Nordic Road Nr 2 2006
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NORDIC ROAD AND TRANSPORT RESEARCH | NO.2 | 2006 Road Design in the Nordic Countries P7 SUNflower A Project to Improve Traffic Safety P24 Tunnels and Pavements Information about Tunnels from Norway and Noise Reducing Pavements from Denmark News from VTI, Sweden Icelandic Road VTI is an independent, internationally Administration (ICERA) established research institute which is engaged in the The ICERA's mission is to provide the transport sector. Our work covers all modes, and our Icelandic society with a road system in accordance core competence is in the fields of safety, economy, with its needs and to provide a service with the aim environment, traffic and transport analysis, public of smooth and safe traffic. The number of employe- transport, behaviour and the man-vehicle-transport es is about 340. Applied research and development system interaction, and in road design, operation and and to some extent also basic research concerning maintenance. VTI is a world leader in several areas, for road construction, maintenance, traffic and safety is instance in simulator technology. performed or directed by the ICERA. Development division is responsible for road research in Iceland. Danish Road Directorate (DRD) Norwegian Public Roads Danish Road Institute (DRI) Administration (NPRA) The Road Directorate, which is a part of The The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is one Ministry of Transport & Energy, Denmark, is of the administrative agencies under the Ministry of responsible for development and management of Transport and Communications in Norway. The the national highways and for servicing and facilita- NPRA is responsible for the development and mana- ting traffic on the network. As part of this responsi- gement of public roads and road traffic, as well as the bility, the Directorate conducts R&D, the aim of Vehicle Department. This responsibility includes which is to contribute to efficient road manage- research and development of all areas related to road ment and to the safe use of the network. The mate- transport and the implementation of R&D results. rials research component is carried out by the Danish Road Institute. Technical Research Centre Institute of Transport of Finland (VTT), Economics (TØI), Norway VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a con- The Institute of Transport Economics is the natio- tract research organisation with a staff of 2,800. In nal institution for transport research and develop- this joint publication, the VTT expertise areas cover ment in Norway. The main objectives of the research and development of transportation, logis- Institute are to carry out applied research and pro- tics and road structures. The work is carried out in mote the application and use of results through five research groups employing a staff of 60. consultative assistance to public authorities, the transport industry and others. The Institute is an independent research foundation employing about one hundred persons. Editorial notes Please write to the author or to the respective Finland publishing organisation. Nordic Road & Transport Research is a joint publi- Kari Mäkelä, VTT Requests for back issues, and notification of add- cation of six public road and transport research [email protected] ress changes: organisations in the Nordic countries, Denmark, Iceland Readers outside the Nordic countries: please write Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The main to the Editor-in-chief at the VTI in Sweden. Hreinn Haraldsson, ICERA objective of the publication is to disseminate re- Readers in the Nordic countries: please contact [email protected] search results and news from the institutions, espe- the publishing institution of your country. cially to researchers and decision makers. Each insti- Norway Addresses: see back cover. tution is responsible for the selection and presenta- Nils Fearnley, TØI tion of the material from its own scope of activities. [email protected] Nordic Road & Transport Research is published The Editorial Board consists of the Thorbjørn Chr. Risan, NPRA three times a year. It is regularly sent out, free of following representatives of the [email protected] charge, to recipients selected by the six joint publishing institutions Graphic Design publishers. Free sample copies are also sent out on Johnny Dahlgren Grafisk produktion AB, special request. Editor-in-Chief, Sweden Reproduction and quotation of the texts are allow- Magdalena Green, VTI Linköping, Sweden ed if reference is made to the author and source. [email protected] Issue 3,500 However, legislation regulates and restricts the right Denmark ISSN 1101-5179 to reproduce the illustrations. Please contact the Helen Hasz-Singh, DRI Cover respective publishing institution for information. [email protected] Advertising is not accepted. Matton Correspondence about the contents of the publi- cation: 2 | NORDIC NO. 2 2006 www.vti.se/nordic Contents In Brief | p4 Autumn Brings Darker Conditions | p7 New Manual for Road and Street Design | p8 Harmonisation of Road Signs and Markings | p10 Rumble Strips Make Rural Roads Safer | p12 Improved Road Safety in Kungsbacka Town Centre | p13 Traffic Safety on Wind-exposed Roads in Iceland | p14 Designing the Urban Motorring 3 | p16 Using Clean Clay as Cap Material: Environmental Aspects of the Bjoervika Project in Oslo | p18 2005 Norwegian Travel Survey | p20 Under-sea Tunnels: New World Record | p22 Fire in Tunnels: The Runehamar Test Tunnel | p23 SUNflower – Developments in Traffic Safety in Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands | p24 Vibrations on Trains Disturb Passenger Activities | p26 Motorring Road 10 and Noise Reducing Pavements | p27 Noise Reducing Pavements – Internationally! | p28 Recycling of Oil Installation | p30 Annotaded Reports | p31 NORDIC NO. 2 2006 | 3 IN BRIEF PHOTO: PHOTOS.COM PHOTO: The Transport Sector is Counteracting Terrorism Metro-like Bus Service A terrorist attack against vital infrastructu- and the way these are related to the trans- Attracts Passengers in the res such as transport and energy may have port sector. It is also the intention to esta- extensive regional, national and internatio- blish good cooperation between the sector Helsinki Region nal impacts on society and the economy. and the police, security firms and rescue Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council This problem has received a lot of atten- services. The project will act as a platform (YTV), the body responsible for public tion in the EU, and through the project for European expertise of researchers, con- transport planning and procurement in COUNTERACT, Cluster of User Networks sultants, operators and authorities. the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, believes in Transport and Energy Relating to anti- The most recent terrorist attacks, 11 in the appeal of high-quality bus services. terrorist ACTivities, security in the trans- September, the attacks against the London A new cross-town bus service known as the port and energy sectors will be strengthe- underground and the regional trains in Jokeri Line began operating between ned. VTI is contributing rail and public Madrid, show that security is of the greatest Helsinki and its neighbouring city Espoo transport expertise to the project. importance for transport. in August. The service links several district The transport sector is not immune The project extends over three years centres, employment clusters and residen- from terrorism. EU is now taking measures and will deliver reports on the present tial areas, covering a total of 27 km with 36 to evaluate and recommend solutions in situation with regard to risks, threats and stops. Transfer connections to other bus order to increase security in vital parts of terrorist acts, a review of the present posi- and rail services are excellent, because the transport sector, infrastructure, public tion concerning the need of e.g. training, Jokeri stops are located close to railway sta- transport, railways and freight transport. policy measures and further research. A tions and other transport nodes. Special COUNTERACT will make its contribu- number of targeted studies will also be attention has been paid to passenger tion by improving knowledge and under- made, and several conferences and works- information as well as comfortable and standing of the terrorism threats that exist hops will be arranged. environmentally friendly buses. This line, which follows a ring road, was originally planned as a rail link but the bus service was chosen as a more economical alternative to speed up the project's imple- mentation. Implementation of the bus ser- vice also required the construction of a number of tunnels and bridges, as well as a public transport street for fluent pro- gress and to avoid traffic jams. The Jokeri Line features metro-like service frequency. During weekday rush hours the buses run at 5-minute intervals. On Saturdays and PHOTO: PHOTOS.COM PHOTO: Sundays the service is less frequent but 4 | NORDIC NO. 2 2006 www.vti.se/nordic TRA – New Arena for Transport Research “Greener, Safer and Smarter Road and between the world of research, autho- Transport for Europe” was the heading for rities and industry. TRA 2006, a new European conference on This introductory conference in Sweden research into road transport. attracted around one thousand visitors who TRA 2006 (Transport Research Arena) could hear presentations and exchange was held during four days in the middle of experiences concerning the latest research June at the Swedish Fair in Göteborg. This findings relating to road transport. The conference is the first of its kind and size in idea is that the conference shall be repea- Europe that has the aim of implementing a ted every second year in different common research area (European European countries; the next one is plan- runs until late evening. The Jokeri Line has Research Area – ERA) for road transport. ned for Slovenia in 2008. a distinctive visual image using blue and This research area shall comprise compo- The programme included both joint green colour scheme for its vehicles, both nents such as vehicles, roads and humans plenary sessions and parallel thematic spe- outside and interiors, bus stops and all pas- senger information.