RSS 11 - Pedestrian platforms

- October 1999

Table of contents

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1. Introduction

During April and May 1999 the Regional Offices of the Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) conducted surveys of three safety areas in 31 road controlling authorities (RCA). The 31 RCAs included three regional offices of Transit New Zealand and 28 territorial local authorities.

The three safety areas surveyed were:

• skid resistance (interview surveys only)
• pedestrian platforms (interview and field surveys)
• floodlighting pedestrian crossings (interview and field surveys)

This report describes the procedures for the pedestrian platform surveys and presents the results.

For this survey a pedestrian platform was defined as a section or area of roadway specifically textured or raised to slow vehicles and intended to provide a crossing point for pedestrians. A pedestrian platform could be part of an intersection threshold or a mid-block treatment and could include standard pedestrian crossing markings and signs. Specifically textured sections may be flush (<20mm above road) or raised.

Performance was measured with respect to Traffic Note 2 Platforms as Crossing Points - Guidelines (Traffic Note 2) issued by the LTSA in June 1998. The surveys were also designed to collect data on the current practices, policies and procedures for the installation of pedestrian platforms. Information gathered has been made available to the TRAFINZ (Traffic Institute of NZ) group preparing a guideline on pedestrian facilities.

Traffic Note 2 was issued to highlight the LTSA's concern that some pedestrian platforms were creating a false sense of priority for pedestrians. It did not contain detailed design or legal requirements but encouraged RCAs to ensure pedestrian platforms had specific features.

2. Purpose of the surveys

The purpose of the surveys was to:

• Establish what standards and guidelines RCAs used
• Measure performance against current standards and guidelines
• Provide a national summary of results and report to interested parties.
• Identify any justifiable changes to standards, guidelines, or traffic rules

3. Methodology

3.1 Sample selection

A sample of 31 RCAs was chosen for inclusion in the surveys. This included 28 territorial local authorities and three regional offices of Transit New Zealand. The sample was weighted towards authorities not included in the LTSA's surveys the previous year.

Appendix 1 lists the 31 RCAs included in the surveys. The list also shows the number of pedestrian platforms and the number surveyed in each RCA.

Seven (23%) of the 31 RCAs surveyed had no pedestrian platforms. The three regional offices of Transit New Zealand were included in the 7 and the installation of pedestrian platforms is discouraged on state highways. Except where noted otherwise these 7 RCAs have been excluded in the presentation of the results of the surveys.

3.2 Interview surveys

Interview surveys were conducted with representatives in each authority. Survey forms were sent in advance to allow time to research answers if necessary. Questions centred on the standards and guidelines used for installing pedestrian platforms and also on obtaining information on the number and types of pedestrian platforms installed.

The Pedestrian Platform Questionnaire is attached as Appendix 2.

3.3 Field surveys

Up to 10 randomly selected pedestrian platforms were surveyed for each RCA. Staff from the RCA was invited to take part. The purpose of the field surveys was to evaluate the extent of compliance with Traffic Note 2 and to gather data on the features of pedestrian platforms as constructed.

A copy of the Pedestrian Platform Survey Form is in Appendix 2.

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Last updated: 24 July 2003