Figure 10 - from "CITIES SAFER BY DESIGN Guidance and Examples to Promote Traffic Safety through Urban and Street Design VERSION 1.0 SUSTAINABLE CITIES"

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Comparison in 800-meter radius walking catchment in different street connectivity scenarios (compact grid vs. sprawling suburb).

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raben man

CITIES SAFER BY DESIGN Guidance and Examples to Promote Traffic Safety through Urban and Street Design VERSION 1.0 SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Abstract: Develop mixed land uses, smaller blocks, ground-floor activities, and nearby public facilities that reduce overall exposure to traffic crashes from less vehicle travel. Integrate proven measures such as speed humps, chicanes, chokers, refuge islands, traffic circles, shared streets, and other street design applications that can reinforce safety. Arterial corridors that ensure safer conditions for all road users Improve arterials and other main streets to ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, mass transit as well as motor vehicle drivers through reduced crossing distances, lead pedestrian intervals, refuge islands and medians, safe turning movements, and lane alignments. Consistent designs should create a forgiving road environment with the least surprises for the road user, especially for vulnerable users. A Note on the Road-Testing Process Version 1.0 allows for a "road test" to work with designers, auditors, project managers, policy makers, and other stakeholders involved in the way streets and communities are designed. During this road-test period, we will learn how the guide can be applied in cities and complete a review to improve it further. This road test will include workshops, use in road safety audits and inspections, black spot (also known as hot spots, or high crash locations) treatment, and application to on-the-ground projects in coordination with city planners and officials. This process will occur across several countries and cities. It will seek out more examples that can explain real-world application of evidence-based measures, as well as additional evidence from different areas of the world to enhance the global understanding of safer design. Those interested in providing feedback, examples of good practices, and evidence can contact the project team through our email address:

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Related Papers

Robin King

Cities Safer by Design

Abstract: Beijing, China Urban design that reduces the need for vehicle travel and fosters safer vehicle speeds Develop mixed land uses, smaller blocks, ground-floor activities, and nearby public facilities that reduce overall exposure to traffic crashes from less vehicle travel. Medellín, Colombia Traffic calming measures that reduce vehicle speeds or allow safer crossings Integrate proven measures such as speed humps, chicanes, chokers, refuge islands, traffic circles, shared streets, and other street design applications that can reinforce safety. Mexico City, Mexico Arterial corridors that ensure safer conditions for all road users Improve arterials and other main streets to ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, mass transit as well as motor vehicle drivers through reduced crossing distances, lead pedestrian intervals, refuge islands and medians, safe turning movements, and lane alignments. Consistent designs should create a forgiving road environment with the least surprises for the road user, especially for vulnerable users. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil A network of connected and specially designed bicycling infrastructure Design accessible, bicycle-friendly streets that include protected bike lanes or cycle tracks and connected networks. Pay special attention to reducing conflicts at junctions between cyclists and turning vehicles. Istanbul, Turkey Safe pedestrian facilities and access to public spaces Provide quality space for pedestrians through sidewalks and street space, as well as access to parks, plazas, schools, and other key public spaces. Design these spaces to be attractive for pedestrians. Ahmedabad, India Safe access to mass transport corridors, stations, and stops Improve access to transit, in part by avoiding physical barriers. Create a safe and secure interchange environment.

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Eric Dumbaugh

Design of Safe Urban Roadsides: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract: To date, there has been little examination of the area of roadside safety on nonfreeway urban roads. To understand better the design of safe roadsides in urban environments, this study used negative binomial regression models to examine the safety effects of three roadside design strategies: widening paved shoulders, widening fixed-object offsets, and providing livable-street treatments. The model results indicated that of the three strategies, only the livable-streets variable was consistently and negatively associated with reductions in roadside and midblock crashes. Wider shoulders were found to increase roadside and midblock crashes, while unpaved fixed-object offsets had a mixed safety effect by decreasing roadside crashes but having a slightly positive effect on mid-block crashes. To understand better the reasons for these findings, this study then examined roadside crash site locations for tree and utility pole crashes. It found that the majority (between 65% and 83%) did not involve random midblock encroachments, as currently assumed, but instead involved objects located behind both driveways and side streets along higher-speed urban arterials. Collectively, these findings suggest that most urban roadside crashes are not the result of random error but are instead systematically encoded into the design of the roadway. The study concluded by distinguishing between random and systematic driver errors and by discussing strategies for eliminating systematic error while minimizing the consequences of random error.

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Eric Dumbaugh, Eric Dumbaugh

Designing for the Safety of Pedestrians, Cyclists, and Motorists in Urban Environments

Abstract: Problem: While design solutions aimed at enhancing the safety of pedestrians are viewed as being incompatible with those intended to improve the safety of motorists, there has been little meaningful evaluation of the issue. Instead, this disagreement is based largely on the theoretical assertion that traffic crashes are the result of random driver error, and that the only certain means for addressing safety is to design roadways to be forgiving of these errors when they occur. This perspective overlooks the possibility that crashes may instead be the product of systematic patterns of behavior associated with the characteristics of the built environment. Purpose: This study sought to discover whether urban crash incidence is the product of random error, or whether it may be influenced by characteristics of the built environment. Methods: We used negative binomial regression models to examine the relationship between several aspects of the built environment and the incidence of crashes involving motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. We further subdivided motorist crashes into multiple-vehicle, fixed-object, and parked-car crashes to determine if these crash types had unique characteristics. Results and conclusions: We used vehicle miles of travel as a proxy for random error and found it to be positively, but weakly, associated with crashes involving motorists and pedestrians. We found stronger associations between crashes and characteristics of the built environment. We found miles of arterial roadways and numbers of four-leg intersections, strip commercial uses,

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