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Traffic Safety Measures and Easing Congestion

Development of Traffic Safety Facilities

To prevent traffic accidents and ensure the safety of pedestrians, measures are being taken that include the creation of sidewalks, making sidewalks barrier-free, the creation of space for bicycles, and the installation of road signage.

Sidewalks

Sidewalks are extremely important facilities with respect to pedestrian safety and comfort. However, there are still places where there are no sidewalks or only very narrow ones. At these locations, the Bureau is installing sidewalks that are over 2 meters wide, ample width for two wheelchairs to pass each other, where anyone can walk rest assured.
  • Before the improvements
    Before
  • After the improvements
    After
Yoshino-kaido Avenue
(Tomoda-machi, City of Ome)

Roads Barrier-free

To secure space for pedestrians where anyone, including the elderly and disabled, can pass safely and comfortably, the Bureau is working to make roads barrier-free when constructing new roads, widening, or repairing existing metropolitan roads.

Additionally, efforts to make roads barrier-free are advancing with a focus on metropolitan roads that link railway stations, hospitals, and other public facilities used by many residents, including the elderly and disabled, on a daily basis. Upgrades to sidewalks include the elimination of uneven surfaces and steps, improvement of slopes, and installation of tactile paving to guide the vision impaired.

Strategic Roads

Creation of Space for Bicycles

Bicycles are an important mode of transportation widely used by Tokyo residents for everyday activities, including shopping, commuting to school or work, and recreation, and usage is growing.

In light of this trend, the Bureau is working to create roads that enable pedestrians, bicycles, and cars to pass safely and with peace of mind. To that end, the Bureau is working with road administrators to advance the development of space for bicycles by setting up bike lanes using roadways, creating structural and visual barriers to divide wide sidewalks, and other measures.

Road Signs

The Bureau is creating easy-to-understand road signs so that everyone, including foreign visitors, can move from place to place safely and easily. As part of this task, the Bureau jointly promotes the creation of signs (maps, etc.) for pedestrians that display tourist and barrier free information with the Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs.
Installing Road Signs
Ginza, Chuo Ward

Traffic congestion countermeasures

The Second Suisui Intersection Plan

Mainly in the Tama area, the TMG is creating right turn lanes by acquiring land along two-lane roads in order to ease traffic congestion generated by cars waiting to turn. At intersections where the plan has been implemented, the length of traffic jams and the time needed to pass through the intersection has been shortened. In addition, by also developing the sidewalk in the area of the intersection, safety measures for pedestrians and bicyclists are put into place. As both are very localized measures, the effects can be produced in a relatively short amount of time for a small investment.

  • Before upgrading (Time required to pass through the intersection: 7 minutes) open new window
    Prior to improvements
    (Time needed to pass through the intersection: 7 min)
  • After upgrading (Time to pass through the intersection: Less than two minute) open new window
    Following improvements
    (Time needed to pass through the intersection: 2 min)
Machida-kaido Avenue(Kiso Koban Intersection)

Hyper-smooth Campaign
(Traffic congestion countermeasures that effectively use existing roads)

In working toward elimination of chronic traffic congestion in Tokyo, ongoing development of the road network is essential. However, from the perspective of fast-acting results, the Bureau is advancing with traffic congestion countermeasures that make use of existing road space. Coordinating with other related TMG bureaus, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for an eight-year period starting in fiscal 2008, the Bureau is working to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic using a combination of both hard and soft measures tailored to each individual location on thirty sections of road with the worst congestion, mainly in the ward area. Measures include the creation or extension of left and right turn lanes, improvement of road facilities through changes to pavement markings, cargo handling measures, and the use of ITS technology (Intelligent Transportation Systems).

Operation of Parking Facilities

In order to maintain the functionality of roads and ensure the smooth flow of traffic, the TMG operates metropolitan parking facilities at six locations (capable of accommodating 1,245 vehicles), including the Yaesu and Showa-dori underground parking facilities, contributing to the prevention of on-street parking.

Furthermore, the TMG is devising plans for effective use of facilities at all six locations, including the introduction of the designated administrator system which enables operations to be entrusted to approved organization.

Project

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