Designing Streets for Pedestrians Safety

San Luis Obispo (2-Day Course)

REGISTER

Dates: January 28-29, 2008
Location:

Caltrans District 5 Office
1150 Laurel Lane
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Click here for a map

Contact:

For inquires, please contact Gillian McCallum at (805) 549-3037
or at gillian_mccallum@dot.ca.gov

Room: Manzanita Room
Building Access: The entrance to the facility is the same as for the Crux Climbing Gym.
The sign along Laurel Lane says "Atoll Business Center"
Training Time: January 28, 2007; 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
January 29, 2007; 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Description:

This course is intended to help state and local transportation professionals address pedestrian safety issues through design and engineering solutions. Training objectives include:

  • Participants will learn that pedestrians belong in all geometric design, operations, and safety considerations.
  • Participants will learn the significance of land-use, street connectivity, and site design in helping to make a safer pedestrian environment.
  • Participants will understand human behavior issues related to pedestrians and drivers interacting safely and common pedestrian crash types.
  • Participants will understand the role that planning and street design play in pedestrian safety.
  • Participants will learn effective solutions and best practices in design and operations for pedestrian safety. Specific design and operational issues covered include:
    • Sidewalk and walkway design
    • Intersection geometry
    • Signs, signals, and crosswalks
    • Interchange design and alternatives
    • Facilities at signalized intersections
    • Roundabouts
    • Connections to transit
    • Road diets and other traffic calming measures
  • Participants will take part in a field exercise as a critical element to the course. The class is broken into smaller groups to walk and study a nearby intersection or corridor for possible pedestrian safety improvements. The groups brainstorm and share engineering and policy solutions.

Funded by the Federal Highway Administration.

   
Agenda:

January 28, 2007

  1. Introductions, purpose of course
    • Attendees explain their background and what they hope to learn.
  2. Planing factors that impact pedestrian safety
    • o Land use; street connectivity; access management; site design; LOS
  3. Sidewalk design elements that impact pedestrian safety
    • Basic sidewalk design: width, clearances, accessibility, need for buffers
    • Driveways & alleys; maintaining sidewalk continuity
  4. Street crossings
    • Principals of human behavior; the need to provide safe, frequent and convenient crossings; midblock vs. intersection crossing safety
    • Crosswalks: justification, where they’re applicable; crosswalk markings & signing
    • Tools for improving the effectiveness of crosswalks: Illumination; flashing lights & beacons, signing; advance stop or yield lines; reducing multiple threat crashes
    • Medians & islands: breaking long crossing into 2 steps
    • Pedestrian signals: meeting warrants, providing a hot response; innovative techniques
    • Grade-separation: why it fails, where it’s applicable, how to make it succeed
  5. Intersection geometry
    • Geometric concerns: intersection size; choosing the right size radius; complex and skewed intersections
    • Curb extensions: reducing crossing distance
    • Crosswalk placement: how to place crosswalks where they’ll be used
    • Islands; right turn slip lane design
    • Interchanges: accommodating pedestrians at exit and entrance ramps
  6. Adjourn

January 29, 2007

  1. Intersection signalization
    • The purpose of signals; their effect on pedestrian safety; meeting warrants
    • Pedestrian signal placement
    • Countdown pedestrian signals
    • Push-button placement
    • Signal timing techniques: pedestrian signal timing; restricting turn movements; Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI);all-ped scramble; ITS applications
  2. Roundabouts
  3. Transit
    • Bus stop design; location of bus stops & pedestrian crossing safety
  4. Road Diets
    • Reducing street width to enhance pedestrian safety without compromising capacity
  5. Prepare for field trip
  6. Field trip
  7. Lunch (on your own)
  8. Exercise: problem solving / brainstorming policy changes
  9. Exercise: Solutions and policy reports
  10. Exercise: Selecting high priority policy changes
  11. Wrap-up; next steps
  12. Adjourn