Bicycles/Pedestrians

Safety Toolbox: Practices

In this section:

• Annual monitoring
• Bike- and walk-to-school weeks
• Safety tips
• Crosswalk review
• Pedestrian and bicyclist volumes
• Enforcement details
• Hazard reporting mechanisms

 

---

Annual monitoring

An annual safety conditions report would provide an opportunity to monitor existing problem areas, define new trends, ensure that resources are being used where they are needed the most, and elevate the visibility of a safety program. The report could include overall collision statistics, general citation statistics, status updates on ongoing safety initiatives, descriptions of upcoming initiatives, and usage statistics of hazard reporting mechanisms.

---

Bike- and walk-to-school week

Agencies can participate in these nationally recognized events, not only to promote the health benefits of bicycling and walking, but also to take advantage of opportunities to educate school pedestrians and bicyclists about safety. For more info: http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/. See also: Bike to Work Week.

---

Safety tips

Safety tips are published materials aimed at improving awareness for bicycle and pedestrian safety. They can be made available on-line and in print. Recommendations for bicyclists could include compliance with applicable traffic laws and safety issues unique to cycling, e.g. avoiding opening car doors. Pedestrian safety tips could inform readers about the technology of traffic signals and how observing signals can increase pedestrian safety. (Example 1: Safety Tips for K-3, Example 2: Safety Tips for Toddlers and Preschoolers)

---

Crosswalk review

Many pedestrian collisions involve motorist's failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. A crosswalk review could attempt to address these trends by investigating existing crossings within a jurisdiction. A location could be reviewed every two months, prioritizing locations based on the number of recent collisions. The review could be focused on:

• Determining whether there are sight-distance issues or other significant safety concerns;
• Determining if there is a need to establish better-marked crosswalks, especially if there are large pedestrian generators nearby or there are other compelling reasons to improve the visibility of crosswalks; and/or
• Developing other types of countermeasures and determining optimum funding mechanisms.

This effort should proceed subsequent to the establishment of clear policies or guidelines regarding the placement of crosswalks and associated treatments based on roadway conditions and pedestrian demand. The effort could also be integrated with an annual monitoring program.

---

Pedestrian and bicyclist volumes

Pedestrian and bicyclist counts should be a component of all manual turning movement counts. In concert with the number of collisions, the volume of pedestrians and bicyclists could be used to determine collision rates and prioritize intervention measures. Best practices for conducting pedestrian and bicyclist counts are presented in MTC's Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count Handbook. In order to provide consistent methodology for counting bicycles and pedestrians, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and Alta Planning have developed the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project which provides methodology for counting and reporting.

---

Enforcement details

Crosswalk enforcement details at high-incidence locations and/or high-visibility locations, especially around back-to-school time, may discourage habitual violators and/or deter future violations. The detail involves a plain-clothes police officer (a decoy) who attempts to cross a street at a marked crosswalk, and a uniformed police officer who cites motorists who violate the decoy's right-of-way. Each year, a limited number of sites could be selected for a sting, and the detail can last anywhere from a few hours to an entire day.

---

Hazard reporting mechanisms

Hazard reporting mechanisms exist to improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians by informing agencies about possible hazards that may exist along bicycle and pedestrian routes. Hazards such as potholes, gaps in grate covers, debris in roadway and cracked sidewalks may go unnoticed by maintenance crews. However cyclists and pedestrians have a first-hand view of potential hazards. Hazards may be reported on-line via an agency's web site, through mail-back cards that may distributed during Bike to Work Day or Walk to School Day, or integrated into educational materials.