SPEED PROFILES OF ISOLATED VEHICLES IN RESIDENTIAL STREETS

The design of modern residential subdivisions requires an understanding of the behavior of vehicles driven in residential street environments. This enables the street network to be designed such that it naturally restricts vehicle speeds to a desirable maximum. Past research has shown that many of the physical characteristics of the street environment can influence the speed at which vehicles travel. One of the most significant of these factors is the length of a residential street and the relationships developed suggested that if the 85th percentile design vehicle is to be restricted to a desired maximum speed of 60 km/h, the straight length of a street should be no greater than 200 meters. Vehicle speed data for the research project was collected in three short residential stre ets in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. These tree lined streets are straight, have little onroad parking, are between 7 m and 8 m in width and are bounded by intersections at each end. An array of on-road detectors was used to measure the speed of each vehicle at predetermined points within the streets. A preliminary test verified that data collected using an array of on-road electro-mechanical treadle sensors is not significantly different to that collected if no detectors were present. Data was collected over a two day period during the middle of the week between 11 am and 5 pm on the first day and 7 am and 1 pm on the second. For all isolated vehicles travelling through the street section, speed was plotted against the distance travelled along the street to form a profile. Approximately 180 such speed 'profiles' were determined for each street covering both directions of travel.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0869104136
• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • Pitcher, I K
• Publication Date: 1989

Media Info

• Pagination: v.p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Drivers; Highway design; Intersections; Motor vehicles; Residential areas; Residential streets; Speed; Speeding; Streets; Studies; Traffic speed
• Uncontrolled Terms: Street design
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• Old TRIS Terms: Residential roads; Speed studies; Street intersections
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00495225
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0 86910 413 6
• Report/Paper Numbers: ARR No. 166
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 1990 12:00AM