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Crosswalk Conundrum: Why, Where, and How? Seleta Reynolds Fehr & Peers. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Ghandi “Our national flower is the concrete cloverleaf.” Lewis Mumford. Why? Crosswalk Function. Creating reasonable expectations where pedestrians may cross a roadway
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Crosswalk Conundrum:Why, Where, and How?Seleta ReynoldsFehr & Peers
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Ghandi“Our national flower is the concrete cloverleaf.” Lewis Mumford
Why? Crosswalk Function • Creating reasonable expectations where pedestrians may cross a roadway • Channelization of pedestrians to designated crossing locations
Advantages • They help pedestrians find their way across complex intersections • They designate the shortest path • They direct pedestrians to locations of best sight distance
Disadvantages • They may create a “false sense of security” for pedestrians. • They may cause a greater number of rear-end collisions. • They may cause an increase in the number of fatal or serious-injury crashes.
Where? Review of Previous Studies • Pedestrian crosswalk study (1970) - City of San Diego • California Marking Policy at Intersections on California State Highways (1996) - ITE • Safety Effects of Marked Versus Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations (2000) - FHWA
Safety Effects of Marked Vs. Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations (2000) - FHWA Data • 1,000 marked and 1,000 unmarked crosswalks • No school crossings • 229 pedestrian crashes included • Crash history (5 years), pedestrian volumes, traffic volumes, number of lanes, speed limit
Safety Effects of Marked Vs. Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations (2000) - FHWA
Exceptions • Locations with high traffic volumes may be candidates for marked crosswalks if they also have extraordinarily high pedestrian volumes • No location with poor sight distance is a good candidate for marking a crosswalk
Exceptions Consider Marked Crosswalk Be Careful
Uncontrolled and Midblock Locations • Step One: Assessing Demand • Purpose: Choosing the best location for the crosswalk and measuring need • Data Needed: Adjacent land uses, pedestrian volumes, sight distance
Equivalent Adult Units Number Factor EAUs Children ___________ x 2.0 = _________ Seniors ___________ x 1.5 = _________ Disabled ___________ x 2.0 = _________ Adults ___________ x 1.0 = _________ Source: Pedestrian Crossing Control Manual, Transportation Association of Canada13
Uncontrolled and Midblock Locations • Step Two: Assessing Safety • Purpose: Choosing the treatment for the crosswalk • Data Needed: Number of travel lanes, average daily traffic, posted speed
How? Level One Devices • Pedestrian Refuge Islands • Split Pedestrian Crossover • Curb Extensions
How? Level Two Devices • Overhead Signs and Flashing Beacons • Raised Crosswalks • In-pavement Flashers
Signal is dark until activated Signal is goes solid red and pedestrian has a walk signal Flashing yellow and then solid yellow when a pedestrian pushes the button How? Level Three Devices • Pedestrian-actuated signals: Hawk, Toucan, Pelican
How? Level Four • Pedestrian bridges and overcrossings Photo by Dave Campbell
