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

Brick Textured Pavement: The actual use of bricks or paving stones at crosswalks is a pleasant
architectural treatment that is sometimes used in downtown improvement areas. However, the
treatment creates problems for maintenance and plowing and is more difficult to walk on,
creating a potential tripping hazard for older or disabled pedestrians. A five-foot smooth area
within the brick or paver texture area can solve this problem. (See Traffic Calming section.)
Concrete Printing: The concrete is stamped to make it look like bricks or some other texture,
making the crosswalks more visible. Sometimes reflective tape is put in the indentations. The
printing is less susceptible to snow plows than other treatments, but not as visible as painted or
taped markings. Combining printing with a speed hump or table makes it more visible.
In-pavement Warning: These warning, such as LOOK LEFT (or right) are painted on or inlaid
in pavement. The Port Authority uses them on one-directional roads such as an airport terminal
frontage road or at a toll plaza lane. The Port Authority’s general observation is that they point
toward being an effective tool, but they have not conducted a formal study of their effectiveness.
In-pavement Flashing Lights: Lights are installed in
the pavement in the crosswalk area. When the pedestrian
phase is activated (automated or through a push button),
they flash to warn motorists of the presence of
pedestrians. Reports have been conflicting. An
evaluation of their use in New Jersey (Boyce & Van
Derlofske, 2002) recommended their use in cases where
the crosswalk is in an unusual location (e.g., midblock),
there are distractions competing for the drivers’
attention, the sight distance from which the crosswalk
can first be seen is short, or where the crash history Figure 5.19 In-Pavement Warning
indicates additional warning is needed. The New Jersey
study also recommends the push-button version over the
automated system, and recommends that the lens be cleaned on at regular intervals, e.g., at six
months when traffic is heavy. A second study found that they were effective in increasing
drivers yielding to pedestrians at low vehicular and pedestrian volumes (Karkee et al, 2006).
In-pavement flashing lights were used at a midblock crossing location along State Route 9 at
Marist College. The lights flash when a pedestrian pushes a button. It was reported that they did
not work well at Marist College because motorists and pedestrians did not know what to do when
the light blinked. Some motorists would stop immediately increasing the probability of rear-end
collisions, some would not stop, creating a situation on a four lane divided highway where
pedestrians would start crossing because the nearest car stopped only to be surprised by the car in
the next lane not stopping. An education program coordinated with the implementation of the
lights was done for Marist students and local drivers. However, the mix of local and inter
regional traffic on Route 9 made it impossible to reach all drivers. In response to this dangerous
situation, a conventional midblock signalized pedestrian crossing was installed.
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 82