• Introduction to Safe Routes to School: the Health, Safety and Transportation Nexus
• Steps to Creating a Safe Routes to School Program
• Engineering
  • Guiding Principles for Applying Safe Routes to School Engineering Solutions
  • What's Wrong With This Picture?
  • School Route Maps and the Tools to Create Them
  • The School Zone
  • Along the School Route
  • Crossing the Street
  • Slowing Down Traffic
  • Resources
  • References
• Enforcement
• Encouragement
• Education
• Student Drop-off and Pick-up
• Evaluation
• Media and Visibility
• Case Studies

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Traffic Signals

Signalizing busy intersections and providing signalized crosswalks help create safe routes to schools for children. New traffic signals are very expensive and must be warranted or they could cause more harm than good. Warrants for installing traffic signals are provided in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 2003 Edition Chapter 4C.

Traffic signals are the highest form of traffic control. However, their benefit to the pedestrian network is contingent upon the application of several principles including:

Mark all legs of an intersection.

Pedestrian paths (marked crosswalks) should be provided on all sides of an intersection where pedestrian crossings are desired. A school walking route plan may limit crossings to three or fewer legs, but all options should be available for school officials to select the most desirable crosswalks to use.

Provide pedestrian signal heads in all directions.

Pedestrian signal indications (WALK, flashing DON'T WALK, DON'T WALK, or walking man and raised hand symbols) should be provided at every signalized crossing.

Only use pedestrian pushbuttons if they are needed.

Push buttons are generally appropriate at locations with low or intermittent pedestrian activity. If used, they should be in clear view, wheelchair accessible and responsive to those who push the buttons.

Install landings on all corners.

Fully accessible landings should be in place on all corners to provide a safe place for people to wait.

Paint stop bars for motor vehicles on all approaches.

Stopping motor vehicles in advance of the marked crosswalk keeps the crosswalk clear for pedestrians and can reduce right-turn-on-red conflicts

Install curb ramps on each corner.

Two curb ramps per corner; eight per intersection is generally recommended, although there are situations where one diagonal ramp per corner is an acceptable option (e.g., where there is a wide turning radius and two ramps per corner is not feasible).

Provide streetlights on all four corners.

Traffic Signals and Adult School Crossing Guards

Traffic signals along a school route are often a good place to provide adult school crossing guards for elementary and middle school students. Wide signalized crossings may warrant two or more guards. Adult school crossing guards play an important role in the lives of children who walk or bicycle to school. They help children safely cross at key street locations and remind drivers of the presence of pedestrians. These activities can lead to more parents feeling comfortable about their children walking and bicycling to school. See Adult School Crossing Guard Guidelines for more information.

Traffic Signals: Intersections or Midblock Locations

Signalized crosswalks can be placed at an intersection or at a midblock location, if warranted. Note that the stop bar shown on the midblock signal is set back further from the crosswalk at the signalized intersection on the left. This set back allows the pedestrian to better see and be seen by drivers. Also, the paint stripes on the right are placed so that the wheels of motor vehicles track between the paint and improve the life of the markings. This helps with the maintenance budget and helps keep the paint fresh and visible. Washington and Oregon State Departments of Transportation have adopted this design.

Left turn arrows can help to separate motor vehicle turning movements and pedestrians. However, the time given to the left turn arrow may result in less crossing times for pedestrians. A balance between the time of the left turn arrow for motor vehicles and the pedestrian crossing time should be established to eliminate or minimize pedestrian and motor vehicle conflict. The timing intervals should allow pedestrians to safely cross the street without impediment from left turning motor vehicles and allow motor vehicle traffic to flow to prevent congestion.

Modify Traffic Signal Phasing and/or Timing

The signal phasing and/or timing can be modified to increase the time available for pedestrians to cross, to give priority to the pedestrian at an intersection, and/or to provide a separation in time of motor vehicle and pedestrian crossings. The timing or phasing of traffic signals is a complex issue, impacted by the signal timing itself as well as other conditions at the crossing including pedestrian and driver behaviors. Factors that contribute to the complexity of traffic signal timing and phasing include:

• Duration of time pedestrians must wait for the WALK signal.
• Number of motor vehicle movements that conflict with the pedestrian WALK signal.
• Amount of time that is provided for people to cross the street.
• Speed at which people are walking.
• Presence or absence of a button people have to push to get a walk indicator and adequate time to cross the street.
• Presence or absence of one or more adult school crossing guards available to assist younger students while crossing the street. (See Adult School Crossing Guard Guidelines for more information.)

