Guide: An Overview of the Tool
A big thank you to Urban
Ecology, who graciously allowed us to copy passages from their
report "Walkable Streets, a Toolkit for Oakland" published in 2004.
Click here to
read the report in its entirety.
What is it? Walking is the simplest and most natural
form of transportation. It is also a safe, environmentally friendly
and sustainable transportation option. Certain basic facilities,
services, and installations are required for safe and comfortable
walking these are collectively termed as pedestrian
infrastructure. Examples of pedestrian infrastructure are
walkways, signage, markings, crosswalks, and traffic intersections.
The word "pedestrian" encompasses a broad range of people--those on
foot, those in a wheelchair, the physically or mentally disabled,
kids, seniors, parents pushing strollers, roller-skaters, etc.
Consequently, there is a wide audience who could benefit from the
increased safety and convenience that pedestrian safety improvements
bring.
Why use it? A community without adequate pedestrian
infrastructure risks high rates of pedestrian involvement in traffic
collisions, and prevents people from making the healthy, sustainable
choice of walking instead of driving.
Walking is the easiest and cheapest form of exercise. All it requires is a pair
of shoes and somewhere to go. The benefits of walking include reduced risk of
heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, high blood pressure, colon cancer,
osteoporosis, arthritis, and depression. However, the lack of safe, interesting
places to walk prevents many people from getting out and being active in their
community. Additionally, many communities, especially low-income communities and
communities of color, suffer the impacts of air pollution from vehicle and truck
traffic. This is often related to asthma, which makes it difficult to exercise.
For more information about the impact of pedestrian infrastructure on two particularly
vulnerable members of our communities: the youth and the elderly, see the "Pedestrian
Infrastructure and Youth" and "Pedestrian Infrastructure and Older Adults" sidebars.
How does it work? A campaign for pedestrian
infrastructure improvements can have short and long term effects,
depending on the nature of the campaign. Short-term goals can include
improving the pedestrian facilities in your locality
e.g. reconstruction of a broken sidewalk, installation of a push
button pedestrian crosswalk, planting more street trees, or
landscaping to create a welcoming walking environment. Long term
goals can include creating a pedestrian master plan, implementing an
existing pedestrian plan, or prioritizing transportation spending on
pedestrian facilities. For some examples of pedestrian master plans
in the Bay Area, skip to the "Who Else is Doing
It" section.
Examples of some common infrastructure improvements and how they
work are described below. You may also read about these and other
pedestrian infrastructure from the Pedestrian
Facility Reference Guide on the site of bikewalk.org.
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Walkways Sidewalks, road shoulders, paths, and trails are used by pedestrians
for walking along, but may also be shared by bicyclists. Sidewalks are raised
walkways that run parallel to a road and are separated from a road by a curb
and/or a planting strip. These are usually found in the urban areas. In semi-urban
or rural settings, road shoulders (a strip of pavement marked on the side of the
road surface) may replace sidewalks. Paths or trails are generally dedicated for
use solely by pedestrians or other non-vehicular traffic such as bicyclists and
skaters. Paths may be paved or unpaved.
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Pedestrian crosswalks Pedestrian crosswalks are striped or otherwise marked
portions of the road designated as safe spaces for pedestrians to cross the street.
Crosswalks can be at signaled intersections or in the middle of the block, and may
or may not have push-button pedestrian signals that operate in conjunction with
the traffic signal. Crosswalks protected by pedestrian signals are generally
considered safer than crosswalks not protected by a signal.
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Signage and Markings Signs and road surface markings can
be used to alert motorists about pedestrian activity and to direct
pedestrians. The signs, signals, and pavement markings are governed
by the Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices(MUTCD).
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Pedestrian-friendly environmentPedestrian friendly environments make
walking a pleasure. Different design elements that can be used to improve the
walking environment include landscaping, street trees, interesting paving patterns,
street benches, lighting and so on.
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Facilities for people with disabilities People who have partial or acute physical
or psychological impairment need a safe pedestrian environment. Sidewalks
should be of a minimum width, barrier-free and, and paved with a smooth and
durable material. Planting strips should be provided as buffers between sidewalks
and the road. Street furniture, such as benches and bus shelters, should be as far
from the normal travel path as possible, and should not be placed next to on-street
parking. Location, type and height of push buttons for pedestrian crossings
should be usable by people with limited motor function or in a wheelchair. Curb
ramps should be wide enough to allow wheel chair users to directly enter a
marked crosswalk.
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