Many urban areas in North America experience the impacts of high volumes and speeds of motorised traffic. Residents are calling for action to minimise these impacts. The first thing that needs to be done is to establish "appropriate" speed limits and design speeds for the streets. The purpose of this study was to develop a rationale and methodology for setting such speed limits and design speeds. Traditionally, speed limits have been set by traffic engineers using samples of actual speeds and calculating the 85th percentile speed. This speed becomes the basis for setting such speed limits. This is a "car-first" philosophy and generally ignores other environmental variables, such as pedestrians and roadside development. A new approach is needed that will focus primarily on pedestrians. A new methodology was developed using a "pedestrian-first" philosophy. Pedestrian risk factors such as their visibility, vehicle stopping distances, consequences of collisions, and their vulnerability by age groups, were analysed. Criteria for street-by-street analysis were developed consisting of land-use density, motor vehicle traffic volumes, presence of sidewalks and boulevards, and width of pavement. These criteria were organised in decision charts which lead to target speeds for individual streets. The methodology was applied to the Village of Stittsville, 30 km west of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Stittsville, with a current population of 13,845 is growing rapidly due to the high-tech sector in the Ottawa Valley. As a growing community, Stittsville residents are experiencing the detrimental impacts of motorised traffic, and they are demanding action. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting