This study investigated the cooperation between municipalities and other parties in the construction of 60 km/h zones. For various reasons it is advisable that municipalities cooperate with for example road authorities and road users like citizens, companies, emergency services, public transport companies et cetera. In the study we examine the effect of this cooperation for the road's safety. The study poses the following question: To which extent did the organization of the cooperation between the parties involved contribute to the policy's effectiveness in the first phase of Sustainable Safety (more concretely the construction of 60 km/h zones by municipalities) and, based on the findings, what can be said about the second phase of Sustainable Safety in a prescriptive sense? This report presents the data that was collected for the study in the municipality of Rucphen. The study measured two things. Firstly, the cooperation between the parties involved in the decision-making about the construction of 60 km/h zones was measured. Secondly, the effectiveness of the policy was measured. To measure the cooperation we made an inventory of who maintained contact with each other and the frequency of that contact. This was done in interviews with the municipal employee and a survey among the parties with who contact had taken place or should have taken place. The data was translated into a graphic representation: a diagram of the network. We specifically looked at the cooperation with three groups. In the first place we looked at the cooperation with neighbouring municipalities and other road authorities with whom the municipality shares 60 km/h roads with adjoining boundaries. Secondly, the cooperation was investigated with emergency services (police, fire brigade, ambulance) and public transport companies (for as far as their routes make use of the 60 km/h roads). Finally, the contacts with citizens, companies, and interest groups were studied. To measure the effectiveness of the policy we operationalized the results of the decision-making process as the Sustainable Safety level of the 60km/h roads. All 60 km/h roads and intersections were inspected visually and rated with the Sustainable Safety Indicator. This instrument was used to measure certain road features such as edge markings, centre line markings, and direction separators for road sections, and priority arrangements and physical speed reduction measures for intersections. Based on these measurings the Sustainable Safety rating for the 60 km/h zone was determined. Next the roads were assessed on specific characteristics that are connected with the parties that were involved in the consultations. This approach was used to rate the transitions of municipal roads to neighbouring municipalities and the number of measures that are 'friendly' for emergency services and transport companies. In Rucphen the cooperation with other road authorities has been reasonably good, the contacts usually were bilateral. The cooperation with emergency services and public transport companies was also reasonably good; the municipality has had bilateral contact with all parties except the ambulance. There has been no contact with the latter. The cooperation with citizens, companies and interest groups remained limited to the official possibilities for (public) comment. The result of the decision-making process, the rural 60 km/h roads that have been realized, has been rated with the Sustainable Safety Indicator. This resulted in a Sustainable Safety level of rural 60km/h roads in the municipality of Rucphen of 91% for road sections, while the intersections scored 76%. Road sections had a negative score on the characteristics 'moped on the carriageway' and particularly on the characteristic 'obstacle-free zone'. The scores for intersections were negatively affected by the presence of a priority regulation and the absence of physical speed reduction measures. On all thirty transitions from a Zone 60 to a neighbouring municipality the Zone 60 ceases to exist. On all transitions this is communicated by a 'zone gate' and they have therefore been approved. Finally, the 'emergency service and public transport friendliness' of the Zones 60 in Rucphen was rated 'sufficient'. Generally it can be concluded that in Rucphen the roads that were included in the inventory, and particularly the intersections, do not yet entirely meet the Sustainable Safety requirements.
Samenvatting