NYMTC Regional Pedestrian Safety Study - New York Metropolitan ...

Providing Sidewalks: Walking-along-the-road crashes account for 10 to 15 percent of all
pedestrian crashes. Providing sidewalks has been shown to reduce this type of crash by 88
percent (NYMTC workshop, 2006). Sidewalks also improve mobility for pedestrians, and allow
travel by or with non-motorized wheeled conveyances, including wheelchairs, baby strollers, and
shopping carts.
A study by McMahon et al. (2002) provides guidelines for recommended sidewalk widths under
different circumstances. A sidewalk plan can be undertaken to document the continuity of the
pedestrian path. Regular maintenance should be done to ensure that plants or snow do not block
the sidewalk, and the surface condition is smooth enough to be safe for all pedestrians, including
older or disabled people.
Walking in the street also happens in areas where sidewalks are in good condition but pedestrian
volumes exceed the capacity of the sidewalk width. In some very dense areas this happens due
simply to the very large number of pedestrians, but often it is due to a choke point created by
some other use of the sidewalk, such as newsstands, sidewalk vendors, newspaper vending
machines, subway entrances, street furniture or plantings, or other objects. If the sidewalk
cannot be widened to accommodate both the pedestrian volume and the other use, the relocation
of the other use should be considered.
Non-Sidewalk Pedestrian Paths: There are locations where low pedestrian numbers do not
warrant a sidewalk. In cases such as
rural roads, a shoulder helps pedestrians
walk further away from traffic; it would
be very expensive to install sidewalks
on these types of roadways and
probably not worth the cost given the
low pedestrian use. Providing paved
shoulders has been shown to reduce
crashes up to 80 percent (NYMTC
workshop, September 25, 2006). The
McMahon study (2002) recommends a
minimum four-foot shoulder or other
walkable space. However, a six-foot
width provides a more comfortable
walking space. As the volumes of
Figure 5.2 Walking in the Street
vehicles and pedestrians increase with
the resulting increase in the potential for
pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, the need for sidewalks increases and shoulders are no longer
adequate.
Relocation of Crosswalks: A common complaint is that pedestrians ignore crosswalks and
cross wherever they wish. In some cases this is because the crosswalks are poorly located to
meet the pedestrians’ natural desire to take the shortest path. Where possible, crosswalks should
be located for direct access to major pedestrian attractions, particularly including bus stop and
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 59