Revealed preference valuation of beach and river water quality in Wales

This paper estimates the value of water quality for outdoor recreation in Wales, considering all beaches and rivers in the country, and accounting for the value accrued to existing visits and generated from new visits. The values were aggregated for the population and mapped to show where the benefits of improving water quality are higher. We used a revealed preference method that links models of choices of beaches and rivers with models of the monthly number of visits to all beaches and rivers. We found that improving water quality of a beach from good to excellent has an estimated value of £2.58 per existing visit and leads to an average 52% increase in the number of visits, resulting in an overall value of £199,164/month per person. Improving water quality of a beach from sufficient/poor to good has a smaller value and impact on number of visits. Improving water quality of a river stretch to above bad/poor has a value of £0.99 per existing visit and leads to a 64% increase in the number of visits, resulting in an overall value of £15,671/month per person. We discuss how the assumptions made in the analysis might affect these results

A comprehensive approach for the appraisal of the barrier effect of roads on pedestrians

Roads can become physical and/or psychological barriers to the movement of pedestrians, an impact known as the “barrier effect” or “community severance”. This paper proposes a new approach for measuring and valuing the barrier effect of different types of roads and for integrating the values into the appraisal of transport projects. This approach was developed based on the results of a survey of residents in areas around busy roads in two English cities. A series of stated preference exercises elicited preferences regarding crossing roads with specified design and traffic characteristics in locations with or without designated crossing facilities and making trade-offs with walking time and benefits or costs. The exercises were customised to represent different trip purposes (work, shopping, or leisure). Results were scaled with those obtained from a revealed preference exercise among some of the same participants, who indicated on a map their usual walking routes to locations that required them to cross the road. The results of the models of the participants' choices were then used to develop an index of the size of the barrier effect caused by the different characteristics of roads (number of lanes, presence/width of central reservation (median strip), traffic density, and traffic speed) and pedestrian crossing facilities (type, waiting time, and walking time to access them). The index was also related with the estimated willingness to pay to reduce the barrier effect for existing trips, and with the number of new walking trips that could be generated with that reduction

Pedestrian priority in street design - how can it improve sustainable mobility?

Street design guidelines aimed at pedestrians seldom acknowledge the effects of different design options on other street uses (e.g. cyclists, bus users) or the pathways through which those options contribute to sustainable economic, social, or environmental outcomes. This paper presents a new set of tools for the generation and appraisal of options for reallocating street space to pedestrians in busy urban corridors. Options are generated using two tools that allow planners to specify conditions regarding the street uses that should be prioritized, the uses that should not be made worse off, and the policy objectives that should be achieved. One tool (Policy Interventions tool) presents options that, based on the theory and empirical evidence, fulfil the specified conditions. The other tool (Street Designs tool) presents all possible combinations of street design elements (e.g. footways, cycle lanes, bus stops), in a cross-section view of the street, that fulfil the specified conditions and fit in the available street width. The street design options generated with these methods are then appraised using a third tool that incorporates cost-benefit analysis and multi-criteria procedures. The tools were tested in five European cities and refined based on feedback from practitioners and user group associations. The tools can be used to generate and appraise a comprehensive and balanced set of street design options that improve pedestrian conditions while preserving a balanced distribution of space among other street users and achieving sustainable outcomes

Generating options for roadspace allocation in busy urban roads

PROJECT IDEA: Urban roads are under great pressure due to the need to accommodate increased mobility levels and 'just in time' deliveries and servicing, at the same time that governments are putting increased focus on developing attractive spaces to support active modes of transport and encouraging place activities, all within fixed road widths. However, decisions to reallocate roadspace are usually made on an ad-hoc political basis. In particular, the option generation stage tends to be omitted. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: We developed two web-based tools for generating options for reallocating roadspace. The tools assist planners to explore feasible solutions that consider the needs of all road uses (both movement and 'place') and a range of economic, social, and environmental objectives. FINDINGS AND ORIGINALITY: The Policy Interventions tool generates options for the static or time-based reallocation of roadspace, selected from a library of 210 types of interventions. It shows information on design, suitable context, examples, and empirical evidence on effects. The Road Designs tool generates detailed roadspace allocation designs, in cross section, combining different design elements. The tools were created with input from road user groups representing pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users. Five European cities (London, Lisbon, Budapest, Malmo, and Constanta) applied the tools to generate options for the redesign of busy roads, and evaluated the tools, providing feedback that was used to refine the tools. CONCLUSION AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: The developed approach improves the process of roadspace allocation, as it generates a wider range of options than what are usually considered, providing solutions that reduce possible conflicts among different users, by making better use of space and time. The tools were validated by its use in real-world scenarios in the five cities and are now available for wider use in other cities

