Pedestrian Sight Distance for Crossing Decisions

Transportation professionals have the responsibility to make conditions safe for pedestrians. A better understanding of the sight line conditions that enable pedestrians to cross streets safely could provide the tools necessary to reduce pedestrian crossing injuries and fatalities. Currently, there is inadequate guidance about how to evaluate pedestrian decision sight distance. Evaluating sight lines for crosswalks is typically done from the perspective of a driver’s ability to stop for an object in the road (pedestrian) using stopping sight distance. Sight distance can be assessed by modifying methodologies from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Green Book or from the AASHTO Bike Guide. However, the performance criteria are not provided to determine the pedestrian’s crossing time (tg) in the current design guides. Since assumptions are required to perform this analysis, research is needed to form a consensus about how to assess pedestrian decision sight distance. The objective of this research is to expand content for the AASHTO Pedestrian Guide on sight line evaluation criteria at street crossings. This topic was identified as a high priority in the Council on Active Transportation Research Roadmap developed through NCHRP Project 20-123.  

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5677
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $350000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 15-86

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Zhao, Yi

• Start Date: 20241202
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crosswalks; Decision making; Highway design; Pedestrians; Sight distance
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01919458
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 15-86
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 23 2024 10:06AM