Minimize Pedestrian Wait Time

The longer people must wait to cross the street the more likely they will decide to cross against the signal. Pedestrian wait time can be reduced by shortening the overall signal cycle length or by providing an actuated demand-responsive pedestrian signal. Some pedestrians, especially large groups of children, may need more than the 4 feet per second standard that is used to calculate the time needed for the pedestrian clearance interval. However, longer pedestrian clearance intervals may result in longer signal cycle lengths, and thus longer wait times between WALK signals.

Pedestrian Pushbuttons

Pedestrian pushbuttons are electronic buttons used by pedestrians to change traffic signal timing to accommodate pedestrian crossings. Pushbuttons may be needed at some crossings, but their use should be minimized. Signals can be put in pedestrian “recall” for key time periods of day such as school crossing times. During these periods the pedestrian WALK signal would be displayed every signal cycle. As traffic signals become more complex pedestrian pushbuttons are needed. If buttons exist, pedestrians must push them to get enough time to cross the street. Standard pushbuttons often result in longer waits to cross the street, especially if the pedestrian fails to push the button. Only about 50 percent of pedestrians actually push the buttons based on a Federal Highway Administration research project.[34] If used, they should be clearly visible and within easy reach for people in wheelchairs. Pushbuttons need to be checked periodically to assure that they are working and will place a call into the signal.

Reduce the Number of Motor Vehicle Movements that Conflict with Pedestrians

Pedestrian and motor vehicle conflicts are a common occurrence when drivers get a green light and pedestrians get a green light or a WALK signal at the same time. While drivers are required to stop for pedestrians, conflicts are likely to occur. One solution is to install a “leading pedestrian interval” (LPI) which illuminates the pedestrian WALK signal, while the motor vehicle signal remains red for the first few seconds of the cycle. The LPI gives pedestrians an opportunity to start walking and establish a presence in the crosswalk before drivers can begin their turn. The LPI is usually about three seconds or more.

For more information visit the 2004 PEDSAFE "Leading Pedestrian Interval 2 of 2” St. Petersburg, Florida, case study.

Drivers making a right turn at a red light are often looking left towards oncoming traffic and do not pay attention to pedestrians who may be approaching from the right. Restricting right-turn-on-red (RTOR) is another way to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and drivers at traffic signals. The RTOR restrictions can be limited to certain times of the day or can apply to all hours, prohibiting drivers from turning right without a green signal. The MUTCD identifies two conditions related to pedestrians when restricted RTOR may be most effective including:

• Where an exclusive pedestrian phase exists.
• Where an unacceptable number of pedestrian conflicts result from RTOR, especially conflicts involving children, older pedestrians or persons with disabilities.[36]

When RTOR is prohibited, there may be more right-turn-on-green conflicts between motor vehicles and pedestrians when both the right turning drivers have a green light and the pedestrian has the WALK signal on the adjacent crosswalk. The use of leading pedestrian intervals can reduce this effect. Prior to deciding to restrict RTOR, the advantages and disadvantages must be carefully considered.

Countdown Pedestrian Signals

Adequate time must be provided for pedestrians to cross the street safely. Countdown signals help by giving pedestrians information about how much crossing time remains. There is a good deal of confusion by most pedestrians on the meaning of the flashing DON'T WALK signal. While it technically means don’t start walking if the pedestrian has not yet started to cross the street, some pedestrians and drivers think that they are supposed to see the WALK signal for the entire crossing and they will not have enough time to cross as soon as the flashing begins. The countdown signal shows the number of seconds remaining to cross the street. Some studies have shown that countdown signals reduce the number of stragglers in the street when the signal changes, although some people may still start late.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals

Accessible pedestrian signals (APS) are audible signals that indicate when it is or is not appropriate to cross the street. Federal Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines encourage the use of accessible pedestrian signals where there is a need to accommodate pedestrians with visual impairments. Accessible signals come in a variety of designs but include an audible signal and tactile (vibration) guidance for pedestrians. There are comprehensive resources providing information on accessible pedestrian signals available on the Web site of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC).

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