Improvement of pedestrian safety and traffic flow regulation at railway junction, Kandy

Abstract

The junction near the Kandy railway station needs improvement as a solution to the traffic congestion at the location, especially during the peak hours of the day. The existing problem was studied in detail and several reasons for this problem were identified. To identify the movement of traffic and pedestrians at the railway junction, traffic studies were conducted during weekdays and weekends. Vehicular traffic by vehicle category, vehicle movements, and pedestrian traffic patterns were studied after identifying the three peak hours (morning, mid-day and evening) of the day. A heavy pedestrian movement surrounding the study locality was observed due to the presence of several main government institutions around that junction. Pedestrian traffic flow, pedestrian volumes and the level of service were calculated by the results collected from the pedestrian traffic surveys. A questionnaire survey was carried out during the peak hours to collect the views of the pedestrians about the existing situation at the location and the results were used in the analysis. As a measure to reduce the traffic congestion and improved vehicular flow and pedestrian safety, an underground pedestrian crossing structure together with an at-grade signalised scheme was proposed and designed. J.Natn.Sci.Foundation Sri Lanka 2013 41 (3): 259-270 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v41i3.6060