Processing Traffic and Road Accident data in two Case Studies of Road Operation Assessment

In recent years a change of paradigm in road operations development has emerged. Increasing congestion on the urban motorway networks has led stakeholders to test innovative practices of road infrastructure use, since strict budgetary constraints and the environmental requirements for sustainable mobility have raised the need not only to limit the building of new infrastructures but also to look for solutions to optimize the existing network. Therefore, on French motorways for instance, new road management schemes are being tested, such as allowing traffic on the hard shoulder during peak periods. Furthermore, recent directives in France on road safety, sustainable development and the preservation of the natural environment have driven local authorities to reduce speed limits on urban highways. Whatever the reasons for change, an exhaustive assessment of new schemes is essential, in order to know what the impact is in terms of traffic and road safety. This paper aims to give methods and results in ex-ante and ex-post safety assessment studies by combining data from various sources (traffic databases, police reports, accident files, weather stations and maps). (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.