Safety Effects of Marked Versus Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Locations: Analysis of Pedestrian Crashes in 30 Cities

Abstract

Pedestrians are legitimate users of the transportation system and they should, therefore, be able to use the system safely. Pedestrian needs in crossing streets should be identified, and appropriate solutions should be selected to improve pedestrian safety and access. Deciding where to mark crosswalks is only one consideration in meeting that objective. This study involved an analysis of 5 years of pedestrian crashes at 1,000 marked crosswalks and 1,000 matched unmarked comparison sites. None of the sites in this study had a traffic signal or stop sign on the approaches. Detailed data were collected on traffic volume, pedestrian exposure, number of lanes, type of median, speed limit, and other site variables. Poisson and negative binomial regressive models were used. Study results revealed that on two-lane roads the presence of a marked crosswalk alone at an uncontrolled location was associated with no difference in pedestrian crash rate, compared with an unmarked crosswalk. Further, on multilane roads with traffic volumes above about 12,000 vehicles per day, having a marked crosswalk was associated with a higher pedestrian crash rate (after controlling for other site factors) compared with an unmarked crosswalk. Raised medians provided significantly lower pedestrian crash rates on multilane roads, compared with roads without a raised median. Older pedestrians had crashes that were high relative to their crossing exposure. More substantial improvements were recommended to provide for safer pedestrian crossings, including adding traffic signals (with pedestrian signals) when warranted, providing raised medians, and implementing speed-reducing measures.