How do drivers feel about using shared space?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around drivers' perceptions and feelings regarding the use of shared spaces, particularly in urban environments. Participants share their experiences and concerns related to the design and safety of these spaces, focusing on factors such as lighting, pedestrian presence, and the interaction between vehicles and vulnerable road users like children and the elderly.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses urgency in gathering responses for a survey on driver willingness to use shared spaces, emphasizing the importance of feedback for future design.
  • Several participants report their experiences taking the survey, with one finding it enjoyable and anonymous.
  • Concerns are raised about dim lighting in shared spaces, with multiple participants indicating it as a significant factor affecting their comfort level.
  • Some participants highlight the presence of bicycles and skateboards as additional concerns in shared spaces, particularly in low-light conditions.
  • There are mentions of the challenges posed by pedestrian traffic, especially in areas with children and the elderly, which some participants find overwhelming and potentially dangerous.
  • One participant describes a frustrating experience driving in a pedestrian-heavy area, noting the difficulty in navigating through constant pedestrian activity.
  • Another participant shares similar sentiments, emphasizing the unpredictability of children and pets in shared spaces as a source of anxiety for drivers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of concerns about shared spaces, particularly regarding lighting and the presence of vulnerable road users. While some agree on the potential dangers posed by children and elderly pedestrians, others focus on the overall design and attractiveness of shared spaces. The discussion reflects multiple competing views and remains unresolved regarding the best approaches to improve safety and comfort for drivers.

Contextual Notes

Participants' comments reveal a reliance on personal experiences and perceptions, with no consensus on the effectiveness or safety of shared spaces. The discussion highlights various assumptions about driver behavior and pedestrian interactions that may not be universally applicable.

carolchan
Need help for my project!URGENT!

I m a student doing my final year project in Imperial College London.

The project is to study the willingness of drivers in using shared space.
This survey is carried out as part of a larger research project on shared space at Imperial College London and is addressed to ALL DRIVERS.

I really want your help to fill in my survey!it only take less than 10 mins to finish it and it consists of a very short introduction, followed by 16 questions.

Your comments are sososo important to me and will contribute to the better design of shared spaces in the coming years as well! crying crying crying please help me!

Please go to the link to complete the survey.
https://academictrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_0krSaC2OpAjlZac&SVID=Prod

smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile
 
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I took the survey and it was fun. It is anonymous.
 


Did it too, don't like crowdy and bad light.
 


The only thing that would bother me in that scenario is dim light. All the other factors I can deal with.

One thing not in the scenario - bicycles and/or skateboards. Definitely would be a concern to me, especially in dim light.

Oh and the steering wheel was on the wrong side :-p.
 


lisab said:
The only thing that would bother me in that scenario is dim light. All the other factors I can deal with.

Well, if you find yourself not moving because of a pedestrian stampede, it's not really where you want to be. I think in some places the admission of cars is limited in time, not during pedestrian rush hour.
 


It was the areas with children and elderly, with dim light..
 


hypatia said:
It was the areas with children and elderly, with dim light..
It was the many children and elderly, in a small, dim space, in a big car. Sounds like playing clue. :biggrin:
 


Mrs. Peacock in the dining room with a lead pipe.

Most of the spaces I said "no" to had lots of people, particularly older and younger people, and dim lighting. If you've got people on the street with my car, light it up.

The shared spaces look attractive, though.
 


I said "no" to a lot of them. It's bad enough driving with other cars on the road, let alone having pedestrians or children thrown into the mix (though I had trouble understanding where the children were or what they were doing if they weren't the pedestrians...how do you have lots of children and few pedestrians? Are they parked in their strollers as obstacles along the path?).

Having pedestrians and vehicles in the same space reminds me too much of trying to drive through one of our campuses. Basically, you can't. There are no controlled crosswalks, just big signs saying to yield to pedestrians. You really don't have much choice when they don't yield to you. If you stop for one, you may never move again, because one will get about halfway across then another appears, then a group of 6, then someone from the other side starts across, etc. It literally took a half hour to drive 5 car lengths the last time I had to drive through that area, because there was never a break in pedestrian activity and some of the drivers ahead of me weren't as assertive as I am about rolling forward while someone is crossing to make it clear to the one on the sidewalk I'm not sitting there forever.

I prefer to just avoid that road entirely, and drive several blocks out of the way to do just that. Even when I drive to that campus, I usually try to park in one of the peripheral parking areas and walk to avoid driving anywhere near where the students are. Once in a while, I don't have a choice and hate it.
 
  • #10


My thoughts exactly, MB... Children and elderly would just make it worse. Children more than the elderly, they have a tendency to walk into danger -- especially scary on tricycles or skateboards ... and how about pets? Someone walking 12 dogs (on leashes) can block up a lot of traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular! I've heard of unleashed dogs jumping into major streets with moderate to heavy traffic (and not cause any accident, at least in that instance, but that's not guaranteed).
 
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