U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/
Each year pedestrian fatalities comprise about 11 percent of all traffic fatalities and there are approximately 4,600 pedestrian deaths. Another 70,000 pedestrians are injured in roadway crashes annually. Safety is important for all roadway users, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has established a goal of reducing pedestrian fatalities and injuries by 10 percent by the year 2008. Pedestrian safety improvements depend on an integrated approach that involves the 4 E’s: Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Services. The Pedestrian Forum highlights recent pedestrian safety activities related to the 4 E’s that will help reach FHWA’s safety goals and save lives.
FHWA’s newly released Pedestrian Safety Guide for Transit Agencies is intended to provide transit agency staff and roadway designers with an easy-to-use resource for improving pedestrian safety. The guide includes a variety of approaches to address common pedestrian safety issues that are likely to arise near transit stations, bus stops and other places where transit (bus or rail) is operated. It provides references to publications, guides and other tools to identify pedestrian safety problems. Descriptions of engineering, education and enforcement programs that have been effectively applied by transit agencies are included as well as background information about pedestrian safety and access to transit.
You can view and download the document at safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped_transit/ped_transguide/. Hard copies are available to order at safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped_bike_order/.
The FHWA Safety Office has recently completed an updated “Toolbox of Countermeasures and Their Potential Effectiveness for Pedestrian Crashes.” This “toolbox” documents estimates of the crash reduction that might be expected if a specific countermeasure or group of countermeasures is implemented with respect to pedestrian crashes. The crash reduction estimates are presented as Crash Reduction Factors (CRFs).
Traffic engineers and other transportation professionals can use the information contained in this toolbox when trying to figure out which countermeasures would be effective in improving safety at a certain type of locations (such as a signalized intersection). Some of the countermeasures featured include pedestrian countdown signals, providing sidewalks and paved shoulders, installing medians and raised islands, “road diets” (or roadway narrowing), adding intersection lighting, implementing a “leading” pedestrian interval, adding an exclusive pedestrian phase (scramble) to a signalized intersection, converting an unsignalized intersection to a roundabout, etc.
The document can be viewed and downloaded at: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped_tctpepc/.
The FHWA Office of Safety Research and Development released these long awaited guidelines in April. The report provides information on lighting parameters and design criteria that should be considered when installing fixed roadway lighting for midblock crosswalks. The information is important for engineers and roadway designers, because the majority of pedestrian fatalities (around 60%) occur between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am. Although the research was constrained to midblock placements of crosswalks, the report includes a brief discussion of considerations in lighting crosswalks colocated with intersections. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/08053/
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in conjunction with the Highway Safety Research Center at the University of North Carolina, has developed this workshop to engage communities in addressing the pedestrian safety issues that seniors face and providing seniors with strategies for safer walking. The workshop is designed to advance the process of creating more pedestrian friendly environments by encouraging dialogue among community members, including: seniors, transportation and public health professionals, law enforcement officers, decision makers and other stakeholders while also equipping participants with ideas to improve walkability in their community.
The workshop was piloted in Greenbelt, Maryland on April 7th and Arlington, VA on April 8th. NHTSA plans to conduct 15 more pilots, then finalize the workshop in the Spring. For more information, or to request a session, contact Essie Wagner at Esther.Wagner@dot.gov, or by calling 202-366-0932.
The FHWA document How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, which was first printed in 2006, has been revised by NHTSA to include enhanced sections on education and enforcement (see pages 67-110). The updated version can be viewed at: http://drusilla.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/howtoguide2006.pdf. Printed copies will be available in the Fall.
FHWA Headquarters-funded Environment and Planning areas of research (including Bicycles/Pedestrians and Health topics) have relied on a single funding source entitled STEP (Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program). The Bicycle and Pedestrian Team at FHWA needs your input and suggestions for the lines of research that should be pursued within this emphasis area. The goals of the Bicycle /Pedestrian and Health emphasis area are to:
Contact Gabriel.rousseau@dot.gov, 202-366-8044.
Tim Arnade, the FHWA’s Safe Routes to School Program Manager, has moved on to another job within FHWA and Becky Crowe is taking over his job duties. Becky also serves as the Road Safety Audit (RSA) Program Manager. Becky manages and provides guidance on matters related to Road Safety Audits and Safe Routes to School and works closely with FHWA field offices, state and local agencies and other internal and external customers to improve the safety performance of our highways.
Before joining the Office of Highway Safety in 2007, Becky worked for the Virginia Division of FHWA for six years and managed multiple highway safety programs including the Highway Safety Improvement Program, Strategic Highway Safety Plans and Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety programs (including the Safe Routes to School program). Becky attended one of the first Safe Routes to School National Instructor Trainings in 2005 and was certified as a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) in 2002.
Becky has been with Federal Highway Administration since February 2001. Before joining FHWA, she worked for the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission as a Senior Transportation Planner and the Virginia Department of Transportation in the Land Development Section. Becky is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Studies and Planning, and George Mason University with a Master’s degree in Transportation Policy, Operations, and Logistics.
This Pedestrian Forum is available on the Web at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/.
To subscribe to the newsletter, send an e-mail to the Editor:
Tamara Redmon, tamara.redmon@dot.gov
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Safety
1200 New Jersey Ave SE, E71-303
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4077
