Safety problems and difficulties in using public spaces with modern tramways: the example of Marseilles
Résumé
The redeployment of tram networks in French cities has considerably modified public spaces and the way citizens use them. Modern tram layouts in France are usually based on dedicated lanes and contribute to the redistribution of the whole public space. In this paper, we focus on the effects that these new forms of public spaces containing trams have on user practices. The objective of this work is to contribute to better design practices, for improving the safety of users, with a special attention to the readability of these spaces. We particularly wonder what influence public spaces redesigned for trams have in terms of safety and conditions of use for all the users of these spaces. The results suggest, on the one hand, that the implementation of a modern tramway system tends to significantly reduce the number of accidents on the streets along the tram routes. This could be due in great part to the reduction of the space allocated to the cars in such projects (reduction of the number of traffic lanes, pedestrianisation of some sections, etc.), which probably involve a decrease in car traffic.On the other hand, the results suggest that the new forms of public spaces induced by the implementation of modern tram systems in French cities create specific safety problems and difficulties for the various categories of road users. Although the analyses presented here were limited to a few number of sections - and therefore remain to be extended and consolidated - some main problems have been identified.
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