Pedestrian Signal Safety - AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Table 4. Summary of researcher recommendations on pedestrian walking speeds.
Researcher Condition
Knoblauch et al.
(study includes
2,081 young and
2,379 old
pedestrians)
Fitzpatrick, Brewer,
and Turner
(TCRP D-08/
NCHRP 3-71)
Coffin and Morrall
Rouphail et al.
(1998 Highway
Capacity Manual)
Gates, Noyce, Bill,
and Van Ee
2001 Traffic Control
Devices Handbook
LaPlante and
Kaeser
Zegeer et al.
(Pedestrian
Facilities User
Guide)
Staplin, Lococo,
Byington, and
Harkey
(Guidelines and
Recommendations
to Accommodate
Older Drivers and
Pedestrians)
Age-only
Study included 42 study sites in
7 states; 2,441 pedestrians
Older
pedestrians
All
pedestrians
Walking speed (ft./sec.)
recommendations
3.0
Two signalized intersections 4.0
Signalized intersections near
seniors or nursing homes
Signalized, actuated mid-block
crossings
Facility where there are greater
than 20 percent older
pedestrians
Age
Where walking speeds slower
than a normal rate of 4.0 ft./sec.
are known to occur frequently
and resources do not exist to
undertake studies to establish a
15 th -percentile speed
Minimum (curb-to-curb) for
determining the pedestrian
clearance interval; for use in
accessibility guidelines
Use across the total crossing
distance (top of ramp to far
curb) for the entire WALK plus
pedestrian clearance signal
phasing
3.3
3.3
3.50
3.3 3.9
3.6 (20 percent
> age 65)
3.5 (30 percent
> age 65)
3.4 (40 percent
> age 65)
3.3 (50 percent
> age 65)
2.9 (100
percent > age
65)
3.8
3.5 3.9
3.0
3.5
Population type; age 3.5
Recommended due to older
pedestrians’ shorter stride,
slower gait, and exaggerated
start-up time
Range 2.8–4.0 3.50–3.9
2.8
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