Road user interaction changes following street improvements from Te Ara Mua – Future Streets: A case study

Te Ara Mua – Future Streets is a before-after study of a neighbourhood street retrofit in Māngere, Auckland, New Zealand. The goal of the Te Ara Mua – Future Streets intervention was to make active travel modes safer and easier, and to reflect local cultural identity. This paper focuses on one aspect of the study evaluation – to understand if walking and wheeling were made easier and safer for people crossing the road. A video coding framework to understand road user behaviour and interactions was applied at one site where the street layout had been modified. Changes in pedestrian and motorist behaviours were consistent with improved safety, and lessons for the retrofit of some infrastructure features were identified.