Under UTC control pedestrian delay is often higher than necessary, leading to pedestrians crossing during the `red men' period and/or away from the crossing, which in turn may be detrimental to their safety. This paper describes the effect of removing pelican crossings from SCOOT control and applying different strategies, such as operating with and without vehicle actuation and varying the maximum period devoted to vehicles. Accidents were an inappropriate evaluation criteria because to obtain statistically significant results a long period is required. In addition, this provides no information as to changes in pedestrian priority. As a result, the assessment criteria investigated changes in pedestrian behaviour and the effects on vehicles. The study showed that a reduction in the maximum period devoted to vehicles increased the proportion of pedestrians who arrive at the crossing during the `green man' period, allowing a greater proportion to cross the road without delay during the `green man' on the crossing. Improvements in signal responsiveness via vehicle actuation reduces average pedestrian delay, which in turn reduces pedestrian signal violations. The most beneficial strategy for pedestrians combined vehicle actuation with a maximum vehicle period of 20 seconds and was also shown not to detrimentally affect vehicles travelling through the network. The results suggest that improvements in pedestrian safety could be substantial for a minimal financial cost. (A)
Abstract