Increased safety of pedestrian and road traffic

Summary

Development of a safe and secure road-infrastructure by implementing signalling and illumination of pedestrian crossings which aims at ensuring the safety of pedestrians (especially school children).

Implementing sustainable mobility

To decrease the number of road accidents and improve the traffic flow on the junction of the main city roads. Measure was also focused on increasing the safety of pedestrians by constructing the signalling and illumination of pedestrian crossings near schools.
Traffic prognosis for Szczecinek indicates in a laissez-faire scenario that until 2015 the road traffic intensity will double. The main road connecting South to North of the country runs through the city and it is intensively used by heavy duty vehicles and by tourists going to the Baltic coast, especially in the summer season. Measurements of the average daily traffic on this road in the summer season in 2000 indicated 12.056 vehicles /day (herein 9.614 passenger cars and motor bicycles).
Lacking a ring road around the city causes the situation that the transit traffic runs nearly through the city centre. This of course entails many inconveniences and the higher level of danger for pedestrians and cyclists. In the whole city there were existing only 3 intersections with traffic lights. There was an urgent need to increase safety of the pedestrians and road traffic, which was planned to be reached by installation of additional signaling systems at one intersection, two pedestrian crossings and illumination at four pedestrian crossings.
 

Progress

Planning and design of traffic safety solutions was a first stage of the Measure. Number of consultations took place with the Road Management Departments and Police representatives which resulted in identifying the dangerous points on the road traffic map in Szczecinek. Procurement exercises were commenced and finalised in 2010:
- 4 pedestrian crossings near schools were illuminated,
- 2 pedestrian crossings near schools were signalled.
The signalling of the dangerous intersection of the main roads was constructed in 2011.

All the demonstrators within this Measure are continued after the RENAISSANCE project end.
 

Outcomes

• decrease in the number of transport accidents,
• high acceptance of implemented measures (pedestrians):
- illumination of pedestrian crossings 88%,
- signalling of pedestrian crossings 86.10%,
- traffic lights 71.20%.
• high acceptance of implemented measures (drivers):
- illumination of pedestrian crossings 86.80%,
- signalling of pedestrian crossings 84.20%,
- traffic lights 73.50%.
• high perception of security.