This report is the Dutch part of an international (French-British-Dutch) evaluation study of new pedestrian crossing facilities, summarized under the name 'PUSSYCATS' (See also IRRD 859331). 'PUSSYCATS' is a new system, characterized by technical improvements better adapted to the behaviour and needs of pedestrians, particularly those of vulnerable road users. The pedestrian display has been moved to the near side of the crossing (the Maastricht position), facing the oncoming traffic. A mat detector replaces the push button, with infrared sensors detecting the presence of pedestrians on the crossing. Observations were planned at two sites in Gouda and Heemstede, but problems arose during installation of the mats in Gouda, causing the cancellation of the survey there. The paper also describes the installation process and makes suggestions for improvements of infrared detectors and mats. More than 1,000 pedestrians were observed. The effect of the presence of other people was also determined. Two hundred users of the crossing were asked to compare the old crossing with the new one, in terms of safety and convenience.
Abstract