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Bicycles/Pedestrians

Safety Toolbox: Engineering


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Raised crosswalks



   
Crosswalks are raised 150 mm above the roadway pavement, similar to speed humps, to an elevation that matches the adjacent sidewalk. This treatment includes a flat area on the top that constitutes the crosswalk. This flat area may be made of asphalt, patterned concrete, or brick pavers. Tactile treatments are needed at the sidewalk/street boundary so that visually impaired pedestrians can identify the edge of the street.
objective To control traffic speeds approaching and then traversing the crosswalk, thus improving the safety of pedestrians using the crosswalk.
applications Where there is a need to control traffic speeds and improve visibility of crosswalks.
target population All Pedestrians, Motorists
crash type Pedestrian R/W Violation-Intersection, Pedestrian Violation-Intersection, Excessive Speed
advantages
  • Reduced traffic speeds at the crosswalks
  • Makes it easier for pedestrians to cross
disadvantages
  • Cost of installation
  • The boundary between the sidewalk and street is not readily detectable by visually impaired pedestrians unless tactile cues are installed on the sidewalk at each end of the crosswalk
pointers Drivers with disabilities have expressed concerns about the levels of discomfort caused by installations that involve vertical deflection.
cost Medium to High, $2,000-$20,000 per crosswalk, depending on the width of the street, the drainage improvements affected, and the materials used for construction.
responsibility Public Works
further reading

Watkins, K. Cambridge's Traffic Calming Program-Pedestrians Are the Focus. Compendium of Papers, ITE Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN, 2000

Ewing, R. Traffic Calming, State of the Practice. Report no. FHWA-RD-135. Washington, DC: ITE under contract with US DOT, FHWA, 1999

City of Cambridge, MA, Preliminary Results: Effects of Columbia Street Traffic Calming Project on Driver Behavior, April 2000

Speed Cushion Schemes. Traffic Advisory Leaflet 1/98. London, UK: Traffic Advisory Unit, Department of Transport, The Stationery Office, February 1998.
examples City of Cambridge, MA; City of Sacramento, CA
related tools Marked Crosswalks, High-Visibility Crosswalks

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