News and events>>traffic safety research seminar

November 27: Noon-1:30, in the Harmer E. Davis Transportation Library, 412 McLaughlin Hall.

Understanding Non-Motorized Modes in Asia: Three Case Studies, presented by Allie Thomas, PhD student in City and Regional Planning, and Wendy Tao and Brittany Montgomery, students in the Joint Master of Science/Master of City and Regional Planning in Transportation.

1. Bikeability in a BRT Chinese city. Jinan, Shandong has an urban population of 3.3 million people and 30% of all daily trips are done by bicycle. The municipal government has planned a 135-kilometer bus rapid transit network and hopes to shift bicyclists onto buses. As the city reshapes its roads for public transit and cars, bikes are being moved to the sidewalks, resulting in pedestrian-bike conflicts. What do bicyclists think about all these changes in their city? How and why do they choose their routes? Allie Thomas will discuss the survey results from focus groups and passby surveys of bicyclists in Jinan as well as future research.

2. Pedestrian Negotiations on Road Space: Crossing Behavior on Urban Arterials in Fushun, China. Nearly 100,000 people died in road traffic accidents in over 450,000 traffic incidents during 2005 in China. Based on accident characteristics, 26 percent of all deaths occur with pedestrians conflicting with a motor vehicle. Wendy Tao will focus her presentation on pedestrian safety issues in medium-sized cities in China, specifically the city of Fushun. Tao’s research utilized focus groups, pedestrian count data, and surveys to elucidate pedestrian movement in these spaces.

3. Transportation Applications for Developing Tourist Enclaves: Lessons from Koh Lanta, Thailand.  Koh Lanta, an island in the Krabi Province, is Thailand’s next tourist hotspot. Yet a stroll or bike ride from the beach to a local restaurant is rife with traffic safety hazards. Further, the potential for unbridled growth is directly linked to the community’s transportation choices. Brittany Montgomery will focus on the links between transportation, tourism, and cultural and environmental resource preservation in Koh Lanta. Interviews with local community members and officials, as well an extensive field survey of the island, form the basis for this case study. 

The TSC hosts the Traffic Safety Seminar, which takes place on the UC Berkeley campus and is open to the University community and the general public. It features university and outside experts in traffic safety. Request to be notified when seminars take place.

Funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

If you have a traffic safety-related research project you'd like to present at one of this season's seminars, or you'd like more information or materials on a previous seminar, please contact us.