Pedestrian safety - Global Road Safety Partnership

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Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners • Marked crossings should guide pedestrians to cross at locations where there is street lighting at night. • Detectable warnings should be installed to advise pedestrians with visual impairments where the kerb ramp ends and the street begins. The warnings should also indicate when the traffic light will change. • There should be adequate visibility between vehicles and pedestrians. For example, night-time pedestrian crossings should be properly illuminated in order to help drivers to see pedestrians. Overpasses and underpasses Pedestrian overpasses and underpasses are bridges and tunnels that allow for uninterrupted flow that is separate from vehicular traffic. This measure is used primarily in areas with high pedestrian volumes. Several issues arise with implementation of overpasses and underpasses: • The effectiveness of these approaches depends largely upon the likelihood that they will be used by most of the pedestrians crossing the street. In Tokyo, where this does occur, reductions in vehicle–pedestrian crashes of up to 91% were found following the implementation of overpasses and fencing (3). The level of use depends on convenience, security, and walking distances compared with alternative crossing locations. Pedestrians generally do not use these facilities if a more direct route is available. Tall fences and other pedestrian barriers may be used to channel pedestrians to the overpass or underpass. These are not always effective, however, since pedestrians find ways to go around the barriers and cross at intersections. • Overpasses are suitable when the topography allows for a structure without ramps, for example, an overpass over a below-grade freeway. Overpasses with multiple stairs are not user-friendly for the elderly or disabled pedestrians. Underpasses need to be designed in such a way as to offer a sense of being open and accessible. • Ramps must be designed to accommodate pedestrians in wheelchairs. • Underpasses can be affected by flooding, and may quickly become dirty without regular maintenance. • Underpasses are often dark, secluded places. They may be targeted by gangs or other perpetrators of interpersonal violence, and, for this reason, people who perceive a high risk of assault avoid them. Overpasses and underpasses should be well-lit and secure, to maximize personal security and therefore utilization. 4: Implementing pedestrian safety interventions Mass transport routes Pedestrian safety is a key issue to consider in the design of any mass transport system, including routes and stops (see Box 4.4). Mass transport routes are usually located on major arterial roads, which are the most dangerous types of urban streets (13). Though travelling by public transport may be one of the safest modes, transit passengers are at a high risk of crashes when walking to and from the station or stop (14). 73
Implementing pedestrian safety interventions BOX 4.4: Considering pedestrian safety in the design of mass transport routes A study on high capacity bus systems revealed that pedestrians accounted for over half of all fatalities across a sample of 32 bus corridors in five countries in Latin America and Asia-Pacific (15). Most conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles occur at stations and terminals. The terminals in particular can easily become dangerous spots on bus corridors. These findings have been utilized by EMBARQ – the World Resources Institute and partners, to develop key design recommendations for integrating safety into the planning, design and operation of high capacity bus systems. In Mexico City, for example, a pedestrian-friendly public transport route known as Metrobus Line 4 has been designed. This route passes through the historic centre of the city, with some of the streets having very high pedestrian traffic. Many important safety improvements have been made on this route: • Provision of safe pedestrian access across the route, as well as to and from the stations. • Addition of medians to reduce crossing distance for pedestrians. • Protected refuge islands for pedestrians, with bollards and kerbs shielding pedestrians from vehicular traffic. • Installation of pedestrian ‘countdown’ signals at signalized intersections in the historic centre. Previously, pedestrians had to rely on the vehicle signals to judge whether they had adequate time to cross the street during the green phase. The yellow light for vehicles lasted less than four seconds, which did not leave pedestrians enough time to finish crossing and consequently put them at risk. The new countdown signals have addressed this problem. The newly designed bus route became operational in April 2012. The pedestrian safety design improvements indicated above are expected to improve safety and walking conditions for pedestrians. Similar interventions will be implemented in other cities where EMBARQ and local partners are working. © Marisela Ponce de León Valdés 74
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Pedestrian safety A ROAD SAFETY MAN
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WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publicat
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Table of contents 2.1.1 Traffic mix
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vi Preface
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Preface Contributors and acknowledg
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x Executive summary
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Pedestrian safety: a road safety ma
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1 Why is addressing pedestrian safe
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Pedestrian safety - Global Road Safety Partnership

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