Workshop TR 6.3, Thursday 22 June, 9.00 - 10.30

Traffic management facilities

Stephen D. Clark, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, UK Matthew W. Page, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, UK  Priority for cycling in an urban traffic control system Traffic signals and other control infrastructure are a common occurrence in many urban areas and many city and regional authorities are beginning to explore ways in which they can use this infrastructure to achieve policy targets. Within the United Kingdom, two developments have come together to facilitate urban cycling. The first is the setting of targets for cycle use in the National Cycling Strategy and the second is the development of a new generation of Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) systems. This paper briefly outlines existing provision for cycling in UTMC type systems and suggest how these techniques for encouraging cycle use can be deployed in a true UTMC system. This evidence is drawn from installations around the world, in areas of high and low cycle use. The negative impacts on cycling of UTMC systems are also highlighted. The paper concludes by providing speculation on how additional priority measures, so far untested, could be used to facilitate and encourage cycle journeys in the urban environment. "If the objective is to promote bicycle-use, a lot of benefits can be gained in the area of traffic-light regulation" CROW (1993).

William Hunter, Research and program evaluation, University of North Carolina, Highway Safety Research Centre, USA David L. Harkey, Transportation Research Engineer, Research and program evaluation University of North Carolina, Highway Safety Research Centre, USA J. Richard Stewart, Senior Statistician, University of North Carolina, Highway Safety Research Centre, USA Mia L. Birk, Senior Associate, Consultant, Alta Transportation Consulting, USA Portland's blue bike lanes: adapting a European treatment to a United States city Many European cities use coloured markings at bicycle-motor vehicle crossings to reduce conflicts. To determine whether such coloured markings help improve safety at American bicycle-motor vehicle crossings, the City of Portland, OR studied the use of blue pavement markings and a novel signing system to delineate selected bicycle-motor vehicle conflict areas. The University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Centre (HSRC), under contract to the Federal Highway Administration, analysed the project data. From 1997 to 1999, Portland marked ten conflict areas with paint and blue thermoplastic and an accompanying "yield to cyclist" sign. The crossings were all locations where the cyclist travels straight and the motorist crosses the bicycle lane to exit a roadway (such as an off-ramp situation), enter an auxiliary right turn lane, or merge onto a street from a ramp. The study used videotape analysis of before and after periods and found most behaviour changes to be positive. In the after period, significantly more motorists yielded to cyclists and slowed or stopped before entering the blue pavement areas, and more cyclists followed the coloured bike lane path. However, the blue pavement also resulted in fewer cyclists turning their heads to scan for traffic or using hand signals, perhaps signifying an increased comfort level. The overwhelming majority of cyclists and close to a majority of motorists surveyed felt the blue areas enhanced safety. Coloured pavement should continue to be used to bring visibility to bicycle-motor vehicle conflict areas and that such areas be further monitored and evaluated.