Mid Block-Crosswalk Inroad Lighting 1

[TEEI]

I have a problem in justifying a Midblock-Crosswalk for a school building. MUTCD requires one to do a engineering study while putting in a midblock crosswalk. What actually does the engineering study means in this regard?

Does anyone ever worked on in-road lighting? Does this require any signage?? Please share your thoughts...

 

[ACtrafficengr]

For starters, look at stopping sight distance to the proposed crossing, walking distance to and from the nearest controlled intersections, traffic volumes and AADT, etc. You are investigating whether the midblock crossing would be safer than an intersection crossing. Another reason for a mid-block crossing is the block is too long to expect people to walk to the intersection and back.

In-pavement or overhead lighting is a supplement to standard signing and striping, not a replacement.

I suggest you read C. Zegeer's study on safety of marked vs unmarked crosswalks (available somewhere on the FHWA site). He concluded that markings alone do not make crosswalks safer. Also, at higher AADT's, marked crossings are associated with higher risk to pedestrians than unmarked crosswalks. Signs, in-pavement or overhead flashing lights, and raised median refuges are devices used to make crosswalks safer.

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"Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys typing on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare.

- Blair Houghton

 

[proletariat]

In road lighting is definitely cool, but will it just milled up and resurfaced over during the next maintenance cycle?

 

[TrafficDesigner]

I agree, I have always heard that a marked crossing gives the pedestrian a false sense of security.

In Arizona it's been my experience that we don't mark unsignalized crossings and only where pedestrian heads are present on the signal.

 

[ACtrafficengr]

TrafficDesigner, you might want to read the Zegeer study, too.

http://www.walkinginfo.org/pdf/r&d/crosswalk_021302.pdf

To me, the main purpose of crosswalks is to show the best place to cross. Other measures are used to improve the crossing's safety - TCD's, beacons, curb extensions, median refuges, etc.

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"Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys typing on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare.

- Blair Houghton

 

[TrafficDesigner]

Will do, thanks for the link.

 

[jmu23p]

We have used in road lighting successfully in a few cases. There are wireless products available so the light can be removed for mill and overlay purposes, then reinstalled, without disturbing the wiring. Lighting of this type should only be used in conjunction with the appropriate signing and striping.

Your justification study should also include a gap analysis to determine if sufficient breaks in the traffic flow are present to allow pedestrians to cross safely, should drivers decide not to yield (as they do often here on the East Coast). Of course, in pavement lighting is extremely effective at getting the attention of drivers.

Good luck.