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Traffic Calming Measures as an Instrument for Revitalizing the Urban Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 17208

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Special Issue Editors

Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Interests: design and safety of road intersections; road construction; road safety; traffic and the environmental impact of transport infrastructures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Interests: design and safety of road intersections; road safety; safety of vulnerable road users; roundabout design; airport infrastructure safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vehicle speed is one of the most important risk factors for road safety; it affects both the likelihood and severity of accidents. Speeding is one of the main factors that increase the risk of a traffic accident; about 50% of drivers exceed speed limits. Speeding is the biggest road safety problem in many countries and is often responsible for more than one-third of all fatal crashes. In particular, speeding affects the severity of collisions and accidents involving the most vulnerable road users, i.e., pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. To improve road safety, especially in urban areas, measures must be taken to reduce vehicle speeds. To maintain acceptable speeds in urban areas, physical speed calming measures are needed in the road network. This is especially true for streets whose design invites speeding. Installing traffic calming measures on a street network is a systematically planned way to reduce travel speeds, but also to reduce through traffic on local and residential streets. With the overall goal of improving the living environment, traffic calming is often defined, sometimes implicitly, as an integrated intervention strategy for a street network. It encompasses a number of goals, including street safety, promoting active and collective transportation, and reducing noise and air pollution. Traffic calming strategies generally aim to reduce travel speeds (often to around 30 km/h), especially those of the fastest drivers. Consequently, strategies that are successful at this level can reduce the number and severity of collisions. Traffic calming strategies can increase driver attention by creating more complex environments, thereby reducing the number of collisions.

Traffic calming measures typically include a broader range of measures that complement each other in terms of both speed reduction and environment: 1) narrowing, 2) vertical deflection, 3) horizontal deflection, and 4) restrictions. The technical options are designed to increase the complexity and cognitive load of driving, so that the driver naturally slows down or becomes uncomfortable above certain speeds.

The topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

  • Road safety interventions;
  • Traffic operations;
  • Sustainable mobility;
  • Safety of urban mobility;
  • Vulnerable users;
  • Safety of e-mobility users (e.g., e-bikes and e-scooters);
  • Traffic calming measures;
  • Smart infrastructures for safety of vulnerable users;
  • Analysis in urban areas;
  • Intelligent technologies for the road safety;
  • Redesign of urban streets and public spaces;
  • Human factors and travel behavior;
  • Smart infrastructures for safety of vulnerable users;
  • Air pollution;
  • Traffic noise pollution.

Prof. Dr. Salvatore Leonardi
Dr. Natalia Distefano
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • urban road safety
  • traffic calming measures
  • vulnerable users
  • sustainable mobility
  • vulnerable users
  • travel behavior
  • urban road networks
  • urban road sections
  • urban road intersections
  • human factors

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 168 KiB  
Editorial
Traffic-Calming Measures as an Instrument for Revitalizing the Urban Environment
by Salvatore Leonardi and Natalia Distefano
Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041407 - 07 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 560
Abstract
With the advent of rapid urbanization, cities are confronted with increasingly complex challenges [...] Full article

