Signs and signals for cyclists and pedestrians: comparison of rules and practices in 13 countries

The Transport Health and Environment Pan European program has organized a workshop in Batumi, Georgia in September 2010, dedicated to promoting the use of active transport (walking and cycling). France, as a long-time supporter of THE PEP, proposed to develop an inventory of existing or planned rules and regulations as well as of best practices on signs and signals for cyclists and pedestrians covering a sample of countries in the UNECE and WHO/Europe region. This paper focuses on the rules and the practices on the vertical or horizontal regulatory, direction, temporary, and tourist signs and signals of thirteen countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America). A comparison is made on which tools are available as far as signs and signals are concerned both in urban and interurban environments, giving an input towards promotion of active mobility and the facilitation of pedestrian and bicycle tourism.