Bicycle streets and raised pedestrian crossings - a litterature review

The report explores the impact of bicycle-prioritized streets and raised intersections on traffic safety and user behaviour. Bicycle-prioritized streets, which give cyclists priority while allowing limited motor traffic, have been successfully implemented in countries like the Netherlands and Germany. These streets typically have a 30 km/h speed limit, to improve subjective and objective safety. Raised intersections and continuous sidewalks further enhance safety by lowering vehicle speeds and making pedestrians and cyclists more visible. However, challenges remain, particularly with driver behavior. Many drivers exceed speed limits in wider streets, creating a sense of insecurity for cyclists. Design recommendations include narrowing lanes, using red asphalt, and implementing physical barriers to maintain low speeds and prioritize cyclists. While the study shows positive results for traffic safety, more research is needed in the Norwegian contexts to optimize these measures and understand their long-term effects on both objective and subjective safety, particularly for cyclists.