Background: The Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty-First Century (TEA-21) continues and expands provisions to improve facilities and safety for pedestrians. This important transportation mode will continue to be included and upgraded in major transportation projects. Information related to the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities is scattered throughout several reference sources. The information also has gaps relative to pedestrian accommodations. These gaps need to be evaluated for their importance, and the best information available needs to be compiled into a form useful to transportation agencies.

Objectives: The first objective of this project was to compile the most relevant existing information related to the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities, including the accommodation of pedestrians with disabilities. The second objective was to develop a guide for the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities. The guide shall be appropriate for consideration by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for publication.

Status: The revised final report was the basis for AASHTO's Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities, 1st Edition.  An update is being developed under NCHRP Project 15-45.

Tasks: Phase I of the project was funded as NCHRP Project 20-7/Task 105, FY 1999, and consists of the following tasks: (1) Compile and organize existing local, state, national, and international information related to the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities. Data sources should include, but not be limited to transportation agencies, research reports, and technical papers. (2) Compile and organize current information found in basic transportation planning, design, and operations references related to pedestrians and pedestrian accommodations. The basic references of concern are AASHTO's "A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets," the FHWA's "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices," TRB's "Highway Capacity Manual," the Institute of Transportation Engineers' "Transportation Planning Handbook" and "Transportation Engineering Handbook," and the "Uniform Vehicle Code." (3) Consolidate and assess the information gathered in Tasks 1 and 2 to identify and document gaps in existing planning, design, and operation information related to pedestrian facilities and areas where existing information conflicts. Estimate the resources and time required to eliminate these gaps and conflicts. Assign priorities to these efforts based on their relative benefits and costs. (4) Develop a detailed outline for a guide for the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities. This guide shall be appropriate for consideration by AASHTO for publication. (5) Submit within 6 months an interim report on the information developed in Tasks 1 through 4. The interim report shall also contain a detailed work plan for filling gaps identified in Task 3 and developing the guide outlined in Task 4.

Phase II of the project was funded as NCHRP Project 15-20, FY 2000, and consists of the following tasks: (6) Conduct research or use other methods to fill informational gaps as approved by NCHRP. (7) Develop a draft guide for the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities based on the outline approved by NCHRP. (8) Submit a final report that documents the entire research effort and includes the Task 7 guide as a stand-alone document. The report should include specific recommendations on changes to the basic references mentioned in Task 2. After approval by NCHRP, the research agency should expect to personally present their findings, the final report, and the proposed guide to the AASHTO Task Force on Geometric Design.