Fieldwork techniques using transport
Aims
To compare the connectivity and accessibility of transport systems in different areas, for example two urban areas (perhaps with different functions which may affect provision) or between an urban and rural area
To investigate and compare public transport provision in different areas
To examine how transport provision affects commuter preferences
To examine usage of public transport and to relate this to the feasibility of maintaining a particular route or service
To examine vehicle flows at particular intersections and to identify diurnal, weekly or seasonal patterns. To investigate the need (location, time) for improved provision
To conduct route quality surveys and to determine how route quality affects the choice of route taken
To carry out a survey of car parking: the number and type of car parks and their locations, the quality of provision, car parks at honey pot sites and usage (occupancy against capacity)
To focus on accessibility and parking in the CBD
To investigate the suitability of provision for picking up and dropping off students outside the school
To analyse the provision, usage, connectivity and safety of local cycle networks
To focus on the accessibility and use of footpaths and pavements by pedestrians
Equipment
A counter or tally charts
Base maps of the sites
Quality indices or scoring systems
Secondary data, for example timetables, fare information, archive and current route maps, user statistics and local newspaper articles
By car
On a base map of the area, mark on roads of different type and label or colour code them
Annotate with traffic information, for example areas prone to congestion or accident ‘hot spots'
Travel the routes and annotate further with information about the quality of the route, for example road condition or flow. It may be useful to compare journeys along the same route under different weather conditions
When travelling the routes, average the journey times at different times of the day
Different routes to a particular destination could be compared, or various routes into and out of a settlement
Questionnaire information could also be incorporated by surveying the routes people take and their reasons for their choices
Public transport
Examine the timetables and mark the routes onto a base map of the area
Identify areas that are not served and measure the distance required to travel to the nearest service
Examine usage levels by recording occupancy related to capacity on different services
Survey the ‘type' of passenger in terms of age, gender and occupation
Conduct questionnaires to survey the perceptions of passengers using the service. What are their opinions on the regularity, punctuality and reliability of the service, journey time, fares and the condition of the bus or train? Compare their views with car users travelling the same route
The route can be analysed further by comparing the distance of the route with the most direct route which could be taken. This gives an indication of the ‘detour' distance (the ‘extra' distance covered by taking public transport as opposed to a journey by car). The extra time can also be approximately calculated
Site provision (for example the provision of pick up and drop off bays)
Map the provision and add annotations, sketches and photographs to your map, identifying key feature such as turning circles, parking bays, bus areas and disabled provision
Observe and record the volume of vehicles accessing the site at key times of the day and identify any issues or problems that arise
Conduct questionnaires amongst car drivers, bus drivers, local residents and site staff to determine the range of opinions about the quality of the provision
Interview the manager of the site (or head teacher), questioning them in particular about their methods for addressing any issues that arise
Make your own suggestions about possible management techniques
Investigating car parking
Map the car parks in the study area and colour code them according to their type (surface or multi-storey), size and charged (this could be broken down into fee categories)
Examine occupancy and capacity levels by surveying at different times of the day and / or seasons
Assess the quality of the provision, taking into account:
Cost
Lighting and safety / security (you may be able to obtain secondary data on crime and vandalism)
Access and layout
Proximity to services
Amenities, for example toilets
Aesthetic and environmental quality, for example smell, graffiti, litter
It may be necessary to take a sample for large areas
Conduct questionnaires to determine the perceptions of users, and compare these findings with your own assessment of the site
Use your findings to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision and identify any problems or issues that might arise
Comment on existing and proposed management solutions and suggest your own initiatives. It may be possible to arrange an interview with a representative from the local council
You could investigate the car parking provision from the perspective of a specific user group, for example overheight vehicles, disabled provision, coaches, pedestrians
Large scale studies can be time consuming and lend themselves to group work. There is also a cost element with driving many different routes or using public transport
Large urban areas should be sampled rather than undertaking the whole site
Calculating car park occupancy can prove difficult - cars are always coming and going, so counts are always only an estimate at best
To identify traffic hot spots for congestion or accidents, and existing or potential management solutions
To investigate the plans for a new development, for example a bypass, a new road layout, a new runway or airport terminal or the closure of a railway station or line. The likely impacts could be analysed and the case for or against the development investigated
To study road safety in different residential areas, and the possible methods to improve it
The usage and effectiveness of park and ride provision
To focus on issues arising in the CBD, for example the effectiveness of pedestrianised areas and one way systems, public perceptions of them and their management. To compare the effectiveness of different measures in different places, e.g. two different CBDs
To study the impact of a quarry, industrial estate or retail development on local traffic conditions
To investigate the impact of a school or football stadium on localised traffic flow and residential access, or the impact of coaches to a major attraction or event
To investigate the prevalence of traffic offences (for example speeding) on a route, using statistics and evaluating the effectiveness of measures to reduce them
To study traffic flow management techniques in large supermarket car parks
To focus on environmental themes for an investigation, for example, car occupancy levels, car sharing schemes, the impacts of congestion charging or toll roads, electric buses
Noise DB meters
Traffic counters and tally sheets
Base maps, cameras and sketching materials
Secondary data - for example, information on proposed development, newspaper articles, accident statistic, historical maps and photographs to show the area before and after development, information on toll and congestion charges
Map the area and make field sketches/take photographs of the sites being investigated
Annotate maps, sketches and photographs with key features and information about the issues and highlight the management techniques already in place
Assess the usage of the site using methods such as traffic counts (type and number at different times of the day), surveys of the occupancy of park and ride buses and car parks, etc
In congestion hot-spots, try to find out when and why congestion takes place, the length of queues and the length of delay
Research secondary information about the issue or the proposed development, and try to obtain statistics of congestion or accidents before and after management strategies were introduced to the site
Undertake questionnaires of local residents and road/public transport users to assess their opinions on the development. Local residents could be asked to make a mental map of their perceived areas of ‘high risk', for example the most dangerous' roads in their immediate neighbourhood
Further primary data may also be required for certain investigations, for example environmental quality surveys or noise surveys (for example decay with distance from an airport)
Investigate existing management strategies that are being adopted to reduce the impact or risk resulting from the development. Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and make suggestions of your own for further improvements
Large scale studies can be very time and labour intensive, and as a result are perhaps best shared amongst a group
Keep your investigation to an achievable scale and maintain the focus
Traffic counts in busy places will be very hard to achieve successfully on your own
It may prove difficult to obtain secondary data, for example the volumes of traffic before a development (needed for comparison). However, the local council will be a good starting point, as a detailed investigation will need to have been undertaken before the development was started
Remember the good points! New developments often bring positive impacts in terms of employment and economy, local industry and property prices
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