Pedestrians' preferences regarding signalised crossings, footbridges, and underpasses

This paper reports the results of a survey to understand the preferences of pedestrians towards using different types of crossing facilities. Participants were first asked to indicate how comfortable they felt using different types of crossings. Footbridges and underpasses were systematically rated below signalised crossings. Participants were then presented with a scenario where crossing the road at their current location was impossible and were asked to choose between walking additional times to reach certain types of facility or avoid crossing the road altogether. The analysis of the choices using a mixed logit model found that participants chose staggered signalised crossings, footbridges, and underpasses, if the walking times to those crossings were respectively 1.1, 4.6, and 4.1 minutes shorter than the times to access straight signalised crossings. On average, participants only chose to avoid crossing the road if the straight signalised crossings were located at least 20.7 minutes away. Older participants required greater reductions and participants who walk to work required smaller reductions in walking time in order to use facilities other than straight crossings. The values obtained were slightly smaller and not always statistically significant when using a conditional logit formulation. The study provides information that is useful for policy decisions about the frequency of provision and the type of pedestrian facilities provided to cross busy roads

Redesign of urban roadspace in Europe considering all road uses

1. BACKGROUND: Urban roads in Europe are under pressure due to the need to accommodate increased mobility levels and reliance on 'just in time' deliveries and servicing. At the same time, governments are putting increased focus on developing attractive spaces to support active travel and street activities. In busy areas, roadspace is limited to meet all these demands, which means that roadspace allocation becomes a contentious issue. However, decisions for redesigning roads are made on an ad-hoc political basis and there are no methods to assess the desirability of different options. 2. OBJECTIVES This presentation shows the results of a new method for the allocation of roadspace, considering the impacts on all road uses (both movement and 'place' uses) and economic, social, and environmental objectives. The method was developed by a consortium of universities, international associations of user groups (pedestrians, cyclists, bus companies) and the governments of five cities: London, Lisbon, Budapest, Malmo, and Constanta. 3. METHODS: Step 1: Generation of options for road redesign using two new tools. The first tool inputs the road uses to prioritize (e.g. buses moving) and those that should not be made worse off (e.g. pedestrians walking), as well as objectives to meet (e.g. road safety). The tool then selects suitable solutions from a database of 210 options. The second tool presents all combinations of design elements (e.g. bus lanes, footways), in a cross-section view of the road, that fulfil the specified priorities for road uses and objectives, while fitting in the available road width. Step 2: Generation of further options in collaboration with the community. Participants are provided with a toolkit of blocks and acetates representing different design elements (e.g. bus stop, parking space), all at the same scale. Participants then experiment (negotiating with each other) with different arrangements that fit into the available road width. Step 3: Micro-simulation of the generated options considering all road uses (including 'place' uses e.g. passengers waiting for buses, pedestrians window-shopping). Indicators of the effects on all road uses (e.g. delays) are calculated. Step 4: Assessment of the options using a new appraisal tool incorporating a multi-criteria procedure. The tool also determines whether the options meet technical and political requirements (e.g. do not exceed environmental standards). 4. RESULTS: The method was applied in busy roads of the five cities during 2020 and early 2021. Some of the options generated with the online tools (Step 1 of the process) were 'out of the box' options of the type seldom considered in practice, although they meet policy requirements (as inputted in the new tools by city practitioners). This included the provision of flexible space for short-term use of the kerbside (e.g. space for ride-hailing vehicles dropping-off passengers) and 'part-time' designs for evenings or weekends, when roadspace is temporarily but radically redesigned to allow for place activities (e.g. playing areas, parklets, food trucks). The use of the design toolkit (Step 2) met with challenges, due to COVID19-related restrictions on face-to-face events. However, cities organised online events with a virtual version of the toolkit. These sessions were lively, leading to the generation of further design options. Designs were translated into road markings using specialized software (LineMap). About 30 design options were generated in each city Option applied at different times of day. Some considered current demand conditions, others future conditions. The microsimulation and appraisal phases (Steps 3 and 4) helped to determine the suitability of each of the options. The options were presented for feedback from the public in an online platform (TraffWeb). The tools themselves were evaluated by practitioners in the five cities and by road user groups. There was positive feedback about the ease of use and the range and usefulness of the information provided as output of the tools. Comments were used to refine the tools. 5. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE: The new tools bring objectivity to a process that is usually contentious and political. The method emphasizes the generation of options, usually the most neglected phase in all transport policies. The new option generation tools are openly available, bringing more transparency to the road redesign process, as any member of the public can easily generate their own options as possible alternatives to the ones presented by authorities. The appraisal tool is also free to use. The procedures for co-design, micro-simulation, and wider consultation were integrated into existing commercial software (Line Map, PTV Vissim, and TraffWeb) and can enhance the work of practitioners engaged in road redesign

