Dutch model shows signs of success

31 January 2007
 
The removal of traffic signals from a busy junction in the Dutch town of Drachten has slashed bus and car waiting times, while reducing the number of accidents.
Two-year monitoring results for the Laweiplein junction – which handles some 22,000 vehicles daily – suggest that ‘shared space’ principles, where the management of traffic relies on eye contact rather than technology, can be successfully extended to busy roads.
The city council of Smallingerland’s evaluation found that after signals were removed, the average waiting time for buses during peak hours was cut from 53 seconds to 26 seconds. This improvement in journey times for bus services has been achieved at the same time as the number of accidents at the junction were reduced, from an average of eight every year from 1994 to 2002, to one a year in 2004 and 2005. This occurred as hourly traffic volumes rose – by around 30% from 2000 to 2005. Video monitoring of the behaviour of road-users at the junction showed that pedestrians were not held up either.
Almost all vehicles yield to pedestrians at the courtesy crossings. Conversely, public perceptions of traffic safety have declined, with 45% reporting this as ‘poor’ or ‘bad’ compared with 30% in 2000. The city council considered that the increased perception of danger and reduction in accidents recorded were linked, with people paying more attention.
Edward Chorlton, Manual for streets board member, said: ‘These results build up our knowledge, but we do have to consider the cultural differences.’ But consultant, Ben Hamilton-Baillie, said there were ‘no significant cultural differences’. The results suggested that doubts that shared space schemes could safely be extended to busy roads ‘were misplaced’.

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