Urban Transport Strategy. Management in Developing Countries John A Cracknell, страница 108

Types of Intervention – the range of pedestrian facilities to meet the objectives could include:

§  new footways and paving of existing footways;

§  at-grade pedestrian crossing facilities of roads at traffic signal junctions or at conveniently located atgrade signal controlled pedestrian crossing facilities;

§  grade separated (underpasses or overpasses) road crossing facilities conveniently located;

§  pedestrian protection such as guard-rails at sites where pedestrians are vulnerable (e.g. near schools, shopping areas, etc) to channelise pedestrians to safe (and convenient) road crossings);

§  integrated programs (“Public Space Management”) involving all of the above plus pedestrianised areas or streets and high quality environmental treatment (paving, planting, recovery of public space formerly used as garbage dumps, informal parking lots etc).

Inclusion in Bank traffic management projects/component – many Bank projects include some pedestrian facilities; typical interventions are:

§  many traffic schemes integrate some pedestrian facilities such as improved footways and pedestrian crossings facilities at signal schemes (Mumbai UTP) or pedestrian-traffic segregation (all China projects), Vietnam (pedestrianised treatment of Hanoi Central Area), Dhaka (footways, pedestrian bridges etc) and so on

§  in a limited number of cases (only Colombo UTP is known), Bank projects have sought to resolve street trader obstruction to recover the footway for pedestrian use in a planned and equitable manner (many cities outside Bank projects have taken a more aggressive approach and moved street traders by force of law);

§  pedestrianised city centre areas are common in many cities and Bank projects have included schemes in the Mexico Medium Sized Cities project (Leon, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico), Hanoi (Vietnam) and one highly successful integrated program of “Public Space Management” program under the Bogota UTP Comments and Issues – issues in pedestrian programs include:

§  lack of recognition of pedestrian needs – in some cities, serving pedestrians by providing convenient, good quality facilities is a low priority.  Pedestrians are often viewed as the least important member of the transport hierarchy and, if pedestrian facilities are provided, they may be focussed on the control of pedestrians in order to assist motor vehicle flow rather than on serving pedestrian needs;

§  maintenance-repair – utilities are mainly located in the footway.  Utility companies have a poor record of footway reinstatement after repair works or introduction of new services. The result can be un-usable footways with pedestrians forced to walk in the roadway with both safety and traffic congestion problems.  City agencies lack the necessary administrative powers to co-ordinate works and to ensure that footways are reinstated in a proper manner.

§  encumbered footways - footways are often obstructed by poles, signs, advertising, vehicle runs offs, illegal parking, hawkers and traders, encroachment of shop displays and in some cities, “footway dwellers” (e.g. Mumbai).  Under these conditions, footways are un-usable and pedestrians are forced to walk in the roadway with both safety and traffic congestion problems.  The resolution is complex and involves enactment and enforcement of regulations by city governments including equitable policies for relocation of street traders and, in some cases, footway dwellers

§  token facilities – pedestrian facilities are provided which have no prospect of successful operation.  For example, marked but uncontrolled mid block pedestrian road crossings have been provided in some cities but the standards of driver observance of such that the facilities are ignored and unsafe.  Again, pedestrian facilities are provided because they are easy to implement but do not serve pedestrian needs without unacceptable diversions (this has applied to some pedestrian subways and footbridges) and this of course has the effect that pedestrians ignore the facilities and walk in the road – no purpose having been served;