Reducing speeds with raised thresholds

Using Connected Vehicle insights to understand the before-and-after effectiveness of traffic calming measures.

A local council in Queensland is implementing three raised priority crossings on shared pathways across local roads. These are aimed at reducing speeds and improving safety for all road users around a precinct with a number of vulnerable roadside users, active travel routes, and students at a local primary school.

One crossing has already been installed on Bellara Drive, with two other crossings planned:

• Curlew Street
• Jacana Street

Sidelines Traffic, an active transport consultancy, was commissioned by the council to investigate the effectiveness of the treatments. Specifically, the council and Sidelines Traffic were interested in understanding if the raised crossing already installed had led to a reduction in driver speeds.

Early analysis using Connected Vehicle data shows that there has been a reduction in speed at Bellara Drive since the introduction of the raised crossing. Before the crossing was built, 85th percentile speeds were 46.70 km/h. After the crossing was installed, there was a 14km/h reduction in 85th percentile speeds to 32 km/h.

The data meant that Sidelines Traffic could deliver an extensive impact report supported by data, proving that the raised crossings were acting as intended: they were positively impacting driver behaviour, reducing speeds, and improving safety for vulnerable road users in the area.