Tag Archives: pedestrian safety

CTS Webinar: How Infrastructure Shapes Driver Behavior and Pedestrian Safety

About the Event 

Improving pedestrian safety requires a deeper understanding of how people interact with roadway design and infrastructure. This webinar will highlight two recent research efforts examining how transportation infrastructure influences driver behavior and pedestrian safety outcomes.

Curtis Craig, a research associate in the Human Factors Safety Laboratory, will present findings from two complementary studies examining infrastructure at intersections. The first study explored how right turn lane configurations affect pedestrian safety using a combination of behavioral analysis and multiple research methods. The second project examined how drivers and pedestrians respond to different infrastructure treatments and how those designs influence behavior in real-world environments.

These study findings offer transportation agencies, planners, and engineers practical considerations as they work to create safer and more accessible pedestrian environments.

Registration and More

This webinar is free, but registration is required. Visit the event web page to register and for more information. 

Related Reading

Active Research by Curtis Craig

Analysis and Risk Management of Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Crashes in Minnesota

Evaluating the Safety Impacts of Select Pedestrian Infrastructure

To enhance pedestrian safety at intersections, transportation agencies may install temporary or permanent infrastructure such as curb extensions or pedestrian refuge islands. While more permanent infrastructure with concrete is generally considered effective, specific details about temporary infrastructure with flexible delineators (or bollards), such as installation, use and safety impact, would be valuable to optimize cost-effectiveness. This project evaluated both temporary and permanent pedestrian infrastructure at crossing sites to measure the effects on pedestrian safety and driver behavior.

Continue reading Evaluating the Safety Impacts of Select Pedestrian Infrastructure

Designing Channelized Right-Turn Lanes to Increase Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

The use of channelized right-turn (CRT) lanes at intersections can improve driver safety and traffic mobility but can be challenging for bicyclists and pedestrians, particularly those with sight or other impairments. This project examines the current practice of CRTs to identify design solutions and mitigation strategies to better accommodate the safety and accessibility needs of all road users.

Continue reading Designing Channelized Right-Turn Lanes to Increase Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

Improving Pedestrian Safety on Reservations in Minnesota

MnDOT has identified Native Americans as one of six priority populations in the state that experience disproportionate risks as pedestrians. To access everyday services such as grocery stores, workplaces and schools, pedestrians may have to cross a state or county roadway at unmarked crossings. Installing traffic safety countermeasures at these crossings is intended to reduce the risk faced by pedestrians. This project analyzed pedestrian safety at 23 locations within seven reservations and the effectiveness of countermeasures implemented at six locations.

Continue reading Improving Pedestrian Safety on Reservations in Minnesota

Tribal Pedestrian Safety

A new video developed by the Center for Transportation Studies highlights a multiyear study of pedestrian safety at reservations that was undertaken by U of M researchers and partners from seven Anishinaabe tribes. The work was sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

Continue reading Tribal Pedestrian Safety

New Project: Roadside Feature Placement and Pedestrian Safety on Low and Intermediate Speed Roads

Guidelines for designing and placing roadside features have traditionally focused on automobile safety on higher-speed roads. Research has also shown feature placement can have safety benefits for pedestrians and bicyclists on lower-speed roads.

Continue reading New Project: Roadside Feature Placement and Pedestrian Safety on Low and Intermediate Speed Roads

Understanding Factors That Influence Driver Yielding to Pedestrians

Vehicle speeds, type of pedestrian, road characteristics and other variables can impact whether drivers yield to pedestrians attempting to cross a road at an unsignalized intersection. An analysis of data collected from 18 intersections identified human and site attributes that correlate to higher rates of driver yielding. Knowledge of these potentially influential factors will help local engineers build safer crossings at intersections.

Continue reading Understanding Factors That Influence Driver Yielding to Pedestrians

Improving Driver Yielding to Pedestrians at Intersections

Improving the rates of drivers yielding to pedestrians has been challenging despite crosswalk laws. Expanding on an earlier study, researchers further explored the effectiveness of engineering treatments at road crossings, giving agencies a deeper understanding of how to maximize pedestrian safety.

Continue reading Improving Driver Yielding to Pedestrians at Intersections

Designing Pedestrian Safety Features for Year-Round Maintenance

Pedestrian safety countermeasures near roadways require year-round maintenance to be effective. Clearing snow and ice has not generally been a design consideration for safety treatments, but new research has identified specific design criteria to help MnDOT and other agencies keep walkways clear without impeding maintenance efforts.

Continue reading Designing Pedestrian Safety Features for Year-Round Maintenance