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Pedestrian Signal Safety - AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

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Table 12. Older pedestrians remaining in the intersection at the onset of the DON’T WALK interval.<br />

Start-Up Time<br />

Jurisdiction<br />

Broward County,<br />

Florida<br />

Minneapolis/St. Paul,<br />

Minnesota<br />

Montgomery County,<br />

Maryland<br />

Orange County,<br />

Cali<strong>for</strong>nia<br />

Total<br />

pedestrians<br />

70<br />

12<br />

78<br />

129<br />

Salt Lake City, Utah 124<br />

White Plains, New<br />

York<br />

87<br />

Traditional Countdown<br />

<strong>Pedestrian</strong>s<br />

left in<br />

intersection<br />

0<br />

(0 percent)<br />

1<br />

(8 percent)<br />

1<br />

(1 percent)<br />

1<br />

(1 percent)<br />

2<br />

(2 percent)<br />

8<br />

(9 percent)<br />

Total<br />

pedestrians<br />

150<br />

30<br />

72<br />

110<br />

94<br />

164<br />

<strong>Pedestrian</strong>s left<br />

in intersection<br />

1<br />

(1 percent)<br />

0<br />

(0 percent)<br />

1<br />

(1 percent )<br />

2<br />

(2 percent)<br />

2<br />

(2 percent)<br />

17<br />

(10 percent)<br />

<strong>Pedestrian</strong> start-up time is related to the pedestrian’s reaction to the signal timing, but it is not purely<br />

a measure of this. Start-up time varies greatly at different intersections due to other factors not<br />

related to the pedestrian’s reactions, such as turning vehicles still in the intersection that may cause<br />

a pedestrian to delay his or her start into the intersection. There<strong>for</strong>e, start-up time can be compared<br />

across age groups at a single intersection, but it cannot be compared across intersections.<br />

Table 13 presents the start-up times recorded at one intersection in each of the six jurisdictions. The<br />

difference in start-up times was compared <strong>for</strong> younger and older pedestrians. Older pedestrians had<br />

a slower start-up time by 0.20 to 0.80 sec. The mean start-up times varied from 1.10 to 2.90 sec. The<br />

2003 edition of MUTCD recommends 7 sec. of WALK prior to the FDW interval. This is ample time <strong>for</strong><br />

a pedestrian with an average start-up time, in any of the jurisdictions and in either age group, to start<br />

crossing.<br />

Table 13. <strong>Pedestrian</strong> start-up times <strong>for</strong> older and younger pedestrians.<br />

Under 65 years of 65 years of age and<br />

Jurisdiction<br />

age<br />

Sample<br />

older<br />

Mean<br />

(sec.)<br />

Sample<br />

Mean<br />

Difference<br />

(sec.)<br />

(older–<br />

younger)<br />

(sec.)<br />

Broward County, Florida 41 2.40 23 2.90 -0.50<br />

Minneapolis/St. Paul,<br />

Minnesota<br />

100 2.10 19 2.90 -0.80<br />

Montgomery County,<br />

Maryland<br />

267 2.20 58 2.40 -0.20<br />

Orange County,<br />

Cali<strong>for</strong>nia<br />

31 1.20 30 1.60 -0.40<br />

Salt Lake City, Utah 71 1.70 30 2.30 -0.60<br />

White Plains, New York 153 1.10 30 1.80 -0.70<br />

61

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