Preliminary safety assessment of Polish interchanges

Interchanges are a key and the most complex element of a road infrastructure. The safety and functionality of interchanges determine the traffic conditions and safety of the entire road network. This applies particularly to motorways and expressways, for which they are the only way to access and exchange traffic. A big problem in Poland is the lack of comprehensive tools for designers at individual stages of the design process. This applies to guidelines or other documents regarding the location, choice of interchanges type and selection of design pa-rameters. This does not provide sufficient material for designing safe and functional interchanges. This situation results in numerous hazards that occur on existing interchanges and errors that are still being made at all stages of the design process. Consequently, there is a risk of accidents in the area of interchanges, which often have serious consequences. The purpose of the research presented in the article is to identify main groups of hazards on the interchanges and to classify them based on field tests and audits of project documentation. The prepared classification uses the results of analyzing data on road accidents. As part of the research, a database was built that includes in-formation on road accidents and traffic, as well as data on all existing interchanges on motorways and express-ways in Poland. These data includes: interchange type, length of exit and entry lanes, total interchanges length, type of cross-section on main roads and ramps. The number and type of ramps occurring at a given interchange as well as the type of intersections, if any, were also taken into account. Based on the assessment, the level of safety was determined for individual types of interchanges. Then, the impact of selected road and traffic factors on safety was presented. The critical elements of interchanges are entries, exits, weaving sections and intersections. Assumptions were also adopted for the classification of identified haz-ards. A comprehensive safety assessment for interchanges allowed the development of assumptions for their design guidelines. On the basis of database exploration and field research, the main problems and hazards regarding the functioning of interchanges were identified

Criteria for Assessing the Safety and Functionality of Tram Stops

The selection of criteria in the developed methods of analysis and evaluation has a significant impact on the implemented decision-making processes. For this reason, the very process of identifying the correct criteria is a research challenge worth undertaking. The conducted literature review shows that in the methodology of assessing tram and bus stops, the researchers focus primarily on aspects related to safety. Assessment of the functionality of tram stops becomes no less important. However, a literature review shows that this range of stops is sporadically mentioned in publications. Meanwhile, from a practical point of view, the aspects related to ensuring the required functionality in the tram stop zone are as important as the safety of passengers. That is why we surveyed experts who perform official functions in cities with a tram transport system. The conducted research was aimed at: (1) assessment of the elements and selected parameters of the stop infrastructure in terms of their impact on the safety and functionality of stops; (2) assessment of the inter-relationship between safety and functionality criteria when analyzing individual factors. The article aims to present the results obtained during the structured interviews and their interpretation. The obtained research results and their classification constitute not only scientific material, but they can also be used by people and organizations involved in the design, evaluation, and modernization of tram stops. The obtained results should also be analyzed by teams developing urban standards for transport infrastructure

Criteria for Assessing the Safety and Functionality of Tram Stops

The selection of criteria in the developed methods of analysis and evaluation has a significant impact on the implemented decision-making processes. For this reason, the very process of identifying the correct criteria is a research challenge worth undertaking. The conducted literature review shows that in the methodology of assessing tram and bus stops, the researchers focus primarily on aspects related to safety. Assessment of the functionality of tram stops becomes no less important. However, a literature review shows that this range of stops is sporadically mentioned in publications. Meanwhile, from a practical point of view, the aspects related to ensuring the required functionality in the tram stop zone are as important as the safety of passengers. That is why we surveyed experts who perform official functions in cities with a tram transport system. The conducted research was aimed at: (1) assessment of the elements and selected parameters of the stop infrastructure in terms of their impact on the safety and functionality of stops; (2) assessment of the inter-relationship between safety and functionality criteria when analyzing individual factors. The article aims to present the results obtained during the structured interviews and their interpretation. The obtained research results and their classification constitute not only scientific material, but they can also be used by people and organizations involved in the design, evaluation, and modernization of tram stops. The obtained results should also be analyzed by teams developing urban standards for transport infrastructure

The Indicators Assessment of Safety and Functionality of Tram Loops

The new requirements set for tram loops mean that all stakeholders' expectations regarding their safety and functionality change. This creates a need for new tools for tram loop assessment, which are important interchanges, especially for people living outside the city limits or on their outskirts. The aim of the authors ’research is to create a indicators for assessing the safety and functionality of tram loops. Therefore, the article presents an overview of the research results in the area of tram transport and interchanges safety. Then the proposed indicator assessment for tram loops was described

Safety Assessment of Tram Stops

The safety of public transport stops is the subject of numerous studies in large agglomerations around the world. This is due to the fact that it is a passenger exchange zone where collisions and accidents involving people getting on or off public transport vehicles most often occur. For this reason, the purpose of the article is to present the results of the safety assessment of the stop zones for two selected tram lines in Wroclaw. The assessment of tram stops is based on an indicator that takes into account three parameters that affect the safety level of the tram stop zone - the location and infrastructure of the tram stop, its availability and traffic in the tram stop zone. The analysis of stops has been prepared on the basis of direct observation. As a result of the assessment process, these stops were indicated, whose safety index was the lowest. The improvement solutions for them should be prepared at first

Analysis of the functioning of the city bike-sharing system in Wrocław (Poland) in 2011–2018

Celem artykułu jest analiza i ocena działalności jednego z pierwszych w Polsce systemów wypożyczalni rowerów miejskich. W artykule opisano rozwój Wrocławskiego Roweru Miejskiego (WRM) na przestrzeni 8 lat jego istnienia. Przedstawione zostały dane dotyczące liczby stacji oraz dostępnych do wypożyczenia rowerów w każdym z sezonów wiosenno-letnich, w których możliwe było korzystanie z rowerów miejskich. Opis został uzupełniony o analizę funkcjonalności systemu przeprowadzoną na podstawie badania ankietowego pod koniec ostatniego sezonu w ramach pierwszej zleconej przez Urząd Miejski Wrocławia usługi dotyczącej obsługi Wrocławskiego Roweru Miejskiego. Celem przeprowadzonych badań ankietowych było również zebranie opinii użytkowników dotyczących funkcjonowania WRM oraz jego oceny. Badania zostały uzupełnione także o analizy opracowane na podstawie wyników obserwacji towarzyszących, które pozwoliły zidentyfikować mocne i słabe strony systemu wypożyczalni rowerów miejskich. Przedstawione wnioski stanowić mogą podstawę do określenia warunków funkcjonowania tego typu systemów w przyszłości zarówno we Wrocławiu jak i innych miastach.The aim of the article is to analyze and evaluate the activity of one of the first bike-sharing system in Poland. The article describes the development of Wrocław City Bike (WRM) over the eight years of its existence. In the article were presented data on the number of stations and bikes available for rental in each of the spring and summer seasons in which it was possible to use city bikes. The description has been supplemented with an analysis of the functionality of the system based on a survey at the end of the last season. The purpose of the conducted surveys was also to collect user opinions on the functioning of WRM and its evaluation. The research was also supplemented with analyzes developed on the basis of the results of accompanying observations, which allowed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the city bike-sharing system. The conclusions presented can be the basis for determining the conditions for the functioning of such systems in the future, both in Wrocław and in other cities