A new report (NCHRP Report 674) explores the issues and design solutions for the accessibility of two complex intersection forms for blind pedestrians: intersections with channelized right turn lanes (CTLs) and modern roundabouts with one-lane and two-lane approaches.  The report offers guidance and information related to the establishment of safe crossings for blind pedestrians at these intersections.

For CTLs, the study team concludes that channelized turn lane locations can be very challenging to cross for blind pedestrians and signalized treatments may need to be considered at these sites.  Since field tests indicated that high vehicle speeds contributed to the high incidence of unsafe crossings at CTL locations, geometric designs and treatments intended to reduce vehicular speed -- such as traffic calming designs, raised crosswalks, pork-chop islands, narrow lane width, small curve radii, and the absence of an acceleration lane -- may further decrease the likelihood of unsafe crossing for pedestrians who are blind.

For single-lane roundabouts, the study concludes that while some blind research participants had difficulties crossing single-lane roundabouts in a safe manner, these sites appear not to pose crossing difficulties that are beyond those experienced by many blind travelers at similar signalized intersections. Key factors for safety here include:

• Low vehicle speeds at the crosswalk
• The willingness of a majority of drivers to yield to pedestrians
• Properly installed detectable warning surfaces at all transition points
• Availability of certified orientation and mobility instruction customized to roundabout crossings

The study also confirmed that two-lane roundabouts are challenging and not accessible without the provision of additional crossing treatments or a drastic change toward an increase in likelihood of drivers voluntarily yielding to pedestrians.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is issuing this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to develop accessibility guidelines for shared use paths. Shared use paths are designed for both transportation and recreation purposes and are used by pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters, equestrians, and other users. The guidelines will include technical provisions for making newly constructed and altered shared use paths covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA) accessible to persons with disabilities.

Comments on the proposed rule must be submitted by June 27, 2011.  You can download the document and submit comments directly from the eRulemaking Program  website.

A new report (FHWA-HRT-10-068) examines the relative daytime and nighttime visibility of three crosswalk marking patterns: transverse lines, continental, and bar pairs. The primary objective was to study the visibility of crosswalk markings by determining detection distance and identifying the variables that affect this distance.  The main conclusions of the study are:

• The detection distances to continental and bar pairs are statistically similar. The detection distances to continental and bar pairs are statistically different from transverse markings.
• For the existing midblock locations, a general observation is that the continental marking was detected at about twice the distance upstream as the transverse marking during daytime conditions. This increase in distance reflects 8 s of increased awareness of the crossing for a 30-mi/h operating speed.
• Participants preferred the continental and bar pairs markings over the transverse markings.

The study recommends that the following revisions to the MUTCD be considered:

• Add bar pairs as a usable crosswalk pattern.
• Provide typical dimensions for the marking patterns including spacing that will assist in avoiding wheel paths.
• Consider making bar pairs or continental the “default” for all crosswalks across uncontrolled approaches (i.e., not controlled by signals or stop signs), with exceptions allowing transverse lines where engineering judgment determines that such markings would be adequate, such as a location with low-speed residential streets.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership published a guide to curricula teaching bicycle and pedestrian safety.  The guide is designed to be used by educational practitioners and policy makers, government employees, parents, and students.

In its first two sections, the guide provides background and tips for systematic implementation of bicycle and pedestrian safety education.  The ‘Policies and Funding’ and the ‘Description of Categories’ sections will help teachers, parents, after-school instructors, bike club leaders, and bicycle and pedestrian professionals choose a curriculum that meets their needs.  The ‘Inventory’ section contains a matrix of basic information regarding various curricula around the country.  These are then described in more detail in the ‘Summary’ section, which offers one-page snapshots of each program, as well as a links to more information. 

In March, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) released its Urban Bikeway Design Guide at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C.  The guide is part of the Cities for Cycling Initiative. The guide’s stated purpose is to provide cities with state-of-the-practice cycling solutions to create complete streets that are safe and enjoyable for bicyclists.

The guide is divided into five major sections, presenting innovative treatments and designs for bike lanes, cycle tracks, intersections, signals, and signs and marking.  There are also sections containing case studies from NACTO member cities, a matrix of all the treatments that the guide presents, and a list of the design guide project team members in each of the NACTO member cities.  The Bikes Belong coalition and the SRAM Cycling Fund sponsored the guide.

Most of the treatments in the guide are not directly referenced in the current versions of the AASHTO Guide to Bikeway Facilities or the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), although many of the elements are found within these documents. The Federal Highway Administration recently posted information regarding approval status of various bicycle related treatments not covered in the MUTCD, including many of the treatments provided in the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide. All of the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide treatments are in use internationally and in many cities around the U.S.

The U.S. DOT Federal Railroad Administration Office of Railroad Safety issued draft guidance to railroads concerning pedestrian safety.  The document includes strategies and methods to prevent pedestrian accidents, incidents, injuries, and fatalities at or near passenger rail stations.  The report uses hazard analysis methods to evaluate the risk associated with the movement of pedestrians at or near passenger stations in light of the history of crashes that have resulted in serious pedestrian injuries and fatalities.  The report considers:

• Train-borne audible and visual warnings.
• Station-sited audible and visual warnings.
• Swing gates.
• ADA accessibility.

[Photo "Fast Trains" by Eric Alixx Rogers on Flickr.]

Bridges are critical parts of most communities’ transportation networks, and making sure they safely accommodate people on foot or on bike allows for expanded mobility and transportation choice, as well as increased safety.  A new report from the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) shows how to successfully advocate for “complete” bridges, including lessons learned from several campaigns.

