Pedestrian safety - Global Road Safety Partnership

Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners
Appendix 2
the equivalent of two narrower one-way streets instead of one wide two-way street.
Landscaping can be used on medians but should be chosen carefully to ensure
adequate sight distance between motorists and pedestrians, including children,
wheelchair users, and others with reduced sight distance. Design of raised medians
must also consider vehicle turning movements carefully so that motorists do not
travel on inappropriate routes, such as residential streets, or make unsafe u-turns.
Raised median designs must also accommodate pedestrians with visual impairments
through use of tactile cues at the border between the pedestrian refuge area and the
motorized vehicle roadway and for pedestrians in wheelchairs through the use of
kerb ramps or cut-throughs.
Raised intersections
Raised intersections are intended to slow all vehicular movements through an
intersection. They are built by raising the entire intersection to the level of the
sidewalk. The crossings on each approach may also be elevated, so that pedestrians
cross at the same level as the sidewalk, without the need for kerb ramps. Raised
crossings can be an urban design element through the use of special paving materials.
Detectable warning strips mark the boundary between the sidewalk and the street
for pedestrians with vision impairments.
Serpentine street
A serpentine street uses a winding pattern with built-in visual enhancements. These
allow vehicles to move through slowly and prevent fast driving. Landscaping can be
used to enhance visual appeal and create a park-like atmosphere. Serpentine street
design needs to be coordinated with driveway access and parking needs. Serpentine
streets offer many advantages, but are more costly than other equally effective traffic
calming strategies.
Speed humps and speed tables
A speed hump is a rounded raised area placed across the roadway. Speed humps are
generally negotiated easily on bicycles and should be built through any bicycle lanes
present on the roadway so that motorists do not swerve into the bicycle lane to avoid
the hump. Flat-top speed humps are also referred to as speed tables.
Woonerf
Woonerf is a Dutch word that translates as ‘living street’. Typically used on
residential streets, a woonerf is a space shared by pedestrians, bicyclists, and lowspeed
motor vehicles. It is usually constructed with a narrow width and without
kerbs or sidewalks. Vehicles are slowed by placing trees, parking areas and other
obstacles in the street. Along with improving pedestrian safety, a woonerf creates a
public space for social and possibly commercial activities, as well as a play area for
children. A woonerf identification sign is placed at each street entrance. A woonerf
must be constructed to allow access by emergency vehicles, school buses, and other
service vehicles.
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