Research

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27 pages, 10723 KiB  
Article
Traffic Circle—An Example of Sustainable Home Zone Design
by Stanisław Majer and Alicja Sołowczuk
Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16751; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416751 - 12 Dec 2023
Viewed by 492
Abstract
A significant number of new metered parking systems have been introduced in recent years by the local authorities of various spa towns in Poland in connection with home zone conversion projects. The traffic signs posted in these locations were limited to the beginning [...] Read more.
A significant number of new metered parking systems have been introduced in recent years by the local authorities of various spa towns in Poland in connection with home zone conversion projects. The traffic signs posted in these locations were limited to the beginning and end of the demarcated parking area. Traffic circle (TC) is an example of a traffic calming measure (TCM) used in home zones to slow down the traffic (case study—home zone in a small spa village). This article presents the results of a study investigating the speed reductions obtained within a home zone and a traffic circle used as traffic calming measure. The indispensable speed surveys were carried out in relation to this study in two periods: in summer when the streets are crowded with tourists and in September with little pedestrian traffic. Two research hypotheses were formulated as part of the speed data analysis to verify the slowing effect of the traffic circle and the relevance of the traffic circle’s design parameters and location, road function and the surrounding streetscape. For each hypothesis, statistical analyses were carried out using two nonparametric tests: two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and median test. The third research hypothesis formulated in this study was related to sustainable development factors related to fuel consumption and traffic-related air pollution, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. This hypothesis was verified by estimating the amount of air pollution in the home zone under analysis in three different situations (scenarios): in summer with the travel speed reduced by pedestrian traffic to ca. 8–10 km/h, in September with a small number of pedestrians and 20–25 km/h resulting speed between traffic circles, reduced at the traffic circle, and in a theoretical 30 km/h zone with 25–30 km/h assumed speed between traffic circles, dropping at the traffic circle. These analyses confirmed the appropriateness of the traffic circle as a home zone traffic calming measure, as long as its design is based on a detailed analysis of the relevant factors, including location, road function and the surrounding streetscape. Full article
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27 pages, 13236 KiB  
Article
Traffic Calming Measures and Their Slowing Effect on the Pedestrian Refuge Approach Sections
by Stanisław Majer and Alicja Sołowczuk
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15265; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115265 - 25 Oct 2023
Viewed by 829
Abstract
The ever-increasing use of motor vehicles causes a number of traffic safety and community issues, which are particularly severe in cities, accompanied by a scarcity of parking spaces and challenges encountered in road layout alteration projects. The commonly applied solutions include the designation [...] Read more.
The ever-increasing use of motor vehicles causes a number of traffic safety and community issues, which are particularly severe in cities, accompanied by a scarcity of parking spaces and challenges encountered in road layout alteration projects. The commonly applied solutions include the designation of through streets, the implementation of on-street parking on residential streets, and retrofitted traffic calming measures (TCMs). This article presents the results of the study conducted on a two-way street where the Metered Parking System (MPS) was implemented together with diagonal and parallel parking spaces, refuge islands, horizontal deflection, and lane narrowing by a single-sided chicane. The aim of this study was to identify those TCMs that effectively helped to reduce the island approach speed. The heuristic method was applied to assess the effect of the respective TCMs on reducing the island approach speed, and the key speed reduction determinants were defined using a cause-and-effect diagram and a Pareto chart. The determinants were evaluated with the binary system and tautological inference principles, whereby a determinant was rated as true when it was found in the field, with a simultaneous speed reduction determined in the survey. Determinants that were not confirmed in the field were rated untrue. Comparative analyses were carried out to rate the respective TCMs as effective, moderately effective, or ineffective. In this way, the following three determinants were rated as the most important for speed reduction at refuge islands: free view, visibility of a pedestrian on the right-hand side of the island, and the refuge island surroundings. Although the study was limited to a single street in Poland, the findings may hold true in other countries where similar TCMs are used. Full article
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17 pages, 10871 KiB  
Article
Towards a New Design Methodology for Vertical Traffic Calming Devices
by Mauro D’Apuzzo, Azzurra Evangelisti, Daniela Santilli, Sofia Nardoianni, Giuseppe Cappelli and Vittorio Nicolosi
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13381; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813381 - 06 Sep 2023
Viewed by 656
Abstract
With increasing emphasis on new soft mobility in urban areas, it becomes more and more important to provide effective speed control measures for vehicular traffic. Among those, the ones based on vehicle vertical deflection, namely vertical traffic calming measures, are historically the most [...] Read more.
