Traffic safety priority at a main street - Rybníková ulica within the ecocity area of Trnava (Slovakia)

Abstract: The street environment is shared by several groups of road users with very different characteristics and needs. In the planning process it is important to take them all into account, to create an environment accessible to as many people as possible. Through, at one hand, removing the high priority the private cars have had during the past century and, on the other hand, lifting up the needs of public transport, cyclists and pedestrians, we also take a step towards a more sustainable society.The purpose of this project has been to study the Swedish standards for traffic planning and then produce two proposals for how a street can be rebuilt to fit into a more sustainable transport system. The case study in my project is the street of Rybníková, a main street in the town of Trnava in Slovakia. Rybníková is today a busy street where both the motor vehicles and the vulnerable road users have problems with the accessibility. The main part of the work has revolved around traffic safety priority, as this concept includes the key points set up for the project. The street shall allow for several modes of transportation to coexist on equal conditions. Pedestrians and cyclists shall have high priority. It shall be safe and pleasant to be on the street. Considering the local conditions at Rybníková and the facts from the literature study, the following measures are the main points in the proposals made:

• The speed will be regulated to 40 kph on links and 30 kph at pedestrian and bicycle crossings.
• The number of conflict points is reduced through roundabouts, central reserves and by avoiding four-legged junctions. Further through separating bicycles from both motor vehicle traffic and pedestrians and through creating a traffic situation that is clear and easy to understand.
• High priority is put to the public transport. Bus stops within a range of 300 metres, high accessibility for the buses, etcetera.
• The bicycles are treated as a transportation mode of their own with separate lanes.
• The different needs within the heterogeneous group of pedestrians are considered as much as possible. Small details play a vital role for whether the street environment is accessible for people with reduced abilities or not.
• Pedestrian and bicycle crossings are located where they give the shortest and most attractive way for the pedestrians and cyclists.
• A low speed among the motor vehicles at the pedestrian and bicycle crossings is secured with road cushions about 5 metres before the crossings together with a narrow roadway width.
• The street will have a green character with many trees and other plants. The green serves both to separate the different modes of transportation from each other and to give a pleasant atmosphere.

For the town centres to live and prosper, it is important that people and goods have good accessibility on the main streets. But it is just as important that these streets do not become a danger and a barrier for the pedestrians and cyclists moving along and across them. The measures proposed try to meet both these requirements.