Search title image

Bicycles/Pedestrians

Safety Toolbox: Engineering


  Previous tool  /  Next tool  

Index: alphabetical / cost / crash type / target population

Pavement legends for pedestrians
Word legends, signs, and auditory devices are placed on the pavement at each end of the crosswalk to be legible to pedestrians as they are waiting to cross.
objective To encourage pedestrians to watch for through traffic and turning vehicles.
applications Where there is a need to warn pedestrians that traffic may be approaching from a direction they may not be anticipating. It is particularly useful in cities where many visitors come from countries where traffic flows in the reverse direction.
target population All Pedestrians
crash type Pedestrian R/W Violation-Intersection, Pedestrian Violation-Intersection
advantages
  • It provides a visual cue to remind pedestrians to be careful when crossing the intersection and to watch for turning vehicles
  • Low cost
disadvantages
  • Cost of installing this treatment at numerous locations could become significant
  • Overuse of this treatment could negate its impact where it is most needed
pointers Universal symbols are more effective than words, especially in locations with a high number of tourists from other countries.
cost Low to Medium: $100 to $200 for sign costs, $300-$700, depending on whether paint or thermoplastic materials are used for pavement legends, $500-$1,500 for auditory devices.
responsibility Public Works
further reading

Habib, P. Pedestrian safety:  The Hazards of Left-Turning Vehicles. ITE Journal, April 1980

Retting, R., J. Van Houten, C. Farmer, J.E.L. Malenfant, and R. Van Houten. Special Signs and Pavement Markings Improve Pedestrian Safety. ITE Journal, December 1996

Abdulsattar, H.N., S.T. Mohammed, P.T. McCoy, and S.D. Kachman. Effect on Vehicle-Pedestrian Conflicts of "Turning Traffic Must Yield to Pedestrians"Signs. Transportation Research Record 1553:38-45, 1986

Van Houten, R., J.E.L. Malenfant, J. Van Houten, and R.A. Retting. Auditory Pedestrian Signals Increase Pedestrian Observing Behavior at Signalized Intersection. Transportation Research Record, 1998.
examples Salt Lake City, UT; London, UK
related tools Educational Signs for Pedestrian Signal Indication

Index: alphabetical / cost / crash type / target population

  Previous tool  /  Next tool