With increasing emphasis on new soft mobility in urban areas, it becomes more and more important to provide effective speed control measures for vehicular traffic. Among those, the ones based on vehicle vertical deflection, namely vertical traffic calming measures, are historically the most widespread. However, since the basic operating principle of these devices is related to the vertical dynamic response due to the interaction between the moving vehicle and the road profile, different vehicles may exhibit different speed behaviors when traveling on a specific road profile shape. As a matter of fact, recent research provided evidence of this connection, and therefore it has been worth investigating the dynamics underlying the phenomenon in order to develop a new approach to the design of vertical traffic calming devices. In this paper, following an initial state-of-the-art review, an in-depth study on the dynamic interaction between vehicle and road profile has been presented by means of an ad hoc-developed mathematical model. The proposed simulation model has been used to evaluate the root mean square acceleration value associated with each vehicle/traffic calming device/crossing speed. Following the outcomes provided by numerical simulations, an experimental investigation has been designed and carried out on a vertical traffic calming device. Speed profiles of different vehicles have been acquired, and preliminary results seem to provide evidence of a different dynamic response for each vehicle type, yielding the basis to reconsider the design approach of such devices in order to control urban traffic speed. Full article
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18 pages, 951 KiB  
Article
Pedestrian Crossings as a Means of Reducing Conflicts between Cyclists and Pedestrians in Shared Spaces
by Chrysanthi Mastora, Evangelos Paschalidis, Andreas Nikiforiadis and Socrates Basbas
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9377; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129377 - 10 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1399
Abstract
One significant and simultaneously interesting problem in urban mobility has to do with the study of shared spaces where various categories of users coexist and act together. This paper aims to examine the behavior and preferences of pedestrians and cyclists, who both coexist [...] Read more.
One significant and simultaneously interesting problem in urban mobility has to do with the study of shared spaces where various categories of users coexist and act together. This paper aims to examine the behavior and preferences of pedestrians and cyclists, who both coexist in a shared space infrastructure along the seafront (which has a length of around 4.0 km) of the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. Furthermore, the problems caused by the coexistence, such as at the locations where there are pedestrian crossings on the bicycle lane, are recorded and evaluated. Traffic calming measures aimed at improving the existing situation in terms of safety and comfort for both pedestrians and cyclists are also explored. Data were collected through a web-based questionnaire survey, which was distributed via email to students and employees of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. A total of 1194 questionnaires were collected in the framework of the survey during the year 2021, including responses from both pedestrians and cyclists. The questionnaires were analyzed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics; the latter method suggested several significant differences in how each group of users (pedestrians or cyclists) perceived their behavior compared with the other. Latent variable and path models were estimated to investigate the behavior and attitude of users towards the crossings, examined as a function of their perception towards the other group; perception about the benefits of the infrastructure; preference for additional interventions; and overall opinion about the quality of the shared space area. The results suggest that forms of aggressive behavior, preference towards using the crossings, and the perceived safety are affected by the aforementioned factors. The results of this study can inform decision takers and decision makers in the area of land use regarding policy recommendations for facilitating interactions between pedestrians and cyclists in shared spaces. Full article
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20 pages, 3245 KiB  
Article
A Methodological Framework to Assess Road Infrastructure Safety and Performance Efficiency in the Transition toward Cooperative Driving
by Maria Luisa Tumminello, Elżbieta Macioszek, Anna Granà and Tullio Giuffrè
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9345; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129345 - 09 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 993
Abstract
There is increasing interest in connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), since their implementation will transform the nature of transportation and promote social and economic change. Transition toward cooperative driving still requires the understanding of some key questions to assess the performances of CAVs [...] Read more.
There is increasing interest in connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), since their implementation will transform the nature of transportation and promote social and economic change. Transition toward cooperative driving still requires the understanding of some key questions to assess the performances of CAVs and human-driven vehicles on roundabouts and to properly balance road safety and traffic efficiency requirements. In this view, this paper proposes a simulation-based methodological framework aiming to assess the presence of increasing proportions of CAVs on roundabouts operating at a high-capacity utilization level. A roundabout was identified in Palermo City, Italy, and built in Aimsun (version 20) to describe the stepwise methodology. The CAV-based curves of capacity by entry mechanism were developed and then used as target capacities. To calibrate the model parameters, the capacity curves were compared with the capacity data simulated by Aimsun. The impact on the safety and performance efficiency of a lane dedicated to CAVs was also examined using surrogate measures of safety. The paper ends with highlighting a general improvement with CAVs on roundabouts, and with providing some insights to assess the advantages of the automated and connected driving technologies in transitioning to smarter mobility. Full article
