Editorial Special Issue

Ralf Risser, Matus Sucha

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2018, 9(1):1-2  

Analysing cyclist behaviour at cycling facility discontinuities using video data

Matin S. Nabavi Niaki, Nicolas Saunier, Luis F. Miranda-Moreno

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2018, 9(1):3-17 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2018.006  

The primary purpose of any transportation network is to provide connectivity between the origin and travel destination. However, given the vehicle oriented structure of the road network in many countries, there are connectivity issues in the cycling network, which has been implemented later. Discontinuities are physical interruptions in the cycling network where cyclists are faced with unexpected situations such as the end of a cycling facility or the change from one facility type to another that are perceived as inconvenient and less safe. The microscopic behaviour of cyclists and the risks they face at these points of discontinuity has not been extensively...

Young e-cyclists in Israeli cities: a characterization of typical behaviours and risk factors based on field observations

Victoria Gitelman, Anna Korchatov, Roby Carmel, Wafa Elias

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2018, 9(1):18-32 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2018.007  

Electric power-assisted bicycles (e-bicycles) provide a convenient form of mobility in urban areas, being an attractive alternative to private cars, usual cycling and walking. However, there is a growing concern of their associated injuries, resulting from the increasing exposure and apparently higher speeds. Unlike other countries, in Israel, a growing use of e-bicycles by youngsters (below 18) is observed, in many towns, accompanied by a substantial increase in the number of related injuries. In this study, an observational survey of young e-cyclists was undertaken in Israeli towns aiming to characterize their behaviours at typical urban settings...

Red-light crossing, crossing time and attitudes to crossing with intelligent green light for pedestrians

Rasmus Øhlenschlæger, Charlotte Tønning, Camilla Sloth Andersen, Tanja Kidholm Osmann Madsen, Harry Lahrmann, Niels Agerholm

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2018, 9(1):33-40 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2018.003  

In order to increase mobility and promote modal shift to walking, intersections in the city of Aarhus, Denmark, have been equipped with intelligent management of green light for pedestrians. This allows adjustment of green time based on radar detection of pedestrians in the crossing and prolongation of the green time for the pedestrians if required. The effect is examined in a before/after study of a two-stage pedestrian crossing with a centre refuge island in an intersection of four-lane roads. The data consists of responses from an on-site questionnaire including 72+53 individuals and 266+318 hours of video registration of the pedestrian crossing...

Design of crosswalks for children A synthesis of best practice

Lars Leden, Charlotta Johansson, Peter Rosander, Victoria Gitelman, Per Gårder

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2018, 9(1):41-54 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2018.004  

A synthesis of best practice was done to come up with a "best design" of crosswalks used by children. The analysis is based on studies from three sites in Sweden and three in Israel, research results concerning "ideal" interactions, and a review of additional countermeasures as described in the literature. Our presumption is that actual vehicle speeds should be below 20 km/h where children (aged 7 to 12 years) are crossing a street, especially if they are walking unaccompanied by an adult. The results of field studies show that a "best design" to reach this should include a speed-reducing device located before the crosswalk. The optimal distance from...

Dementia and mobility - issues, needs and solutions

Daniel Bell, Susanne Wolf-Eberl, Patrick Posch

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2018, 9(1):55-63 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2018.005  

Structural transition in Austrian society in the larger context of demographic change and growing demands on infrastructure, organization and planning in the public sphere have been discussed profusely in recent years in the context of some projects. While a number of national and international research projects especially focussed on the older age groups and their requirements for staying mobile by developing solutions on the individual, technological and infrastructural level, solutions for people who suffer from cognitive impairment as a result of dementia are still missing. The Austrian research project KOMPETENZ takes the first step in identifying...

The Safety Impact of Additional Blue Lights of Rescue Vehicles

Andreas Leich, Hagen Saul, Ragna Hoffmann, Karsten Kozempel, Andreas Luber, Uwe Kippnich, Markus Damböck, Rainer Rauschenberger, Florian Biber, Thomas Stadler

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2018, 9(1):64-74 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2018.001  

This paper presents a preliminary study on behalf of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK). Its focus is on the traffic safety impact of additional blue lights for ambulance vehicles of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK). The study examines if and to what extent a traffic safety impact can be measured. The high crash risk particular during emergency drives has been reported in numerous studies. The BRK endeavors to decrease the crash frequency of their ambulance vehicles by improving their visibility especially at intersections and narrow gateways. Therefore, additional side flashing lights have been proposed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness...