Transcript Section 3.4 Marked Versus Unmarked Crosswalks

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
 Channelization of pedestrians to designated
crossing locations
Channelization
Advantages
 They help pedestrians find their way across
complex intersections
 They designate the shortest path
 They direct pedestrians to locations of best
sight distance
Advantages
Disadvantages
 They may create a “false sense of security”
for pedestrians.
 They may cause a greater number of rearend 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
300
Daily Pedestrians
250
Consider
Marked
Crosswalk
200
150
Be Careful
100
50
0
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
Average Daily Traffic
20,000
25,000
30,000
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
Pedestrian Desire Lines
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
Step-by-Step
Step-by-Step
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
How? Level Three Devices
Signal is dark until activated
Flashing yellow and then solid
yellow when a pedestrian
pushes the button
Signal is goes solid red and
pedestrian has a walk signal
 Pedestrian-actuated
signals: Hawk, Toucan,
Pelican
How? Level Four
 Pedestrian bridges and
overcrossings
Photo by Dave Campbell
Step-by-Step
Uncontrolled Crossing Example