Bill Mount

Development and Implementation of a Vehicle–Pedestrian Conflict Analysis Method: Adaptation of a Vehicle–Vehicle Technique

This paper examines the development, use, and evaluation of a new traffic conflict analysis technique that specifically addresses pedestrian–vehicle conflicts with the intention of being applicable to shared-space environments. The method is based on an existing, well-established, and widely used vehicle–vehicle conflict analysis technique, but is adapted to consider the movement of pedestrians, which differs significantly from that of vehicles. The new method is then implemented on the Exhibition Road site of West London with the use of video data collected from locations with a potentially high concentration of vehicle–pedestrian conflicts, and the results of the analysis are presented. Finally, the results are compared with those obtained by other conflict analysis techniques and also against accident data to assess not only the accuracy but also the functionality of the new technique.

Analysis of Pedestrian-Vehicle Traffic Conflicts in Street Designs with Elements of Shared Space

Changes in pedestrian–vehicle traffic conflicts in urban streets redesigned according to the principles of shared space were investigated with a recently developed pedestrian–vehicle conflict analysis (PVCA) method. In a first step, the PVCA method was revised to reflect more accurately the features of shared space; this revision included the definition of a systematic process for identifying conflict occurrences on the one hand and the full quantification of the conflict severity grading process on the other. Then the refined PVCA method was applied to a case study in London with video data from periods before and after the redevelopment of the Exhibition Road site from a conventional dual carriageway to a modern design with some elements of shared space. The results of the comparative analysis indicated a general decrease in traffic conflict rates as a result of the redesign but also highlighted specific issues that may require additional analysis.

Pedestrian Gap Acceptance Behavior in Street Designs with Elements of Shared Space

Recent developments in the field of urban street design have seen the emergence of the concept of “shared space,” a term that refers to a range of streetscape treatments aiming at creating a better public realm by asserting the function of streets as places and designing more to a scale aimed at easier pedestrian movement and lower vehicle speeds. In light of this shift in focus toward the pedestrian, an examination was done on the aspect of pedestrian gap acceptance behavior and how this may have changed as a result of the implementation of street layouts with elements of shared space. With the use of video data from London’s Exhibition Road site during periods before and after its conversion from a conventional dual carriageway to a layout featuring a number of elements of shared space, the study looked at changes in key gap acceptance variables, such as waiting time, crossing time, crossing speed, and critical gap. The effects of several traffic- and pedestrian-specific attributes on gap acceptance were also investigated by means of binary logistic regression modeling. Results suggest that pedestrians felt more comfortable and confident in their interaction with vehicles post-redevelopment of the site because they not only tended to accept shorter gaps in traffic but also appeared to be more at ease when crossing. In particular, elderly people and pedestrians traveling with children seemed to benefit the most, no longer appearing to be any less comfortable when crossing the road than other pedestrians.