Is This the Right Tool for You?
Evaluation of Results, Analysis of Impacts
Among the many reasons for improving pedestrian infrastructure in your neighborhood,
the two most important may be 1-improving pedestrian safety and 2-increasing the
walkability (and the number of people who walk).
The following examples give an idea of how pedestrian safety can be enhanced by
improving certain pedestrian facilities.
|
> |
In 2000, the Federal Highway
Administration set up an experiment to determine the effect of
crosswalk marking on vehicular speed on six streets of Maryland,
Virginia and Arizona. For the experiment, the vehicle speeds were
recorded before and after pedestrian crosswalks were marked on the
streets. This is relevant to pedestrian safety because how seriously
a pedestrian is hurt when hit by a car is directly related to how fast
a car is moving. The likelihood of dying from being hit by a car
increases from 15 % at 20 miles per hour to 45 % at 30 miles per hour,
and 85 % at 40 miles per hour.[6]
In this experiment, speed was noted under three conditions: no
pedestrian present, pedestrian present and looking at the traffic, and
pedestrian present and not paying attention to traffic. They found
that when pedestrians were present, vehicles reduced their speed as a
safety measure. This experiment shows the benefit of marking a
crosswalk at a place where no crosswalk was present. For more details
about the experiment, read the full report titled The Effect of Crosswalk Markings
on Vehicle Speeds in Maryland, Virginia, and Arizona.
|
|
> |
In another study sponsored by Federal Highway Administration, the physical
attributes of 47 sites where pedestrian-vehicle crash had happened were examined
in Wake County, North Carolina. At each of these sites, a single pedestrian/motor
vehicle crash occurred between 1992 and 1996 while the pedestrian was walking
along the road. They found that high traffic volumes, high vehicle speeds, the
absence of sidewalks, and narrow unpaved shoulders increase the likelihood of a
pedestrian/motor vehicle "walking along the roadway" crash. Also,
neighborhoods with large numbers of single parents, older housing stock, greater
dependency on public transit, fewer families, and higher unemployment were
more at risk of this type of crash showing a special need for crash-prevention.
They determined that providing sidewalks on neighborhood streets could
lower the risk of this type of crashes, and that wide unpaved
shoulders could be more suitable in more rural areas for the same
purpose. You can read the full report titled An Analysis of Factors Contributing to
"Walking Along Roadway" Crashes: Research Study and Guidelines for
Sidewalks and Walkways. |
For more data and statistical information, check out other reports on
pedestrian safety on the Pedestrian and
Bicycle Safety Research Page of Federal Highway Administration and
from the research
reports page of Florida Department of Transportation.
Without proper infrastructure, many pedestrians feel walking is unsafe or undesirable.
Sometimes ill-maintained or non-existent pedestrian facilities discourage people from
walking when they otherwise would. According to a telephone survey of 800 American
adults in 2002 conducted by Surface Transportation Policy Project, 55% of respondents
said that they would rather walk to places than drive, but couldn't for various reasons.
According to the National Survey of Pedestrian & Bicyclist Attitudes and Behaviors
2002, potential walkers recommended a variety of changes to pedestrian facilities in their
communities. 74.7% responders recommended providing sidewalks, traffic signals,
lighting, or crosswalks and 12.5% recommended improving existing pedestrian facilities.
Why don't people walk--because of safety or desirability, or both? Fortunately,
improving the walkability of your community can help with both of these concerns and
get more people in your community to hit the pavement.
6 USDOT "A Walkable Community"
  
|
