The AASHTO Technical Committee on Roadside Safety (TCRS) has identified many research needs about vulnerable road user (VRU). The research needs statement has been modified and expanded to incorporate some of the following related research needs: evaluation of bollard devices for pedestrian/bicycle/motorcycle users; mode shift benefits of Complete Streets; protection for people biking on arterial roadways; new metric for VRU comfort on roadways; synthesis of devices for pedestrian/bicycle/motorcycle users and low-speed facilities; investigation of rising pedestrian fatalities; and development of guidance for installation of roadside hardware adjacent pedestrian/bike facilities.

The 2016 AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Highway (SCOH) Resolution and the 2022 Administrative Resolution, Council on Highways and Streets / Council on Active Transportation, provided an emphasis on multimodal design, flexibility, and addressing bicyclist, motorcycle, and pedestrian serious injuries and fatalities.

The objective of this research is to align roadside safety design elements complimenting the AASHTO A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (Green Book), 8th Edition (GB8) urban roadway context classifications while integrating VRU considerations in roadside design.