Field Evaluation of a Leading Pedestrian Interval Signal Phase at Three Urban Intersections

Abstract

About 37 percent of pedestrian injury crashes and 20 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes occur at intersections. Many conventional countermeasures include traffic control devices that either increase pedestrian attention to potential vehicle-pedestrian conflicts or encourage drivers to yield to pedestrians. A noteworthy limitation of these warning and prompting messages is their reliance on a voluntary behavioral response. Public education and enforcement campaigns have also generally not produced tangible and long-lasting safety benefits. This research, conducted at three urban intersections, examined the influence of a 3-s leading pedestrian interval (LPI)—a brief and exclusive signal phase dedicated to pedestrian traffic—on pedestrian behavior and conflicts with turning vehicles. The introduction of a 3-s LPI reduced conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles and reduced the incidence of pedestrians yielding the right-of-way to turning vehicles.