Road user interaction with LRT – road safety implicationsBen Vardon

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RESEARCH AIMS

• Capture light rail crash data

• Understand behaviour of road users

• Forecast likely crash patterns for GCRT

• Learn from safety campaigns

• Understand successful countermeasures

• Driven by readily available data:

− Adelaide

− Melbourne

− Croydon (UK)

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CONTEXT - GCRT

At a glance:

• 13km of light rail

• Stage 1 open

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CONTEXT - GCRT

Teething issues during commissioning

Source: ABC News

Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

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ADELAIDE

• 2010 – Tramway extended from Victoria Square north along King William Street, west along North Terrace and Port Road to provide access to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Source: BingMaps

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ADELAIDE

• Northern terminus at Adelaide Entertainment Centre

• Similar to GCRT Broadbeach North

• High pedestrian volumes

Source: Infrastructure SA

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ADELAIDE

• Crash history, insufficient data for locational trends

• Three reported vehicle crashes occurred between 2010 and 2013

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ADELAIDE

Centre for Automotive Safety Research:

• Social issues, intoxicated persons and drivers

• No engineering solution

• Safe system principles

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ADELAIDE

What works:

• Set up for event loading

• Marshalling pavilion

• Wide pedestrian crossings

• Station highly delineated

• Buffered traffic lanesSource: BingMaps

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MELBOURNE

• Extensive mature ‘legacy’ network

• Recent extensions:

− Route 109 ‘Box Hill Extension’

− Route 75 Burwood Highway

Source: BingMaps

Source: BingMaps

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MELBOURNE

Route 109 Corridor:

• Posted speed is 60 km/hr

• Recent improved stop layouts

Source: BingMaps

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MELBOURNE

Route 109 safety 2003 - 2012:

• Six tram/pedestrian crashes, at or near formal crossings

• No reported vehicle/tram crashes

• All with serious or ‘other’ injuries

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MELBOURNE

Route 75 Corridor:

• Mainly segregated running

• Station access via signalised crossings at intersections

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MELBOURNE

Route 75 safety 2005 - 2012

Source: BingMaps

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MELBOURNE

Monash University Accident Research Centre:

• Safety campaigns

• Improved awareness

• Controlling paths

• Improving sight distance to trams

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MELBOURNE

Monash University Accident Research Centre:

• Pedestrians failing to distinguish the front and back of a tram

• Off-corridor risk is high

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MELBOURNE

What works:

• Safety campaigns – fear arousal

• High cost high impact

• Beware the Rhino (2011 and 2012)

Source: Yarra Trams

Source: Yarra Trams

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MELBOURNE

What works:

• ‘Obey the Yellow’ (2008)

Source: Vic Police

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MELBOURNE

What works:

• Collaboration

• Rationalisation of road clutter

• Forgiving tram design

• Safety campaigns

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CROYDON (UK)

• Opened in 2000

• Includes 28 km of track with 39 stops, over three lines

• Mixed use with traffic and pedestrians

• Reserved on-street use and exclusive corridors

Source: BingMaps

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CROYDON (UK)

Source: BingMaps

Safety 2000 – 2013 (TfL data):

• 40 crashes with one pedestrian and one cyclist fatality

• 15 crashes involved injuries to pedestrians and one involved a cyclist

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CROYDON (UK)

Source: BingMaps

Safety 2000 - 2013:

• Crashes have declined since opening

− Public awareness

− Targeted safety campaigns

Source: UK Rail Accident Investigation

Branch

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CONCLUSIONS AND ANALYSIS

Predominant crash trendsAdelaide CBD to Entertainment Centre

Melbourne Route 109 Union Street to Box Hill

Melbourne Route 75 Warrigal Road to Knox City

Croydon, London

Crash rate (per km)

2/km 2.7/km 4/km 1.4/km

Type Vehicle/tram Pedestrian/tram Vehicle/tram Vehicle/tram, Pedestrian/tram

Severity Low to moderate Moderate to serious Moderate to serious Slight to serious

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CONCLUSIONS AND ANALYSIS

• All systems subject to peak loadings

• Adelaide system exhibits a higher level of delineation and safer platform configuration

• Unsignalised traffic movements across the systems are the exception rather than the norm

• Route 109 in Melbourne, a high number of tram/pedestrian crashes

• In all cases publicity campaigns effective

• Proven safety improvements of fencing, pavement markings and signal control

• Safety mitigations have occurred collaboratively

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LESSONS LEARNT FOR GCRT

• Delineation and signage

• Treatments beyond the corridor

• Signage and operational constraints

• Early investment in publicity