Installing specific traffic calming features designed to reduce vehicle speed and volume around schools may lead to a reduction in injury risk for child pedestrians and bicyclists, and may increase numbers of children walking and bicycling to school. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of specific built environment features at influencing traffic speed and volume, and active transportation, both immediately following installation and months later.
Background Collisions with motor-vehicles are a leading cause of severe child bicyclist and pedestrian injuries in Canada. Injury rates and severity are associated with traffic speeds and volume but may be moderated through traffic calming. Objective To assess the association of specific traffic calming measures on changes in traffic speed and volume, and active transportation prevalence, around Calgary, Alberta, Canada elementary schools. Design This modified stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial was conducted at a sample of public elementary schools, from July 2020 to May 2021. Schools had either traffic calming curbs or in-street signs installed at an intersection within 100 m of the main entrance. The primary outcome was speed of vehicles driving towards or away from intervention. Secondary outcomes were traffic volume driving past the intervention and counts of children using active transportation at the intervention crosswalk.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Temporary curb extensions, placed at intersections.
Yield sign placed in middle of road at intersection.
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Traffic Speed - Pre-intervention
Traffic speed of all vehicles who pass by the intervention will be recorded.
Time frame: At each location, a week of pre-intervention data collection will occur a week prior to the intervention being installed.
Traffic Speed - Post-intervention
Traffic speed of all vehicles who pass by the intervention will be recorded.
Time frame: At each location, a week of post-intervention data collection will occur a week after the intervention being installed.
Traffic Speed - Follow-up
Traffic speed of all vehicles who pass by the intervention will be recorded.
Time frame: At a random selection of locations (drawn from those that received the intervention during the school year), a week of data collection will occur during the spring following the installation of the intervention.
Traffic Volume - Pre-intervention
The number of all vehicles who pass by the intervention will be recorded.
Time frame: At each location, a week of pre-intervention data collection will occur a week prior to the intervention being installed.
Traffic Volume - Post-intervention
The number of all vehicles who pass by the intervention will be recorded.
Time frame: At each location, a week of post-intervention data collection will occur a week after the intervention being installed.
Traffic Volume - Follow-up
The number of all vehicles who pass by the intervention will be recorded.
Time frame: At a random selection of locations (drawn from those that received the intervention during the school year), a week of data collection will occur during the spring following the installation of the intervention.
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Active Transportation Counts - Pre-intervention
The number of people (Adults v Children) who use the intervention location, and mode of travel (e.g. walking, bicycling).
Time frame: At each location, a day of pre-intervention data collection will occur a week prior to the intervention being installed. .
Active Transportation Counts - Post-intervention
The number of people (Adults v Children) who use the intervention location, and mode of travel (e.g. walking, bicycling).
Time frame: At each location, a day of post-intervention data collection will occur a week after the intervention being installed. .
Active Transportation Counts - Follow-up
The number of people (Adults v Children) who use the intervention location, and mode of travel (e.g. walking, bicycling).
Time frame: At a random selection of locations (drawn from those that received the intervention during the school year), a day of data collection will occur during the spring following the installation of the intervention.