Shared Zones
Shared zones are unique road sections designed for joint usage by pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. These areas can include off-street car parks without specific footpaths or streets featuring brick paving, setting them apart from conventional roadways. They will usually be sign-posted. In shared zones, people walking, cycling, and driving are expected to act in a way that is consistent with all potential users by travelling at a walking pace.
It is essential to understand the different types of shared zones, so that you can recognise them and know when to measure them.
As mentioned earlier, shared zones are often sign-posted. Did you notice the signs for each type of shared zone? If not, go back and see if you can spot them. There is not a sign in every image, but each zone should have sign. This will be useful for you to know when it is a shared zone and collect the relevant data.
Tim mentioned three types of shared zones. Let’s look into them, shall we?
The first is pedestrians and bikes. Here, both pedestrians and cyclists have equal rights and share the same space. This can look like the following images:
The next shared zone is bikes and vehicles, where bikes and vehicles typically share the road. This type of shared zone is commonly found on roads or streets with designated bike lanes or marked shared lanes. They often have specific markings, signage and sometimes physical barriers.
The third shared zone is vehicles and pedestrians. These are areas where all forms of transport are welcome to travel at a slow speed.
