An article by Paulo Anciaes, Peter Jones and Paul Metcalfe has just been published in ‘Transport Policy’ entitled ‘A stated preference model to value reductions in community severance caused by roads’. The paper is based on work carried out by UCL, PJM and Accent as part of an academic research project and can be downloaded for free here.
The paper uses a stated preference survey to estimate the value of reductions in community severance (the “barrier effect” of transport infrastructure on pedestrians). The survey was conducted in four urban areas in England. Participants were asked whether they would cross a road without designated crossing facilities in order to access a cheaper shop or a bus stop on the other side of the road, instead of a more expensive one on their side of the road. This method provides information for the inclusion of severance effects in the appraisal of interventions to change road design and to control motorised traffic. The estimated value per walking trip of reducing the number of vehicle lanes from 3 to 2 and from 2 to 1 is £1.28 and £1.00 respectively. The value of adding a central reservation (median strip) is £1.08. The value of reducing traffic levels from medium to low and from high to medium is £0.76 and £1.08 respectively The value of reducing speed limits below 30mph is £0.45. These values depend on age, gender, disability, health condition, mobility restrictions, qualifications, location, and walking behaviour.