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22 pages, 4969 KiB  
Article
Eight Traffic Calming “Easy Pieces” to Shape the Everyday Pedestrian Realm
by Giuseppe Cantisani, Maria Vittoria Corazza, Paola Di Mascio and Laura Moretti
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7880; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107880 - 11 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1897
Abstract
The need for safe pedestrian movement implies subtracting and modifying space dedicated to vehicles, especially in urban areas. Traffic control measures aim to reduce or modify the width of the carriageway and force the correct use of the space by pedestrians through two [...] Read more.
The need for safe pedestrian movement implies subtracting and modifying space dedicated to vehicles, especially in urban areas. Traffic control measures aim to reduce or modify the width of the carriageway and force the correct use of the space by pedestrians through two approaches: the former is hard and includes physical barriers and the latter is soft and induces psychological fashion effects on the drivers. This paper presents vertical and horizontal devices integrated by landscaping, planting, or other similar works to slow motor vehicle speed, narrow traffic lanes, and/or create smaller distances for pedestrian crossings. Mobility and boundary issues are considered to discuss their warrants and potential impacts. Indeed, the effects of speed or volume treatments should be investigated through a comprehensive multicriteria analysis without overlooking pedestrian level of service, access and connectivity to residents and emergency vehicles, drainage and snow issues, loss of on-street parking lots, and environmental goals in terms of noise and emissions to air reduction. Full article
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25 pages, 18724 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Future Streetscape of Rimini Harbor Docks with Virtual Reality
by Rachid Belaroussi, Margherita Pazzini, Israa Issa, Corinne Dionisio, Claudio Lantieri, Elena Díaz González, Valeria Vignali and Sonia Adelé
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5547; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065547 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1823
Abstract
The human factor plays an important role in the successful design of infrastructure to support sustainable mobility. By engaging users early in the design process, information can be obtained before physical environments are built, making designed spaces more attractive and safer for users. [...] Read more.
The human factor plays an important role in the successful design of infrastructure to support sustainable mobility. By engaging users early in the design process, information can be obtained before physical environments are built, making designed spaces more attractive and safer for users. This study presents the collected data of a virtual reality (VR) application in which user perception has been evaluated within an urban redevelopment context. The area under consideration is the Canal of the Port of Rimini (Italy), a degraded area not connected to the city center. The redevelopment of degraded urban areas is the first step towards achieving the sustainability aims set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to this work, evaluation methods were developed in the decision-making process, considering different social, economic, and environmental aspects in order to obtain a priority scale of interventions for urban regeneration. Architectural solutions were proposed to represent targeted and specific interventions that are designed precisely for the context to which they are dedicated in order to make the Canal Port area a continuum with its urban context and to improve its perception by tourists and inhabitants. To assess these proposed infrastructure modifications, two models of VR were created, one relevant to the current condition and one representing the future condition after redevelopment of the area. Virtual visits to the Canal of the Port of Rimini were created under two scenarios, namely, the current situation and the future situation after redevelopment of the infrastructure. Then, human participants were involved through two different questionnaires. The first allowed participants validate the VR model created by comparing it with the real context, while the second served to evaluate the perceptions of users by comparing the two VR models of the canal before and after the intervention. The results of this empirical research highlight the benefits of engaging users early in the design process and improving the user experience before implementing renovation of the infrastructure. Full article
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21 pages, 8929 KiB  
Article
Turbo-Roundabouts as an Instrument for Improving the Efficiency and Safety in Urban Area: An Italian Case Study
by Salvatore Leonardi and Natalia Distefano
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3223; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043223 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1809
Abstract
In recent years, numerous turbo-roundabouts have been built in many European countries. To date, there are no turbo-roundabouts in Italy and even the regulations do not provide for their implementation. Turbo-roundabouts are considered the ideal alternative to multi-lane roundabouts as they have numerous [...] Read more.
