Skip to main content

Pedestrians and cyclists on major roads – new study from Sweden’s VTI

A new study from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) aims to review pedestrian and cyclist solutions on major roads, with or without a central barrier, where the permitted speed limit is between 70 and 90km/h. Reconstructing an existing road with a central barrier is primarily considered as a road safety measure which reduces the risk of head on collisions. A negative effect of this type of design is that conditions for cyclists and pedestrians become difficult, especially when
February 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A new study from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (5230 VTI) aims to review pedestrian and cyclist solutions on major roads, with or without a central barrier, where the permitted speed limit is between 70 and 90km/h.

Reconstructing an existing road with a central barrier is primarily considered as a road safety measure which reduces the risk of head on collisions. A negative effect of this type of design is that conditions for cyclists and pedestrians become difficult, especially when travelling along or across the road. There are no clear guidelines on how unprotected road users should be considered when reconstructing an existing conventional road to two-plus-one road type.

The study concludes that pedestrians and cyclists are not considered to a sufficient level in the initial planning phase, often resulting in the retrospective introduction of unsuitable measures. The cost of constructing pedestrian and cyclist solutions along major roads depends on geographical conditions and the standard of the solution selected. In addition, construction, operation and maintenance costs for pedestrian and cyclist solutions along and across major roads are not always reported separately. They are often included in the projects' total cost.

Increasing the ability to create attractive and cost-effective solutions requires further knowledge. This includes focus on how pedestrian and cyclist solutions should be handled in the initial planning process. It is also important to carry out systematic reviews of existing pedestrian and cyclist solutions along major roads in order to give a better idea of construction, operation and maintenance costs.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Sprawl spreads the costs and confines the benefits
    June 8, 2015
    A new report says car-centric planning leads to inefficient cities and divided communities as lead author Todd Litman explains. Between 1950 and 2050 the human population will have approximately quadrupled and shifted from 80% rural to nearly 80% urban; by the middle of this century the United Nations predicts an additional 2.2 billion urban residents in developing countries than there are today. How these cities grow has huge economic, social and environmental impacts and implementing proper policies can c
  • Sprawl spreads the costs and confines the benefits
    June 8, 2015
    A new report says car-centric planning leads to inefficient cities and divided communities as lead author Todd Litman explains. Between 1950 and 2050 the human population will have approximately quadrupled and shifted from 80% rural to nearly 80% urban; by the middle of this century the United Nations predicts an additional 2.2 billion urban residents in developing countries than there are today. How these cities grow has huge economic, social and environmental impacts and implementing proper policies can c
  • ASECAP examines tolling’s trials, tribulations and triumphs
    September 4, 2018
    If you want to get up to speed on the main issues facing the transport sector and tolling companies, ASECAP Study Days event in Ljubljana was a good place to start. Colin Sowman reports (Photographs: Louis David). Increasing populations, ever-higher technical and safety requirements, and electric and hybrid vehicles will provide both challenges and opportunities for tolling companies. The annual Study Days event organised by ASECAP (the European association for tolling companies) examined all of these aspec
  • Need for simpler urban tolling solutions
    January 10, 2013
    A common assumption, even amongst informed observers, is that there’s but a handful of urban charging schemes in operation around the world and scant prospect of that changing any time soon. Larger city-sized schemes such as Singapore, London and Stockholm come readily to mind but if we take a wider view and also consider urban access control and Low Emission Zones (LEZs) then the picture changes rather radically. There is a notable concentration of such schemes in Europe but worldwide the number is comfort