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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

Report
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-05-137
Date: July 2006

Evaluation of Safety, Design, and Operation of Shared-Use Paths

Final Report

PDF Version (1172 KB)

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APPENDIX A. PERCEPTION SURVEY FACT SHEET AND INFORMED CONSENT FORM

FACT SHEET

You are being asked to voluntarily participate in a research study being conducted by NC State University for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The study is addressing the operational characteristics of recreational paths and trails that are used by a variety of different users (for example, pedestrians, bicyclists, runners, in-line skaters, etc.). An important part of the study involves determining how someone like yourself perceives different trail conditions. For example, we want to know how the following factors affect your perception of the trail. . . factors like the degree of 'lateral' separation between users (that is, the distance between you and those on your right or left); the degree of 'longitudinal' separation (that is, the distance between you and those in front of or behind you); and users' ability to pass other users when they want or need to.

Figure 31 also contains two images. One image is identical to Figure 20 described above. The other image is a picture of a typical shared use path. The path runs from the bottom to the top of the image. The setting is a sandy beach. The paved path has three striped lanes. There are a number of bicyclists in the left two lanes which have pavement markings saying bike. There is an adult pedestrian and a child on a tricycle in the right lane marked PED for pedestrian.

As a volunteer in the study, you will be asked to view thirty-six, 1-minute video segments showing a range of trail conditions and users. You will experience these conditions as if you were riding a bicycle along the trail. After viewing each 1-minute segment, you will be asked to provide your perception of trail conditions in terms of (1) lateral separation, (2) longitudinal separation; and (3) ability to pass. You will also asked to give an 'overall' rating of the trail. You will provide these ratings using the 5-point scale shown below. When you have finished with your ratings for a particular trail condition, we will move to the next condition. There will be 36 sets of conditions in all. We'll pause briefly after each 9 conditions.

 

  BAD POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT
LATERAL SEPARATION          
LONGITUDINAL SEPARATION          
ABILITY TO PASS          
OVERALL          

 

When you and the rest of the group have finished viewing all 36 segments, we would like for you to stay for a few minutes to collect any other thoughts or perceptions you may have that you feel were not addressed by the conditions that you viewed or the scale that you used to provide your perceptions of these conditions.

Your responses will remain anonymous and will not used in any way outside the context of the present study. Your signature below indicates your concurrence with the conditions of the study. At any point in time that you wish more information about the study, you can contact either Dr. Joe Hummer (NCSU) at 919-515-7733 or Ms. An Do (FHWA) at 202-493-3319.

 

______________________________(last name)

___________(date)

last 4 digits SSN: ______ ______ ______ ______

 

I am participating as a: Bicyclist Pedestrian

Figure 31. Fact sheet for conformed consent.

 

FHWA-HRT-05-137

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