PEDESTRIAN WARNING AND CONTROL DEVICES, GUIDELINES, AND CASE STUDIES
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2001
Subject Area
infrastructure - vehicle, planning - safety/accidents, planning - education, mode - rail, mode - tram/light rail, mode - pedestrian, mode - pedestrian
Keywords
Warning devices, Signs, Signing, Sight distance, Railroad grade crossings, Pedestrian vehicle interface, Pedestrian safety, Pedestrian education, Pedestrian crossings, Light rail transit, Level crossings, Highway railroad grade crossings, Highway rail intersections, Guidelines, Grade crossings, Crosswalks, Case studies, Awareness
Abstract
A high percentage of collisions between light rail vehicles (LRVs) and pedestrians result in injuries or fatalities. As such, properly identifying potentially hazardous crossings and providing pedestrian treatments to those crossings are integral to the design of new light rail transit systems or extensions and for the evaluation of existing systems. An approach is discussed to select pedestrian treatments at grade crossings, and examples of innovative treatments for existing systems are given. The focus is four key factors that enable pedestrians to walk through a grade crossing safely: (a) pedestrian awareness of the crossing, which can be enhanced by passive signs and tactile warnings; (b) the pedestrian path across the trackway, which is subject to pedestrian channelization and positive control devices; (c) pedestrian awareness of and ability to see an approaching LRV, which depends on pedestrian sight distance at the crossing and can be improved through active warning devices; and (d) pedestrian understanding of the potential hazards at grade crossings, which requires public outreach and education. These four factors are discussed, and treatments for each are provided.
Recommended Citation
Siques, J. (2001). PEDESTRIAN WARNING AND CONTROL DEVICES, GUIDELINES, AND CASE STUDIES. Transportation Research Record, Vol. 1762, p. 18-24.
