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Bicycles/Pedestrians

Safety Toolbox: Engineering


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Signs to prompt motorists

   
Motorist-prompting signs communicate variations of the basic message of "Yield to Pedestrians", including "Yield Here for Pedestrians", which comes with a supplemental arrow sign; "Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalk", which are sometimes supplemented by signs with strong language, such as "State Law" or "It's the Law"; and "Turning Traffic Must Yield to Pedestrians".  They are installed at various locations, depending upon the direction of travel of the motorists that are being targeted:  on the nearside median, opposing median, or signal mast arms for left-turning vehicles at signalized intersections; between lanes or in the crosswalk for through and turning vehicles at low-volume, low-speed roads;  and on signal poles, pork chop islands, or on the median of the nearside, opposing approach for right-turning vehicles.  Signs that are placed in the traveled way can be "in-street yield to pedestrian signs" that are designed to fold down upon impact and to rebound to the correct orientation; or Supplementary Pedestrian Crossing Channeling Device (SPCCD) or "soft sandwich", which are made with traffic safety cones with no metallic parts and a graphic panel for the sign.  The signs may also be single or double-sided, depending upon the location of the potential pedestrian-vehicle conflict points.
objective To educate motorists through signs about their responsibility to yield to pedestrians.
applications At signalized and unsignalized crosswalk locations.
target population Motorists
crash type Pedestrian R/W Violation-Intersection, Pedestrian R/W Violation ñ Non-Intersection; Traffic Signals and Signs
advantages
  • Increases motorist compliance
  • Increases visibility of the crosswalk
disadvantages
  • Effectiveness decreases over time as motorists cease to "see" the sign after passing through a location multiple times.
pointers Motorist-prompting signs, especially those placed inside the crosswalk itself, should be portable to increase their effectiveness.  When portable devices are utilized, city staff or crossing guards should place them during periods of high pedestrian activity, such as school pick-up, drop-off or weekends in locations adjacent to shopping areas.
cost Low
responsibility Public Works Department
further reading

City of Madison Department of Transportation Traffic Engineering Division. Field Evaluation of Experimental "In-Street" Yield to Pedestrian Signs. Federal Highway Administration, 1999. 

City of Madison Department of Transportation Traffic Engineering Division. Year 2 Field Evaluation of Experimental "In-Street" Yield to Pedestrian Signs 1999. Federal Highway Administration, date unknown. 

Center for Urban Transportation Research. Making Crosswalks Safer for Pedestrians. Florida Department of Transportation, 2000. 

Bower, N. Planning for Pedestrians in Large Urban Centers. New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management. Large City Technical Exchange and Assistance Program, Chapter 3, 2000. Studies by Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida
examples City of St. Petersburg, FL, Engineering, Stormwater and Transportation Department
related tools Pedestrian-Prompting Signs, High-Visibility Signs

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