a technical guide for conducting pedestrian safety assessments

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY • INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES • TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM
23
Photographs should be taken throughout the Audit. The Caltrans photo log (http://video.dot.ca.gov/photolog/) and/or
Google StreetView images can also be used to view the Focus Areas before/after the Walking Audit.
Other Resources: Evaluators may also wish to refer to the following additional resources for the Walking Audit:
➜ Walk Score (www.walkscore.org): this website provides a composite walkability score for an address and may be
useful for comparing Focus Areas within a city. More details are included in Appendix C.
➜ A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities
(http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped/ped_walkguide/index.htm): This guide provides examples from other
communities working to improve pedestrian safety. It includes information, ideas, and resources to help residents
learn about issues that affect walking conditions; find ways to address or prevent these problems; and promote
pedestrian safety.
➜ A Transit Manager’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities (to be posted on http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov)
Materials Required: Walking Audit Checklist, Walking Audit Route Map (if multiple sites will be reviewed),
aerial photograph for each Focus Area, clipboards, pens, post its, camera, measuring tape or wheel, safety vests
Potential Participants: Based on their availability, participants in the Walking Audit may include those who can provide
“real-time” information on the Focus Areas, such as pedestrian destinations, collision history and common “near
misses,” demographic or other relevant neighborhood context, and current city policies and practices. Additionally,
persons who are (or will be) responsible for planning and/or implementing safety improvement measures may be
included in the Audit. Potential participants include:
➜ Elected Officials
➜ Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator
➜ Police Traffic Safety Enforcement Officer
➜ Engineering/Public Works Department Staff
➜ ADA Coordinator
➜ Transit Services Staff (if transit is present in the Focus Area)
➜ Business Leaders or Residents in Focus Area(s)
➜ Business Associations
➜ Residents/Neighborhood Associations
➜ Downtown/ Neighborhood Planner or Redevelopment Agency Staff
➜ User Group or Advocacy Group Representative (such as Traffic Calming Advocacy Group)
➜ School Officials, PTA/PTO Leaders
➜ Parks and Recreation staff
➜ Parking Management staff
➜ Health Agencies and Organizations including EMS