FHWA has published a TechBrief, summarizing a study whose purpose was to evaluate the impact of several uses of shared-lane pavement markings – specifically the “sharrow” design – on operational and safety measures for bicyclists and motorists.  Experiments were conducted in Cambridge, MA; Chapel Hill, NC; and Seattle, WA.  The study concludes that, “sharrows can be used in a variety of situations, and increased use should enhance motorist awareness of bicyclists or the possibility of bicyclists in the traffic stream. Results indicate that sharrows increased operating space for bicyclists.  Sharrows have reduced sidewalk riding not only in the current study but also in a previous study in Gainesville, FL.”

Easter Seals PROJECT ACTION has developed a new webpage with links to resources for planning livable communities that also take the needs of people of all abilities into consideration for accessible transportation.  The page features a guide for accessible paths to bus stops and transit facilities, a toolkit to assess bus stop accessibility and safety, a fact sheet on accessible transportation in rural areas, and other valuable resources on designing for accessibility.

Smart Growth America and the Natural Resources Defense Council issued a report looking at current state-level transportation policies in all 50 states.  The report evaluates the extent to which, and in what specific ways, these policies address climate change and work to reduce carbon emissions.  The report’s recommendations suggest ways states can improve their climate performance while continuing to meet their mobility needs.

This report builds on the 2009 report, Moving Cooler: An Analysis of Transportation Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

The rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB) device is a pedestrian-activated beacon system located at the roadside below side-mounted pedestrian crosswalk signs.  This FHWA-sponsored study examines and evaluates whether or not RRFBs increased driver yielding to pedestrians on high-volume, multilane crosswalks at uncontrolled locations.  The report, looking at 22 sites located in three cities, concludes that RRFBs produce an increase in yielding behavior. In addition, data collected over a two-year follow-up period at 18 of these sites also indicated that the positive effect of the RRFBs on yielding behavior does not diminish over time.

TheNational Center for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) launched a new feature that provides local Safe Routes to School programs the ability to collect Parent Survey responses online in both English and Spanish. According to this press release, “the online Parent Survey option is a free service that streamlines the data collection and submission processes, and saves local programs administrative time and money."

The online Parent surveys helps local program implementers determine how they can improve opportunities and conditions for children to walk and bicycle to school, as well as track parental attitudes over time as local SRTS programs are implemented. To see if online surveying is appropriate for your school and for information on how to start using this new feature, visit the NCSRTS website.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT)has proposed a new safety regulation designed to help prevent fatalities and injuries to pedestrians -- especially young children and the elderly -- in low-speed back-up accidents.  The new regulation would help eliminate blind zones behind vehicles that can hide the presence of pedestrians by expanding the required field of view for all passenger cars, pickup trucks, minivans, buses, and other vehicles, enabling drivers to see directly behind the vehicle when in reverse.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which issued the regulation, is providing a 60-day comment period on this rulemaking that begins when the proposal is published in the Federal Register.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Safety Office has developed materials to assist states, localities, and citizens in improving pedestrian and bicycle safety.  Recently, the FHWA Safety Office produced two brochures that are available for free download.  One is on the safety benefits of walkways, sidewalks, and paved shoulders; the other is on safety benefits of raised medians and pedestrian refuge areas.

In addition, the FHWA has placed recordings of past webinars in its Pedestrian Safety Focus States and Cities program online and available for download (see the section “Past Recorded Webinars” approximately half-way down the FHWA Safety webpage).  The last webinar featured presentations on New York City’s Pedestrian Safety Study and Action Plan, and the State of California’s Pedestrian Safety Assessment Program. To view the recording, visit http://fhwa.adobeconnect.com/p47557469/.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released draft guidelines on school siting.  These guidelines are intended to assist communities and community members in making the best possible school siting decisions in order to protect and improve the health of students and school staff. A 90-day public comment period runs until February 18, 2011.  For more information and to read the report and submit comments, visit the EPA website.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently completed and published a Pedestrian Safety Strategic Plan.  This is a 15-year plan for pedestrian safety research and technology transfer.  The plan was developed to address pedestrian safety concerns and equip professionals and other stakeholders with proper knowledge, resources, and information needed to identify problems and implement solutions related to the roadway environment.

This plan will be of interest to engineers, planners, researchers, and practitioners, as well as city, state, and local agency officials, who have an interest in or responsibility for public safety.  In addition to the plan itself, there is a background report, which provides the knowledge base behind the Strategic Plan and documents the activities and findings of the project that support the development of the Plan.

The University of North Carolina’s Highway Safety Research Center released a report that provides examples of potentially effective policies and implementing programs designed to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety and mobility.  It is based on a recommendation resulting from a 2009 international scan that explored approaches used in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and mobility.  The report was released in cooperation with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), with the sponsorship of U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and its International Technology Scanning Program.

The Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) National Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) issued the report, “Guidance for the Design and Application of Shoulder and Centerline Rumble Strips.”  The report provides guidance for the design and application of shoulder and centerline rumble strips as a crash reduction measure, while minimizing adverse effects for motorcyclists, bicyclists, and nearby residents.  The report is of special interest to engineers and safety practitioners with responsibility for roadway design.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have jointly developed and published the Livability in Transportation Guidebook: Planning Approaches that Promote Livability. The guidebook, working mostly through case studies, provides planning and policy practices, design and implementation strategies, and applications that have been developed to promote livability.  The Guidebook illustrates livability in transportation planning, programming, and project design.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report which examines the safety effectiveness of the High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) pedestrian beacon through the use of a before-after empirical (Bayesian) evaluation approach.

The report’s conclusions include:

• 29 percent reduction in total crashes, which is statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level.
• 69 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes, which is statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level.
• 15 percent reduction in severe crashes, which is not statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level.

A summary Tech Brief on the report is available, as is the full report.