Terraces, restaurants, motorcycles, buses and cars are sharing the urban street space in the buzzling Greek capital and tourism mecca for art and architecture of the antiquity. Cycling or using an e-scooter seem difficult on the narrow streets in the historic city centre or on the busy avenues. PHOEBE visited Athens for its 3^rd consortium meeting to observe the pilot plans and first infrastructure implementations to protect vulnerable road users (VRUs) in the urban area.

The meeting, which took place on 21-23 June and was hosted by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), focused on the scope of the pilot tests in Athens, Valencia and the West Midlands. Besides passionate discussions about the upcoming plans until the next consortium meeting in Munich, Germany, cultural visits and city tours were part of the program to understand the mobility challenges of the Greek capital.

Solving challenges after initial research phase

Besides the exchange on the plans for each pilot location and its use case scenarios, based on the gathered information about the pilots, which took place since the start of the project in November 2022, a focus was set to define the pilot use cases and scenarios to cover a wide range of different tests in the framework of the modelling exercises in Athens, Valencia and the West Midlands.

Concerning the latter, Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM) identified 10 potential locations that could be used as use cases for the modelling exercises, of which around 50% are potentially suitable to be used with the solutions provided by iRAP and Aimsun. The scenarios include examples of the key route network in the region, major retail centres, walking and cycling routes, as well as hotspots for traffic incidents. Data to support testing and wider data gathering exercises will be provided by Transport for West Midlands, Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Police.

Valencia will assess the bicycle infrastructure investment opportunities by analysing 10 bike- and car intersections to boost non-motorised mobility, particularly walking and cycling, with the potential to enhance the existing network around the metropolitan area, connecting neighbourhoods and municipalities with cycling and walking paths. The use case is looking for comprehensive data on cycling Infrastructure, identification of high-risk areas, improved cycling safety measures, evaluation of speed limit impact and enhanced understanding of user behaviour. Several simulations and real measurements will be conducted on a sample of at least five ‘event-critical’ intersections and 10 bike lane segments across different road and area types.

Learning about local solutions

NTUA leads the Athens use case, which will assess the effectiveness of the project’s protective measures for vulnerable road users in urban areas. Furthermore, the university will contribute to various aspects of the research activities, including the development of innovative methodologies to address integrated risk assessment for the protection of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Athens intends to promote safe and sustainable mobility by targeting VRU safety with three major interventions focused on public transport, implementing a city-wide 30km/h speed limit. Furthermore, the establishment of an extensive network of bicycle routes within the existing road network (mixed traffic, bike/bus lanes and bike lanes on road shoulders) is also outlined in a long-term mobility plan.

In order to gain an overview of the mobility situation, the consortium visited the Athens Great Walk, a major urban regeneration project, demonstrating the pedestrianised ‘Vasilisis Olgas Avenue’ linking the Panathinaikon Stadium to the Acropolis walk, Syntagma Square, and Panepistimiou Street (the most central Athens avenue) in which works are in progress to replace two out of six traffic lanes with more space for pedestrian and city activities.

The modern city of Athens with its 3.5 million inhabitants, is built around the ancient ruins from the antiquity, which creates several challenges with regard to mobility. Regardless of these challenges, the city administration of the Greek capital managed to build nearly 100km of metro lines with an annual ridership of around 250 million. Besides this mass transit solution and a bus- and tram network, the modal split is currently. Due to this car-dominant environment, cycling can be dangerous. Thus, PHOEBE aims to enhance road safety for active mobility users.

An additional reason for the selection of NTUA as a first interview partner for the PHOEBE interview series is the upcoming consortium meeting, site visits and inspection of the Athens pilot plans, which will take place from 21-23 June 2023. We spoke with Apostolos Ziakopoulos, NTUA Research Associate and responsible for the local pilots, who updated us on the role of NTUA, the Athens pilot and their plans for the consortium meeting.

Apostolos, what is the role of NTUA in the PHOEBE project and what is the expertise of the university?

NTUA contributes to various aspects of the research activities, including the development of innovative methodologies which will address integrated risk assessment for the protection of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Specifically, NTUA is responsible for the consolidation and synthesis of the knowledge obtained within the project activities and build on the theoretical principles of the methodological framework. This will help to create a suite of knowledge products, resources and tools for exploitation beyond the project. We also lead the Athens use case, including the selection of test scenarios and the collection of data from different sources.

Let’s focus on the Athens use case, what are the main aspects of the Greek pilot?

The Athens pilot focuses on assessing the effectiveness of the project’s protective measures for vulnerable road users in urban areas. This is particularly relevant since the City of Athens’ focuses on promoting VRU safety through various interventions. Athens intends to implement three major interventions to promote safety and sustainable mobility by targeting VRU safety. This will be achieved by promoting public transport, by implementing a city-wide 30km/h speed limit and the establishment of an extensive network of bicycle routes within the existing road network (mixed traffic, bike/bus lanes and bike lanes on road shoulders).

Examples of assessment areas in Athens

These are quite some significant plans, but how will PHOEBE help to enhance road safety in Athens?

Policy and regulatory interventions, such as environmental and safety transport charging policies will be evaluated by PHOEBE. This evaluation will be conducted through scenario tests and simulations, which will provide valuable insights into the impact of these interventions on road user behavior, mode choice, induced demand, and safety outcomes. We will provide valuable information on the effectiveness of different policy and regulatory interventions in promoting road safety for vulnerable road users in Athens. The project’s innovative technologies and analytical approach have the potential to significantly enhance road safety in Athens and promote sustainable mobility.

NTUA is also studying traffic scenarios during day- and nighttime. What are the main differences between the two scenarios and do you use different parameters?

Daytime and nighttime traffic scenarios differ in various aspects such as traffic volume, lighting conditions, and driver behaviour and safety. In daytime, traffic volume is usually higher, speeds are lower  and visibility is better, allowing drivers to see pedestrians and cyclists more easily. At night, however, lower but faster traffic together with reduced visibility increases the risk levels of vulnerable road users, especially pedestrians and motorcyclists. Risk is also increased by the absence of public transport alternatives between 00.00 – 05.00. Therefore, the parameters used in the simulation models and data analysis will differ between the two scenarios, revealing the real dimension of traffic and safety challenges faced by Athens residents and tourists.

What aspects will you show the project partners during our site visit in the framework of the 2^nd consortium meeting in June?

NTUA will show three key parts of the Athens Great Walk, a major urban regeneration project, which is currently in full development. Firstly, we will demonstrate the pedestrianised ‘Vasilisis Olgas Avenue’ linking the Panathinaikon Stadium to the Acropolis walk. Then we will visit Syntagma square in which significant more pedestrian space has been delivered to pedestrian to the detriment of car traffic and illegal parking. Finally, we will walk Panepistimiou street the most central Athens avenue, in which works are in full progress to replace two out of six traffic lanes with more space for pedestrian and city activities.

The tour will provide an opportunity for the consortium to see the infrastructure that has been put in place to support sustainable mobility modes, how vehicle traffic and pedestrians are adapted and the overall impact of the Athens Great Walk on promoting road safety for vulnerable road users in Athens. A summary of our tour, including some photos will be published on the PHOEBE homepage.

What are the next steps in the PHOEBE project for NTUA?

We will collect data for the Athens pilot study and conduct traffic simulations to enhance road safety for vulnerable road users. Finally, NTUA will collaborate with other partners to exchange experiences and best practice, disseminate project results and exploit the outcomes in order to support stakeholders with evidence based decisions.