The document summarizes a study of new Easy Access Tram Stops (EAS) installed in Bridge Road, Richmond. The key findings from monitoring before and after the installation were: 1. Users found the EAS improved accessibility for people with disabilities and understood how the stops work, while most were positive about the changes. 2. Tram travel times decreased with the EAS due to fewer stops while stopping times per stop remained constant. 3. Pedestrian and road user behavior became safer, including fewer pedestrians crossing the road illegally.

1. Easy Access Tram Stops
Bridge Road, Richmond
August 2014

2. 1. Background
2. ‘Before and after’ study methodology
3. Study findings
– Disability access
– User Perceptions
– Stop usage
– Tram travel times
– Behaviour of pedestrians, motorists and cyclists
Overview

3.  Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires equitable
access for all people to public transport
 All tram stops in Melbourne must be DDA-compliant by
2032
 While platform stops provide many DDA and
performance benefits, on-road platforms reduce traffic
capacity
 The Easy Access Stops (EAS) installed on Bridge Road
solve this problem by allowing traffic to use both lanes
while providing passengers with level access to trams
Background

4.  2010: Off-road trials
were conducted to test
different EAS designs and
understand EAS
interactions with traffic
 2011: On-road
demonstration project
commenced in Macarthur
St, East Melbourne
 2013: On-road
demonstration project
commenced in Bridge
Road, Richmond
Background

5. • VicRoads engaged Jacobs SKM to monitor Bridge Road
before and after the installation of the Easy Access
Stops (EAS)
• 15 aspects of pedestrian and road user behaviour were
included in the monitoring process, as well as
undertaking a disability access audit
• After initial feedback from monitoring, VicRoads made
additional enhancements to the stops in October 2013
(Stage 3) - further monitoring was completed to test
the enhancements
Background

6. Purpose:
To evaluate impacts of EAS, in particular:
• Car driver, pedestrian and tram passenger behaviours
• Tram travel time and stop time at tram stops
• Safety
1. Video monitoring before and after installation of EAS
2. Interviews with tram passengers and drivers
3. Site visit with representatives from groups with visual
and mobility disabilities
4. Further monitoring after additional enhancements to
stops
Methodology

7.  Before: Friday 28 September 2012
 First ‘after’ survey: Tuesday 7 May 2013
 Second ‘after’ survey: Tuesday 26 November 2013
 Time periods:
 AM Peak: 7:00am - 9:00am
 PM Peak: 4:30pm - 6:30pm
 Inter-peak: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
 Night: 12:00am - 1:00am, 5:00am - 6:00am
Methodology

8. Findings

9. • Site visit to all stops on Bridge
Road (and Macarthur Street)
with representatives of groups
with visual and mobility
disabilities
• Tuesday 25th June 2013
• Purpose:
– Test DDA usability of the new
stops
– Gather feedback from users
with disabilities
– Identify learnings for future
projects
Disability Access Audit

10. Positive outcomes
• Users with a disability found the new stops were a great
improvement over traditional kerbside stops:
– Tactile tiling was effective – good contrast to normal
pavement (for sight impaired) and good distance
from kerb
– Tram stops were easy to understand and negotiate
Disability Access Audit

11. Learnings for future projects:
– Placement of tactile tiles should
take poles into account
– Trams sometimes stop with
bollards in their doorways (tram
driver education)
– Stops located mid-block are not
as easy to find as those near a
corner
Disability Access Audit

12. • Intercept survey Monday 24 June and Tuesday 9 July
2013
• Tram passengers, pedestrians, drivers
• Questions:
– Do drivers and tram users understand how to use
the EAS?
– Do drivers and tram users understand why the EAS
have been installed?
– What do drivers and tram users think about the EAS?
– Are there any changes drivers and tram users would
recommend?
Perceptions of Users

13. • Findings
– Both drivers and tram passengers had a good
understanding of the EAS
– Most users identified safety or disability access as
reasons the EAS have been installed
– Responses were generally positive to the EAS, with
tram passengers indicating that they improved the
route. Car drivers tended to be indifferent.
Perceptions of Users

14. • Question:
– Do tram travel times increase or decrease after the
installation of easy access stops?
– Do trams stop for the same amount of time at the
easy access stops?
• Findings
– The overall travel time has decreased
– Tram priority and fewer stops are main contributors
– Tram stopping time per stop remains relatively
constant
Tram Travel Times

