Project overview:
Our group is investigating the effects of various traffic devices on cyclists and composing an analytical report for the BC Cycling Coalition. One example is the effect of Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) devices on cyclists. LATM devices are designed to redistribute traffic and encourage safer driving habits. LATM devices include speed bumps, roundabouts, and rumble strips. These may present negative effects to cyclists since the devices require cyclists to deviate a long way from their preferred path or slow down (especially at the bottom of steep hills), reducing their momentum and complicating their trip.
Reference: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/
Our client:
The British Columbia Cycling Coalition (BCCC) is a registered Non-Profit Society that represents the interests of cyclists throughout the province (BCCC Canada, 2013). The organization is aimed at increasing the safety, comfort, and participation of transportational cycling by securing recognition of cyclists in policy and programs.
Our team:
Our CSL project team consists of: Qianyuan (Michael) Li, Qiming (Tony) Zhang, Shibo (Robin) Li, Sunny Hon, Jason Chen, and Luke Minosky. We are six aspiring second-year civil engineering students excited to face new challenges and eager to make a contribution to the local community. We will be led by our mentor Calvin Pin, a fourth-year Civil Engineering student with a background in transportation engineering.
Our latest group meeting was conducted on Monday, Jan. 21. All group members and the mentor were present. We discussed the scope of the project and the outline of the assignment. We will be working in collaboration to research, collect and analyze data, as well as prepare a detailed report outlining the effect of traffic devices on cyclists.
What we hope to achieve for the community:
BC is committed to a sustainable approach towards designing its transportation network and offers its residents a number of alternative traffic options, including cycling. There is a great concern that some traffic devices have created unconventional problems and safety hazards for cyclists. From the field studies and the analysis of information provided by BCCC, we hope to construct a detailed report that will explain the potential effects traffic devices, such as rumble strips and roundabouts, have on cyclists.
Authors: Shibo Li, Tony Zhang, Jason Chen, Luke Minosky, Sunny Hon
Blog entry created: Jan. 24