Pedestrian crossing behaviour along a primary access corridor in Stellenbosch

Abstract

Paper presented at the 30th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 11-14 July 2011 "Africa on the Move", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

The focus of this paper is the high number of pedestrian casualties on Bird Street in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Bird Street serves as the primary route for pedestrian movement between the suburb of Kayamandi to the north of the town and the central town area of Stellenbosch. Traffic casualty data was used to establish high risk casualty areas along the road and observational studies were conducted at these locations to determine the environmental and behavioural factors contributing to the casualty problem. Pedestrian flows and patterns were also studied to determine pedestrian crossing preference and to identify informal crossing points that are of particular concern. An initial study into pedestrian flows and patterns indicated that a major pedestrian access exists between Kayamandi and Bird Street serving pedestrians throughout the week but in particular during peak hour times on weekdays. Casualty data confirmed that the highest concentration of casualties was located at informal crossing locations for pedestrians and showed cycling casualties to contribute significantly to the total Non Motorized Transport (NMT) casualties. Observations of pedestrian road behaviour found that pedestrians engage in risky crossing behaviour in order to reach their desired location. Negative behaviour toward formal pedestrian facilities such as zebra crossings and signalised crossings was also seen to exist. Further investigation into the state of pedestrian facilities along Bird Street showed a lack of provision for the disabled and inconsistencies within formal crossing features.