Search title image

Bicycles/Pedestrians

Safety Toolbox: Engineering


  Previous tool  /  Next tool  

Index: alphabetical / cost / crash type / target population

Advance limit/yield lines

   
Standard white STOP or limit lines are placed preferably between 4 and 20 feet in advance of marked crosswalks at signalized intersections.  Yield lines utilize the same placement at unsignalized crossing locations.
objective To encourage motorists to stop farther away from the marked crosswalk.
applications Locations with high pedestrian volumes and conflicts with turning vehicles.
target population All Pedestrians, Motorists
crash type Traffic Signals and Signs, Excessive Speed, Pedestrian R/W Violation-Intersection
advantages
  • Increase pedestrians' visibility to vehicles
  • Reduces the number of vehicles encroaching on the crosswalk
disadvantages
  • Additional cost for installing and maintaining limit lines at a large number of crossings could be significant.
  • If the limit lines are too far back, visually impaired pedestrians may not hear the sound cues that tell them that vehicles have stopped to allow them to cross the street.
  • May reduce availability of on-street parking
pointers If the limit/yield lines are located too far back from the intersection, motorists' sight distance may be compromised.  However, when properly placed, the lines are easy to understand and do not require education efforts for drivers or pedestrians.
cost Low, $200 to $500 per location, depending on the materials used and the width of the streets.
responsibility Public Works
further reading

Retting, R., and R. Van Houten. Safety Benefits of Advance STOP Lines at Signalized Intersections: Results of a Field Evaluation. ITE Journal, September 2000.
examples City of St. Petersburg, FL; City of Sacramento, CA
related tools Marked Crosswalks, High-Visibility Signs, Motorist Prompting Signs

Index: alphabetical / cost / crash type / target population

  Previous tool  /  Next tool