15. Average travel time per tram by time period
Tram Travel Times
0:00:00
0:00:15
0:00:30
0:00:45
0:01:00
0:01:15
0:01:30
0:01:45
0:02:00
0:02:15
AM Peak IP PM Peak
Before Inbound
After Inbound
Before Outbound
After Outbound

16. • Question:
– Are the walking routes of disembarking passengers
different with the installation of EAS?
• Findings
– Positively for passenger safety, the number of
passengers getting off the tram and crossing straight
to the nearest footpath has increased from 93.7% to
97.2% with the installation of the EAS (refer to
diagram on next slide)
Pedestrian Behaviour

17. Disembarking Passenger Walking Route
93.7/97.2%
4.3/1.1%1.6/0.4% 0.0/0.0%0.1/0.1%
0.3/1.2%
Numbers in boxes refer to percentages before/after

18. • Question:
– Are more pedestrians crossing the road at EAS?
• Findings
– Overall increase in number of pedestrians crossing
– Immediately after the installation of EAS, a high
proportion of pedestrians chose to return to the kerb
rather than complete their crossing. However when
assessed again in Stage 3, the proportion of crossing
pedestrians who returned to the kerb reduced to
similar levels as the ‘before’ case.
(demonstrated in next slide)
Pedestrians crossing at the tram stop

19.  Pedestrians crossing at tram stops (AM, Interpeak, PM Peak
time periods)
Pedestrians crossing at the tram stop
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
15EB
15WB
16EB
16WB
17EB
17WB
15EB
15WB
17EB
17WB
15EB
15WB
17EB
17WB
Before After Stage 3
Numvberofpedestrianscrossing
Walk back to footpath
Successful crossing

20. • Question:
– Do motorists comply with rules to stop for trams at
EAS?
– Was there any change in compliance after the EAS
were installed?
• Findings
– Motorist compliance with tram stopping rules
improved following the Stage 3 treatments
Motor Vehicle Compliance

21.  Motorised vehicles- peak directions
Motor Vehicle Compliance
11 7 7 5 6 3
6
4
3 2 6
2
36
31
15
20 34
18
30
34
34
20 32
28
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak
Before
Inbound
Before
Outbound
After
Inbound
After
Outbound
Stage 3
Inbound
Stage 3
Outbound
D. Started to move after the tram had
started moving
C. Started to move while the tram doors
were closed, but the tram had not
started moving
B. Started to move while the tram doors
were still open
A. Did not stop

22. • Question:
– How have vehicle speeds changed after the
installation of the easy access stops?
• Finding
– Speeds have reduced at every location in every time
period since the installation of EAS.
– This has not reduced traffic volumes reduced speeds
are in keeping with our Network Operating Plan
vision for Bridge Road, which prioritises trams and
pedestrians above motorists
Car Speeds

23. Car Speeds – Average Speeds
AM Peak Interpeak
PM Peak Night
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Before After Before After Before After Before After
Site A Site B Site C Site D
AverageObservationSpeed(km/h)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Before After Before After Before After Before After
Site A Site B Site C Site D
AverageObservationSpeed(km/h)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Before After Before After Before After Before After
Site A Site B Site C Site D
AverageObservationSpeed(km/h)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Before After Before After Before After Before After
Site A Site B Site C Site D
AverageObservationSpeed(km/h)

24.  Analysis of crash statistics before and after the installation of
EAS shows no casualty crashes have occurred as a result of the
EAS.
Crash Statistics

25. • Drivers and passengers understood how EAS work, nominating
safety and disability access as main benefits of new stops
• Users with a disability found the new stops a great improvement
over traditional kerbside stops
• Some factors for disability access noted for future projects
• Tram passengers were mostly positive towards the new stops;
car drivers were mostly indifferent
Summary

26. • Total number of boardings and alightings were similar
• Tram travel times decreased
• Safer pedestrian behaviour
• Motorists compliance with tram stopping rules improved
• Vehicle speeds reduced in all time periods
• No casualty crashes have resulted from EAS
• Overall EAS are successful
Summary

27. Questions?

28. Heading