28.4 Countermeasures to Reduce Pedestrian Exposure to Vehicles at Crossings

Several countermeasures are available to physically protect pedestrians from traffic and reduce the amount of time required to cross a street. Table 28.1 lists design guidelines for three countermeasures.

Table 28.1 Countermeasure to Reduce Pedestrian Exposure at Crosswalks
Countermeasure	Suggested Conditions for Use	Impacts
Curb Extension / Bulbout	Intersections and mid-block crosswalks in need of shorter crossing distances	Reduced crossing time Reduced pedestrian exposure Better visibility and sight distance for pedestrians and vehicles Lower vehicle speeds Fewer, less severe crashes Improved driver yielding to pedestrians Better drainage
Raised Median and Pedestrian Crossing Island	Signalized multilane crossings that pedestrians cannot cross in one cycle Intersections or mid-block crossings where pedestrians are not likely to find gaps in traffic sufficient to cross all lanes, but which do not justify traffic controls	Reduced crossing distances Fewer pedestrian crashes When combined with other countermeasures, better yielding Lower vehicle speeds Motorists can potentially strike islands
Grade-Separated Crossings	Connect land uses separated by major roadways Situations in which less expensive countermeasures are not practical	Up to 90 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes at high-risk locations Pedestrians may attempt at-grade crossings if the grade-separated crossing is not convenient, cannot be accessed easily, or poses security threats

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