Study Details
Study Title: Safety Performance of Midblock Pedestrian Crossing Treatments
Authors:
Publication Date: 2022
Abstract: Pedestrian safety is a serious concern, especially at midblock locations. Crossing streets at uncontrolled midblock locations can pose a serious risk to pedestrians. Midblock crosswalks encourage pedestrians to cross at designated locations, offering a safer, more visible, and more direct route for pedestrians to cross. This study quantified the safety effectiveness of pedestrian safety treatments at midblock locations in Florida. A cross-sectional analysis using a Bayesian zero-inflated negative binomial regression model was used to evaluate the safety of midblock segments and develop crash modification factors (CMFs) for different geometric, traffic, land-use, and census variables. The analysis was based on five years (2012-2016) of midblock pedestrian crashes in Florida. The analysis results revealed that the following variables significantly increased (at a 90% Bayesian credible interval) the frequency of pedestrian crashes: natural logarithm of traffic volume; the proportion of the low-income population; density of bus stops; density of bars and food establishments; and density of shopping centers. On the other hand, the rise in the proportion of senior population (aged 65 or older) and the logarithm of the total population reduced the frequency of pedestrian crashes. Although not significant at the 90% Bayesian credible interval, midblock segments with crosswalks had a CMF of 0.82, indicating an 18% reduction in pedestrian crashes. Moreover, the posterior probability distribution indicates a 71% chance midblock pedestrian treatments will reduce pedestrian crashes. The results could help practitioners strategically install pedestrian crossing treatments that could improve pedestrian safety at midblock locations.
Study Citation: Kadeha, C., Kitali, AE., Salum JH., and Alluri P. " Safety Performance of Midblock Pedestrian Crossing Treatments". Presented at the 101st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Paper No. 22-04437, Washington, D.C., (2022).
CMFs Associated With This Study
Category: Pedestrians
Countermeasure: presence of a pedestrian crosswalk at midblock locations
| CMF | CRF(%) | Quality | Crash Type | Crash Severity | Roadway Type | Area Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.82 | 18 |  | Vehicle/pedestrian | All | Not specified | Urban |
