van Eggermond, Michael
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Quantifying the effect of street design on driving speed on urban roads
Reducing driving speed is a key factor in improving road safety and combating noise emissions. For this reason, more and more cities across the world reduce speed limits urban in roads to 30 km/h (20 mph). According measures are implemented in major urban areas in Europe (e.g. Paris, Brussels) and the U.S. (e.g. New York City, Seattle). For the implementation of speed reductions main roads are of particular interest. Main roads in urban areas are different from residential roads in several ways, including, but not limited to the type of trips, vehicular mix and the presence of public transport, and are therefore limited in design options to reduce speeds. The study at hand reports on a virtual reality study conducted in Switzerland using a driving simulator. To assess whether road design influences driving speed, participants were asked to drive through a series of main roads in VR with varying speed limits and street designs. Speed and lateral position were recorded; in a follow-up survey, participants stated their preferred speed along the same segments and were asked about risk aversion. Results indicate that only certain designs result in slightly lower driving speeds, while controlling for self-reported risk aversion and driving style. Given the characteristics of main roads, measures reducing the (perceived) lane width are promising, but require further investigation.
Quantifying the effect of street design on driving speed on urban roads
Reducing driving speed is a key factor in improving road safety and combatting noise emissions. Over the last decades, many European cities and countries have reduced the speed limits of residential and neighborhood roads from 50 km/h (30 mph) to 30 km/h (20 mph) or even 20 km/h (12 mph). At the same time, there is a discussion the reduction of the speed limit on main roads in urban areas in several countries. Main roads in urban areas are different from residential roads in several ways, including, but not limited to type of trips, type of vehicles and the presence of public transport, and are therefore limited in design options to reduce speeds. The study at hand reports on a virtual reality study conducted in Switzerland using a driving simulator. To assess whether road design influences driving speed, participants were asked to drive through a series of streets in VR with varying speed limits and street designs. Speed and lateral position were recorded; in a follow-up survey, participants stated their preferred speed along the same segments and were asked about risk aversion. Results indicate that only certain designs result in slightly lower driving speeds, while controlling for self-reported risk aversion and driving style. Given the characteristics of main roads, measures reducing the (perceived) lane width are promising, but require further investigation.
A virtual reality experiment to study pedestrian perception of future street scenarios
The current allocation of street space is based on expected vehicular peak-hour flows. Flexible and adaptive use of this space can respond to changing needs. To evaluate the acceptability of flexible street layouts, several urban environments were designed and implemented in virtual reality. Participants explored these designs in immersive virtual reality in a mixed factorial experiment, in which we analysed self-reported, behavioural and physiological responses from participants. Distinct communication strategies were varied between subjects. Participants’ responses reveal a preference for familiar solutions. Unconventional street layouts are less preferred, perceived as unsafe and cause a measurably greater stress response. Furthermore, information provision focusing on comparisons lead participants to focus primarily on the drawbacks, instead of the advantages of novel scenarios. When being able to freely express thoughts and opinions, participants are focused more on the impact of space design on behaviour rather than the objective physical features themselves. Especially, this last finding suggests that it is vital to develop new street scenarios in an inclusive and democratic way: the success of innovating urban spaces depends on how well the vast diversity of citizens’ needs is considered and met.
A Virtual reality experiment to study citizen perception of future street scenarios
The current allocation of street space is based on expected vehicular peak-hour flows. Flexible and adaptive use of this space can respond to changing needs. To evaluate the acceptance of flexible street layouts, several urban environments were designed and implemented in virtual reality. Participants explored these designs in immersive virtual reality in a 2x3 mixed factorial experiment, in which we analysed self-reported, behavioural and physiological responses from participants. Distinct communication strategies were varied between subjects. Participants' responses reveal a preference for familiar solutions. Unconventional street layouts are less preferred, perceived as unsafe and cause a measurably greater stress response. Furthermore, information provision focusing on comparisons led participants to focus primarily on the drawbacks, instead of the advantages, of novel scenarios. When being able to freely express thoughts and opinions, participants were focused more on the impact of the space on behaviour rather than the objective physical features themselves. Especially, this last finding suggests that it is vital to develop new street scenarios in an inclusive and democratic way: the success of innovating urban spaces depends on how well the vast diversity of citizens' needs is considered and met.