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

transit terminals. Yonkers, in their Central Park Avenue Plan, examined each crosswalk along
Central Park Avenue and relocated many of the crosswalks to improve
pedestrian path continuity. The analysis of
crosswalk locations should be included in both
safety audits (discussed in Section 5.1) and in
sidewalk plans (discussed in Chapter 6).
Figure 5.3 Non-Continuous Pedestrian Path
Controlled Midblock Crosswalks: Controlled
midblock crosswalks are recommended for very
long blocks where warrants for the installation of
midblock signals are met. The elimination of
turning vehicles reduces the number of potential
vehicle pedestrian conflicts and reduces the
number of places that the pedestrian must
look for approaching vehicles. MUTCD
recommends that midblock signals be 300 feet
from the nearest signalized intersection (MUTCD 4C.05, 2003), indicating that they could be
used for blocks that are 600 feet or longer. For two-way streets, a raised median improves the
safety of midblock crossings. Bulbouts may also be used; they make the crossing more visible to
the drivers and shorten the crossing distance for the pedestrian. Note that uncontrolled, but
marked midblock crosswalks are not recommended because statistical evidence indicates that
pedestrian crashes are much higher at uncontrolled marked crosswalks. This is discussed in
more detail in section 5.2.4 (Uncontrolled Crosswalks).
Raised Median: Installing a raised median in wide streets
breaks a long crossing distance into two shorter segments
and provides a protected haven for pedestrians to wait for a
WALK signal or a break in traffic. (Note that wheelchair
ramps or a non-raised path must be included for ADA
access.) It encourages the pedestrian to wait, rather than
trying to finish crossing through moving vehicles. The
height improves visibility for both the pedestrian and the
drivers. It also has the effect of slowing traffic by
narrowing the roadway. NYCDOT has installed several
raised medians, sometimes with bollards added at the end
toward the intersection. The NYCDOT studies of safety at
schools (Section 3.3) recommend the installations of
pedestrian islands at 80 of the 135 schools.
Figure 5.4 Raised Median with
Non-raised Path for Wheelchairs
The average crash reduction factor for medians is 40 percent (NYMTC workshop, 2006). The
Zegeer, Stewart, et al. (2005) states that the presence of a raised median was associated with a
significantly lower pedestrian crash rate at multilane crossing locations, with both marked and
unmarked crosswalks. In contrast, painted (not raised) medians and center two-way left-turn
lanes did not offer significant safety benefits to pedestrians on multilane roads, compared to no
median at all. Bowman and Vecellio (1994) compared undivided multilane roadways, two-way
left turn lanes, and raised-curb medians. In both central business district and suburban locations,
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 60