The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has undertaken a research initiative to determine how to optimise pedestrian and bicycle safety while minimizing impacts to vehicular mobility. The best practices in this document provide guidance in the design of non-motorised improvements that have been shown to reduce crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. This best practices report is one of several reports prepared under this research initiative. Other reports prepared include: Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Data Analysis: 2005 — 2010, Crash Countermeasures and Mobility Effects, Case Study Report, Review of NACTO Urban Bikeways Design Guide. These four reports will then be assembled into one final report entitled “Sharing the road : optimising pedestrian and bicycle safety and vehicle mobility : final report”. This report also will include a review of MDOT design guides and safety reports. This report is organized as a toolbox for planners and designers. A summary matrix is provided that provides a general comparison of the potential crash reduction, potential mobility impacts, and cost of each best practice. Potential crashes for each best practice is summarized as either reducing or having no difference on crashes. Potential mobility effects are shown as making mobility better, making no difference, or making mobility worse for one or more modes of transportation. Mobility is a function of speed, access, and delay. For the purposes of this report, potential mobility impacts refer to a potential change in delay as the result of implementing a best design practice. As bicyclists are considered roadway users to the same extent as motor vehicles per State of Michigan law, the determination of mobility assumes that bicyclists are travelling in the roadway unless otherwise stated. Cost is summarized as low (up to $20,000), medium ($20,000-$100,000), and high (over $100,000). Best practices are grouped into three categories: 1. Signalised Intersections, 2. Unsignalised Pedestrian Crossing Improvements, and 3. Corridor Improvements. References are provided at the end of the document. Where applicable, references to MDOT manuals, including the Michigan Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Michigan MUTCD), are provided. (Author/publisher) For other reports/appendices in this research project, see http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9622_11045_24249-279311--,00…
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