Developing low-carbon freight microhubs in London - Principles, benefits and locational analysis

Microhubs are relatively small facilities located in or near city or town centres, where freight is received in bulk and then re-distributed to nearby residential and/ or commercial premises by low emission vehicles (e.g. electric vans, cargo cycles). Interest in urban microhubs has been growing, as evident by the increased number of these facilities in many cities and in the willingness of public authorities to encourage and sometimes co-fund them. The deployment of microhubs, and the associated shift towards employing low-emission vehicles is becoming urgent, given trends such as the increase in demand for home and business deliveries, shifts in political and public priorities towards sustainability and liveability (including carbon reduction, cleaner air and accident reductions), concerns about congestion, and increased competition for roadspace and kerbside space. Microhubs can not only reduce environmental problems associated with last-mile freight distribution in cities, but under the right conditions can also generate benefits for shippers, freight operators and customers, as well as wider economic and social benefits for the communities they serve. This report reviews international evidence on the realisation of these benefits, and then looks specifically at London. Simulation and evaluation studies have shown that, in general, microhubs located in denser urban areas reduce emissions while allowing for faster, more reliable, and more flexible deliveries, compared with conventional delivery systems. Previous studies have shown that the viability of microhubs, both from the operator’s and society’s perspective, is location-specific and depends, among other things, on the density of demand, the supply of labour, and on the characteristics of the road infrastructure in the surrounding areas. Drawing upon this prior knowledge, the report develops and demonstrates a method for identifying the most suitable potential locations for urban microhubs served by cargo bikes. This method was applied to Greater London, using a grid of 39,861 points at 200m intervals, covering the whole of the Greater London area. The suitability of each point was assessed based on (i) the demand for deliveries (from residents and businesses), (ii) road infrastructure and operational conditions for cycling in the surrounding area, and (iii) the availability of a suitable pool of labour. Once these filters had been applied, the remaining 3,109 potential sites was then characterised in terms of (iv) wider social and environmental benefits of shifting motorised deliveries to cargo cycles and (v) local on site-level constraints. The report concludes by mapping the locations of four potential microhub sites owned by British Land, in Central and Inner London, onto the remaining grid points

Pedestrians avoid busy roads: evidence from video surveys and bus stop data

This paper assesses the influence of motorised traffic on pedestrian mobility in an area in London surrounded by major roads. Pavement and crossing flows obtained by a video survey are analysed in comparison with data on bus stop usage. The flows along the busiest road are lower than it would be expected given the location of the road along the walking routes to bus stops. The propensity to cross the road (overall and informally) correlates negatively with traffic levels, especially in roads with medium traffic speeds. The hypothesis that local residents avoid crossing the road away from designated facilities is also supported by differences in the number of passengers boarding and alighting buses at different stops