Your feedback could identify problems and safety concerns and contribute to planning and design of shared pathways – a heathier form of transport that can help combat congestion.
The SafePaths project, managed by the Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC) at The University of Western Australia, is calling on shared path users in Western Australia to report crashes, near misses and safety concerns through an online reporting portal.
PATREC Research Associate Dr Max Davidson said historically, incident and safety reporting for shared paths had been limited, reducing the ability to identify problems and improve safety.
"We aim to address this gap by combining community reporting with advanced analysis of path use patterns to pinpoint high risk locations and behaviours," Dr Davidson said.
"Injury is increasingly becoming a serious concern on these pathways, especially given the rise of eRideables."
The portal allows users to record information such as the nature of the issue, its location, mode of transport involved and the specific date and time.
Insights gathered through the portal will be analysed alongside onsite survey data to support more informed planning and design for transport modes such as cycling, eRideables and pedestrians.
"Incidents and crashes not involving motor vehicles are poorly documented, and user behaviours in mixed-traffic environments on shared paths are not well understood," Dr Davidson said.
"This reporting portal works alongside advanced video analytics to identify high-risk locations in Western Australia, risky behaviours and gaps in current design guidelines."
The research team are working closely with local and state governments and interest groups to report, monitor and advise changes that could improve long-term outcomes for path users.
The platform does not collect personal or identifying information and all incident reports are anonymous.
All data collected through the platform will be stored securely and used only for research purposes in accordance with UWA's Human Research Ethics Committee approval.
The SafePaths project was funded by the Australian Government under the National Road Safety Action Grants Program and is supported by City of Stirling and Main Roads Western Australia.
To report an incident or safety concern, visit safepaths.au
