Pedestrian Signal Safety - AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

SITE SELECTION
Engineering staff from Montgomery County recommended approximately 20 intersections for the
study, including intersections equipped with pedestrian countdown (PCD) signals and traditional
pedestrian signals (TPS). The project engineer met with engineers from the county and with the AAA
representative to discuss the potential sites for the study. The AAA representative recommended
five additional intersections. Based on this discussion, eight potential candidates for the study
were identified. The project engineer collected some sample volume data at each intersection and
reviewed them for the following aspects:
• pedestrian volumes, particularly older pedestrian volumes;
• lack of any construction or other temporary impediments (such as street closures) that may
affect pedestrian behavior;
• ability to sufficiently collect data (such as utility poles located close to the intersection);
• conventional intersection design; and
• surrounding land use.
Based on field observations, discussions with the engineering staff, and the recommendations of the
AAA representative, four intersections were selected for the study:
• Bethesda Avenue and Arlington Road (traditional);
• Colesville Road and 2nd/Wayne (traditional);
• Elm Street and Woodmont Avenue (countdown); and
• Colesville Road and E. West Highway (countdown).
Two of the intersections, Bethesda Avenue and Arlington Road and Elm Street and Woodmont
Avenue, were located in Bethesda, Maryland. As shown in Figure E-2, the intersections were in very
close proximity to one another. The land use around these intersections was dense commercial and
retail. The other two intersections were located in Silver Spring, Maryland. As shown in Figure E-3,
they also were located in a dense commercial and retail environment. The intersections were 0.15
miles apart. The figures display the type of pedestrian signal at each of the four intersections.
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