In recent years, numerous turbo-roundabouts have been built in many European countries. To date, there are no turbo-roundabouts in Italy and even the regulations do not provide for their implementation. Turbo-roundabouts are considered the ideal alternative to multi-lane roundabouts as they have numerous advantages. However, they offer better operational performance only for specific traffic flow distributions. This research used the case study of an important and complex urban arterial road in eastern Sicily, Italy, to compare the operational and safety performance between multi-lane roundabouts and turbo-roundabouts. The evaluations were carried out with two simulation software: (1) AIMSUN Next 20.0.1 (operational performance); (2) SSAM 3.0 (safety performance). The results show that at medium/low traffic volumes, multi-lane roundabouts are significantly superior to turbo-roundabouts in terms of operational performance. At high traffic volumes, the operational performance of turbo-roundabouts improves significantly. As regards the safety parameters, for turbo-roundabouts there is always an increase in the TTC and PET, a reduction in maximum speeds and decelerations. There is also a significant decrease in conflict points. Ultimately, the safety and efficiency performance of turbo-roundabouts should: (1) Encourage administrations to replace the multi-lane roundabouts (illegal in Italy) with turbo-roundabouts; (2) encourage Italian legislators to revise intersection design legislation to include turbo-roundabouts among possible design solutions. Full article
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27 pages, 9193 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Complete Streets Design Criteria and Case Study in Naples, Italy
by Alfonso Montella, Salvatore Chiaradonna, Alessandro Claudi de Saint Mihiel, Gord Lovegrove, Pietro Nunziante and Maria Rella Riccardi
Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13142; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013142 - 13 Oct 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2950
Abstract
Background: A growing number of communities are re-discovering the value of their streets as important public spaces for many aspects of daily life, creating the need for a transformation in the quality of those streets. An emerging concept of ‘complete streets’ is to [...] Read more.
Background: A growing number of communities are re-discovering the value of their streets as important public spaces for many aspects of daily life, creating the need for a transformation in the quality of those streets. An emerging concept of ‘complete streets’ is to accommodate all users of the transportation system. Methods: In this paper, we present sustainable complete streets design criteria that integrate complete streets by adding socio-environmental design criteria related to the aesthetics, environment, liveability, and safety. To help set priorities, identify the street design features, and create intuitive multimodal networks throughout the city, we have defined a list of the general and specific criteria to be addressed for sustainable complete streets. Results: The proposed design criteria provide a street network with improvements in its aesthetics, to recover the historical urban character and realize historical area planning goals; the environment, to increase the permeable surfaces, reduce the heat island effect, and to absorb traffic-related air pollution; the liveability, to create a public space destination in the urban landscape; and safety, to improve the safety of all road users. The design scenarios proposed in the study were conceived to help practitioners to consider these context-based uses and design accordingly by gaining knowledge from past experiences to benefit future projects. Conclusions: The case study of the urban rehabilitation of the “Mostra d’Oltremare” area and its cultural and architectural assets in Naples, Italy, highlights the practical application of the proposed criteria and the possibility of using these criteria in other urban contexts. Full article
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18 pages, 4610 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Traffic Calming Measures by SPEIR Methodology: Framework and Case Studies
by Natalia Distefano and Salvatore Leonardi
Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7325; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127325 - 15 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2305
Abstract
The speed value of 30 km/h should not be exceeded in urban areas, both to ensure safety requirements for all categories of users and to improve the overall quality of life in urban areas. Moreover, it is necessary not only to comply with [...] Read more.
The speed value of 30 km/h should not be exceeded in urban areas, both to ensure safety requirements for all categories of users and to improve the overall quality of life in urban areas. Moreover, it is necessary not only to comply with the prescribed maximum speed, but also to ensure a uniform speed by limiting the variations in relation to the average value within an acceptable range of variation. An original analysis methodology is therefore proposed, useful for both technicians and administrators to verify the effectiveness of traffic calming measures, especially in areas where these measures are widely used, such as Zones 30. This methodology, called SPEIR (acronym for Speed Profile, Effectiveness Indicators and Results, which are the keywords of the three steps into which the proposed methodology is divided), is divided into three operational steps necessary to both verify the effectiveness of existing traffic calming measures in a given context and to plan new traffic calming measures to be implemented in specific urban sectors to be requalified and revitalized. Finally, three case studies are presented where the application of the SPEIR methodology is useful not only for understanding the operational steps in the application of the methodology itself, but also for understanding the differences in terms of the safety performance that the various traffic calming measures provide to the users of the urban streets where such measures are present. Full article
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