Effective Design and Operation of Pedestrian Crossings

Pedestrians are vulnerable road users since they are prone to more severe injuries in any vehicular collision. While innovative solutions promise improved pedestrian safety, a careful analysis of local conditions is required before selecting proper corrective measures. This research study had two focuses: (1) methodology to identify roads and areas in Indiana where the frequency and severity of pedestrian collisions are heightened above the acceptable level, and (2) selecting effective countermeasures to mitigate or eliminate safety-critical conditions. Two general methods of identifying specific pedestrian safety concerns were proposed: (1) area-wide analysis, and (2) road-focused analysis. A suitable tool, Safety Needs Analysis Program (SNAP), is currently under development by the research team and is likely the future method to implement an area-wide type of analysis. The following models have been developed to facilitate the road-focused analysis: (1) pedestrian crossing activity level to fill the gap in pedestrian traffic data, and (2) crash probability and severity models to estimate the risk of pedestrian crashes around urban intersections in Indiana. The pedestrian safety model was effectively utilized in screening and identifying high-risk urban intersection segments for safety audits and improvements. In addition, detailed guidance was provided for many potential pedestrian safety countermeasures with specific behavioral and road conditions that justify these countermeasures. Furthermore, a procedure was presented to predict the economic feasibility of the countermeasures based on crash reduction factors. The findings of this study should help expand the existing RoadHAT tool used by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to emphasize and strengthen pedestrian safety considerations in the current tool.