Abstract
This paper describes a before-and-after case study of a protected intersection in Salt Lake City, Utah. The intersection was completed in late 2015 and represented one of the first examples of a protected intersection design in North America. We analyzed bird’s-eye view video data that was recorded before the intersection was implemented and compared it against video data recorded from the exact same location after implementation. In order to examine changes in intersection usage and behavior, we operationalized safety in terms of the frequency of nonoptimal behaviors demonstrated by active transportation modes. We found that active transportation usage of the intersection has increased since the new configuration, with most of that growth attributable to e-scooter users. There was minimal change in the rates of nonoptimal behaviors by pedestrians. Bicyclists showed mostly decreased rates of nonoptimal behaviors, suggesting improved safety for this mode. E-scooter users, however, demonstrated nonoptimal behaviors at very high rates as compared with other active modes. This case study gives evidence that a protected intersection can have positive effects on active transportation volume and safety in a U.S. context.
Highlights
As a sustainable urban transport mode and important type of physical activity, bicycling has been recognized to provide various health benefits, including a reduction in the risks of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancers, and an increase in metabolic and cardiorespiratory functions [1,2,3,4]
We calculate change as the difference between the average of the two post-implementation sample periods (2016 and 2018) from the pre-implementation period (2015). The exception to this method is the calculation of the change in the “other” category, which is measured as the difference between the average of the two days of video (August 2015 and 2016) before the deployment of shareable scooters in the summer of 2018 and the one post-deployment, as well (August 2018)
We found that after the implementation of a new protected intersection configuration, active transportation usage increased during our three-year study period from 2015 to 2018
Summary
As a sustainable urban transport mode and important type of physical activity, bicycling has been recognized to provide various health benefits, including a reduction in the risks of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancers, and an increase in metabolic and cardiorespiratory functions [1,2,3,4]. Protected intersections are one of the novel infrastructure designs that incorporates many of the following attributes of successful European designs: physically separating rights of way, making pedestrians and bicyclists more visible to drivers, providing shorter crossing distances for active transportation users, and prioritizing active modes through signalization. These intersection treatments are relatively new to North American cities, and there are only a handful of protected intersections in North America [8]. Our in-depth case study on a protected intersection should bring critical insights that help researchers and practitioners to better understand the effects of intersection design changes in the U.S context
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
