THE OBSTACLE COURSE: PEDESTRIANS IN HIGHWAY WORK ZONES

There has been an increased awareness of the safety problems associated with highway work zones among traffic professionals and government agencies during the past several years. For the most part, attention has been focused on motorist safety, while pedestrian safety has been virtually ignored. Federal, state, and local manuals do not adequately address the issue of pedestrian accommodation and safety in highway work zones. There are currently no well-defined techniques, standards, or practices that pertain to pedestrian control and safety in work zones. Traffic-control plans for maintenance of traffic through work zones are prepared primarily for vehicular traffic and make rare reference to pedestrians. Inadequate pedestrian accommodation in work zones forces pedestrians to choose their own paths and fight through construction areas full of debris and other obstructions. Pedestrian accommodation and safety in work zones deserve careful attention. Guidelines for accommodating pedestrians should be developed at the federal level and preferably included in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for proper implementation and uniform compliance. A concerted effort to improve pedestrian safety in work zones is highly desirable. Pedestrians should be afforded the same rights and privileges enjoyed by vehicles that pass through construction zones.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/904/904-009.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=THE+OBSTACLE+COURSE%3A+PEDESTRIANS+IN+HIGHWAY+WORK+ZONES&author=H.+Chadda&author=G.+Brisbin&publication_year=1983
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/030903518X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Traffic Safety in Maintenance and Construction Operations. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Chadda, Himmat S
  • Brisbin Jr, George H
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 50-57
• Monograph Title: HIGHWAY INFORMATION SYSTEMS, VISIBILITY, AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 904
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Hazards; Highways; Obstructions (Navigation); Pedestrians; Safety; Traffic control devices; Work zone traffic control
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00378859
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030903518X
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-036 170
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM