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 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.
