Shared Space: Operational Assessment
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Designing the Future Shared Space: Operational Assessment Report for Department for Transport October 2010 Document Control Project Title: Shared Space: Operational Assessment MVA Project Number: C3783100 Document Type: Report Directory & File Name: \\Londonbdc\Tesm\Tep\Projects\London & Southern\C37831 - Shared Space\Reporting\Data Collection And Analysis\Quantitativedatacollectionv13.Doc Document Approval Primary Author: Fiona Shore Other Author(s): Kayleigh Uthayakumar Reviewer(s): Stuart Reid, Steve Lowe Formatted by: Sally Watts Distribution Issue Date Distribution Comments 1-9 28/05/2010 Internal Internal Reviews 10 8/6/2010 DfT, Phil Jones Draft external report 13 7/10/2010 DfT, Phil Jones Incorporating client comments This report, and information or advice which it contains, is provided by MVA Consultancy Ltd solely for internal use and reliance by its Client in performance of MVA Consultancy Ltd’s duties and liabilities under its contract with the Client. Any advice, opinions, or recommendations within this report should be read and relied upon only in the context of the report as a whole. The advice and opinions in this report are based upon the information made available to MVA Consultancy Ltd at the date of this report and on current UK standards, codes, technology and construction practices as at the date of this report. Following final delivery of this report to the Client, MVA Consultancy Ltd will have no further obligations or duty to advise the Client on any matters, including development affecting the information or advice provided in this report. This report has been prepared by MVA Consultancy Ltd in their professional capacity as Consultants. The contents of the report do not, in any way, purport to include any manner of legal advice or opinion. This report is prepared in accordance with the terms and conditions of MVA Consultancy Ltd’s contract with the Client. Regard should be had to those terms and conditions when considering and/or placing any reliance on this report. Should the Client wish to release this report to a Third Party for that party's reliance, MVA Consultancy Ltd may, at its discretion, agree to such release provided that: (a) MVA Consultancy Ltd's written agreement is obtained prior to such release, and (b) by release of the report to the Third Party, that Third Party does not acquire any rights, contractual or otherwise, whatsoever against MVA Consultancy Ltd and MVA Consultancy Ltd, accordingly, assume no duties, liabilities or obligations to that Third Party, and (c) MVA Consultancy Ltd accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred by the Client or for any conflict of MVA Consultancy Ltd's interests arising out of the Client's release of this report to the Third Party. Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 1.1 Introduction 1.1 2 Methodology 2.1 2.1 Overview of Methodology 2.1 2.2 Survey Site Selection 2.1 2.3 Data Collection 2.7 2.4 Overview of Data Collected 2.10 3 Data Analysis 3.1 3.1 Introduction 3.1 3.2 Static Count Analysis: Overview of the Data 3.1 3.3 Static Count Analysis: Use of Space by Pedestrians 3.6 3.4 Static Count Analysis: Determinants of Vehicle Speed 3.18 3.5 Encounter Analysis: Overview of the Data 3.22 4 Conclusions 4.1 4.1 Introduction 4.1 4.2 Key Findings 4.1 4.3 Shared Space Schemes: Design Considerations 4.2 Tables Table 2.1 Selected Sites 2.2 Table 2.2 Shared Space Rating 2.7 Table 2.3 Total Number of Observations: Static Counts & Encounters 2.11 Table 3.1 Footway and Carriageway: Relative Size by Site 3.7 Table 3.2 Relationship with Percentage of Pedestrians using the Carriageway 3.12 Table 3.3 Pedestrian Use of Space: Regression Model 3.13 Table 3.4 Pedestrian Use of Space: Correlation Matrix of Coefficients 3.14 Table 3.5 Desire Line Analysis 3.17 th Table 3.6 Relationship with 85 Percentile Vehicle Speed 3.19 Table 3.7 Vehicle Speed: Regression Model 1 Results 3.19 Table 3.8 Vehicle Speed: Regression Model 2 Results 3.20 Table 3.9 Vehicle Speed: Correlation Coefficient Matrix: Model 2 3.21 Table 3.10: Encounter Rate: Multiple Regression Analysis 3.23 Table 3.11 Percentage of Users Giving Way 3.24 Table 3.12 Who Gave Way by Number of Pedestrians in Encounter in Carriageway 3.28 Table 3.13 Who Gave Way by Number of Pedestrians in Encounter on Footway 3.28 Table 3.14 Encounter Severity by Vehicle Flow 3.29 Table 3.15 Relationship with Percentage of Vehicles Giving Way 3.30 Table 3.16: Propensity of Drivers to Give Way: Multiple Regression Model 3.31 Table 3.16: Propensity of Drivers to Give Way: By Time PeriodError! 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Shared Space: Operational Assessment 1 Contents Figures Figure 2.1 Classification Questionnaire.................................................................. 