-Speed Street Design

• Residential and commercial areas• 20 mph, 20 to 30 kilometers per hour• 4 conditions for use


Pedestrian Shopping Street - Winterthur

Widespread Photo Enforcement

• Not just a tool for motor vehicle safety

• Better motorist compliance with speed limits and traffic signals improves walking and biking safety


Traffic Safety Education

• Pervasive, widespread, ongoing education programs for children

• Participation from wide range of agencies and organizations

• Branded traffic safety campaigns


http://www.trafficclub.co.uk/index.php

Traffic Garden - Winterthur

Encouragement

• Promotion was important for both mode share and safety goals

• Variety of programs and activities– Route signing and maps– Online travel planners– Employer-sponsored programs (bike-to-work)– Public health-sponsored programs– Government marketing campaigns


Wayfinding Signs

Integration With Public Transport• Plentiful, convenient

bike parking at stations

• Bikes on trains & buses, even during peaks

• Bike rental or sharing near stations

• Channels/ramps on stairways for bike access


Transit Center - Bern

Evaluation (Monitoring)

• Regular performance reports that measure progress toward policy goals– Pedestrian and bicyclist

mode share– Pedestrian and bicyclist

safety

• “Showcase” counters in highly visible location


Path Amenities - Sweden

Wind Power - Sweden

Working Bikes - Copenhagen

Public Life

Recommended Implementation

1. Establish policies that gives biking & walking modes highest priority in the road user hierarchy– Collect transportation and land use policies and

strategic plans– Draft examples of successful policies



2. Develop & implement a performance reporting program that regularly measures progress toward stated goals

– Performance measure framework– Data collection systems



3. Deploy engineering measures for pedestrian and bicyclist safety (under consideration)– Passive detection– Accessible confirmation for ped pushbuttons– Crossing islands– Raised crosswalks at unsignalized ped crossings– Convex mirrors– Advanced stop bars for bike lanes– Separated facilities– Bicyclist pavement markings



4. Evaluate engineering measures in US context (under consideration)– Near side pedestrian signals– Near side traffic signals at midblock pedestrian

crossing– Bike boxes– Bicycle traffic signals



5. Evaluate applicability of lower-speed street design in commercial and residential areas

6. Develop guidance on best practices for integrating biking and walking with public transit

– Review available TCRP synthesis/case studies



7. Institutionalize ongoing traffic safety education at an early age

8. Unify all US traffic safety campaigns under a single national brand

9. Promote the use of photo enforcement as a tool to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety

10.Develop & implement programs that encourage and enable regular walking and biking


Next Steps

• Scan team identified numerous approaches

• Have already started implementation phase

• Will also rely on “champions” in the U.S. to implement policies and practices


WANTED:CHAMPIONS

Implementation in Vermont

1. Wider use of pedestrian refuges to enhance crossing safety

2. Passive detection incorporated into ped signals

3. Regional “Traffic Garden” for youth to practice on-road cycling skills

4. Crash data/bike-ped count report5. Enhanced bicycle/public transit coordination
