Create Safe Crossings on Multi-lane Roads

Pedestrians need and deserve to get across the street safely.

Pedestrians are legitimate users of the transportation system, and as such, they should be able to use the system without unreasonable delay.  In high speed crashes, pedestrian injuries are likely to be severe or fatal, which makes it critical to provide safe crossing options.

On many roads, marked crosswalks alone are not enough to provide safe pedestrian crossings.

Marked crosswalks need to be supplemented with other treatments on:

Appropriate solutions should be used to improve pedestrian safety at intersections that are not controlled by traffic signals, even where marked crosswalks alone would not be a good tool.

Marked crosswalks are one option in a progression of design treatments.

Rather than decide whether or not marked crosswalks should be provided, traffic engineers should ask: “What are the best measures for getting pedestrians safely across the street?”

Median refuge islands, in-street crosswalk signs, curb extensions, traffic signals, treatments that slow vehicle speed, or other measures may be needed to create safe crossings at locations where marked crosswalks alone are inadequate. Guidelines for Pedestrian Crossing Treatments is a great place to start when considering pedestrian safety improvements on multi-lane streets .

Failure of one particular treatment is not a license to give up and do nothing.

If one treatment does not adequately accomplish the task, then move on to the next one.  In all cases, the final design must address the goal of getting pedestrians across the road safely.