2.6 Figure 2.2 Example Static Counts High Street, Shrewsbury ..................................... 2.8 Figure 3.1 Total Number of Vehicles in 15 Minute Period by Site ............................... 3.2 Figure 3.2 Mean Speed at each 15 minute period, by Site........................................ 3.3 Figure 3.3 85th Percentile Speed at each 15 minute period by Site Rating................... 3.4 Figure 3.4 Number of Pedestrians (Area) for each 15 minute period at each site by Shared Space Rating ................................................................................................. 3.5 Figure 3.5 Number of Pedestrians (Zone) for each 15 minute period at each site by Shared Space Rating.......................................................................................... 3.6 Figure 3.6 Pedestrian Use of Space Individual Observations .................................... 3.9 Figure 3.7 Pedestrian Use of Space Average Across Site .........................................3.10 Figure 3.8 Desire Line Analysis Seven Dials, 13th November 2009 ...........................3.15 Figure 3.9 Rate of Encounters by Site .................................................................3.23 Figure 3.10 Proportion of vehicles giving way by Shared Space site..........................3.24 Figure 3.11 Proportion of carriageway users giving way by average speed ................3.26 Figure 3.12 Who gave way by vehicle flow...........................................................3.26 Figure 3.13 Who gave way by pedestrian flow......................................................3.27 Appendices Appendix A Site Information Appendix B Desire Line Analysis Shared Space: Operational Assessment 2 Executive Summary Aim This report has been prepared for the Department for Transport (DfT) to provide an operational assessment of Shared Space schemes. By using an evidence led approach, supported by observational data from existing schemes, the report is part of a larger study which aims to provide design guidance on the development of Shared Space schemes. As noted in the previous Appraisal report1, it is acknowledged that there is limited research available, particularly into the operation of Shared Space schemes in the UK. The data collection process and subsequent statistical analysis described in this report has therefore been developed with the intention of addressing knowledge gaps, by collecting observational data of driver and pedestrian behaviour and interactions at selected sites across the UK. Methodology The methodology consisted of three distinct phases: Selection of appropriate sites to be included in the operational assessment; Collection of observational data of pedestrian and driver behaviour; and Statistical analysis of the data. Ten sites were selected based on site visits and site maps (which detailed the street layout and key characteristics). A mixture of sites were chosen taking into account; street type (link, square or junction), the level of traffic and pedestrian flows (high, medium and low) and various street characteristics. Selected street characterises were then classified for each site in order to determine a Shared Space rating2. Data was collected at each site using Video data and Automatic Traffic Counts (ATC). Video data was obtained from video footage at each site; observers extracted the data by watching the video tapes for a sample period within selected hours on each day. Data on two types of user behaviour was collected: static pedestrian counts; and information about encounters (when two users attempt to use the same space at the same time). In addition automatic traffic counters were installed at six3 out of the ten sites. The counters provided the level of traffic flow, by class (car, buses, motorcyclists and vans / lorries) as well as the mean speed and 85th percentile speed. Conclusions The operational assessment of the selected Shared Space schemes assisted in addressing the knowledge gaps highlighted in the Appraisal Report of understanding: the changes to pedestrian’s behaviour; and the changes to driver’s behaviour, in particular when drivers are more likely to give way to pedestrians. 1 DfT Shared Space Project PPRO 04/16/19, Stage 1: Appraisal of Shared Space, Report for Department for Transport, October 2009, MVA Consultancy 2 Note that this Shared Space rating is indicate only and is heavily dependent on the variables included in the questionnaire and the relative weights assigned to them. 3 At the other four sites (Seven Dials, Elwick Square, New Road Brighton, Y Maes Caernarfon), counters could not be installed due to concerns about damaging the surface or as a risk to pedestrian safety through a trip hazard. At these sites an approximation of the traffic flow and speed was determined from the video observations. Shared Space: