Empirical investigation of shared space traffic: A comparison to conventional urban road environment

Abstract

Shared space is an unconventional concept that is not based on formal rules and standards, as it encourages road users to share the same road space with little physical or visual separation. Consequently, this concept creates intriguing research questions that have not been fully answered yet, i.e., a) can a shared space road section produce more pedestrian crossings? b) what is the relationship between pedestrian crossings and traffic speeds? and c) what are the differences with a conventional road when motorizing traffic dominates in shared space? This study examines traffic conditions in shared space by answering these research questions. More specifically, it uses Amalias Street in Nafplio Greece as a case study. This road is divided into two main sections, namely: the conventional road section and the shared space road section, allowing meaningful comparisons. The collected data are further analyzed by developing multiple linear regression models that predict pedestrian crossings and mean car speeds in both sections. This study discusses model outputs with the literature to export valid conclusions. The results show that pedestrian crossings were increased in shared space when vehicle headways were high. Shared space results in a significant drop in car speeds that is confirmed by previous studies; surprisingly, the variance of car speeds was also reduced, leading to a more homogenous driving behavior. Pedestrian crossing rate significantly influences car speeds in shared space, while this relationship was not significant in the conventional road section. Shared space seems to calm traffic speed and allow coexistence even when motorizing traffic dominates.