The safety effectiveness of many engineering treatments is typically evaluated using crash data as the primary performance metric. The evaluation of marked crosswalks, however, is challenging using only crash data. Behavior data is often needed to explain how people are actually using the intersection and can supplement evaluations done with crash data. The major limitation with using behavior data is in its collection, whether by surveying pedestrians and drivers or through observation. This paper summarizesthe results of a before-after observational evaluation of two low-volume,high-pedestrian intersections in inner Portland, Oregon where marked crosswalks were installed. Video was collected for 13-h periods for a sample of Fridays and Saturdays in March and April of 2007. These videos were usedto evaluate pedestrian and motorist behaviors. Observed pedestrian behaviors included the length of time waiting to cross, instances of looking forapproaching vehicles, travel path, and gap acceptance. Observed driver behaviors included yielding. Following statistical analyses, the study concluded that overall, marked crosswalks had mixed results in changing behaviors that would promote safer crossing conditions or increased pedestrian or driver attentiveness, thereby reducing the risk for potential pedestrian-vehicular crashes.
Abstract