Pedestrian Signal Safety - AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

60
Pedestrians Left in the Intersection
At the end of each FDW interval, the number of pedestrians remaining in the intersection was noted.
Only pedestrians who entered during the WALK or FDW interval were included. Table 11 shows the
number of younger pedestrians left in the intersection for each jurisdiction. The total number of pedestrians
left in the intersection during the observation period is noted as a percentage of the number
of pedestrians crossing at the intersection during the same period. The results are combined for
traditional and countdown signals within each jurisdiction. The percentage of pedestrians remaining in
the intersection was greater at traditional intersections than at countdown intersections in two of the
jurisdictions; the percentage was greater at countdown intersections for three of the jurisdictions; and
the percentage was the same (0 percent) at one of the jurisdictions.
Table 11. Younger pedestrians remaining in the intersection at the onset of the DON’T WALK interval.
Jurisdiction Total
pedestrians
Broward County,
Florida
Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Minnesota
Montgomery County,
Maryland
Orange County,
California
130
223
1582
235
Salt Lake City, Utah 154
White Plains, New
York
1459
Traditional Countdown
Pedestrians
left in
intersection
0
(0 percent)
28
(13 percent)
14
(1 percent)
3
(1 percent)
3
(2 percent)
143
(10 percent)
Total
pedestrians
275
311
1063
208
541
1682
Pedestrians
left in
intersection
1
(0 percent)
6
(2 percent)
52
(5 percent)
13
(6 percent)
21
(4 percent)
132
(8 percent)
Table 12 shows the number of older pedestrians left in the intersection for each jurisdiction. With the
exception of White Plains, New York, the number of older pedestrians remaining in intersections was
of negligible difference for both traditional and countdown signal intersections. In White Plains, the
percentage of pedestrians remaining in the intersection was approximately 10 percent for both types
of intersections. There is no apparent explanation for why the percentages were so high in White
Plains, other than the fact that the pedestrian population was different.
Note that in most cases, the number of pedestrians left in the intersection, as presented in Tables
11 and 12, was lower than the number of pedestrians who may have entered on FDW, as presented
in Tables 9 and 10. This difference is because many pedestrians who entered on FDW were able to
clear the intersection before the onset of the DW because they walked faster than the walking speed
used to set the signal timing—generally faster than 4.00 ft./sec.