A History of Pedestrian Signal Walking Speed Assumptions

The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) has long used 4.0 ft/sec as the recommended walking speed to be used in setting the time for the pedestrian clearance (Flashing Don’t Walk) phase for pedestrian signal installations. Recently, the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices voted to change the recommended walking speed to 3.5 ft/sec for the pedestrian clearance phase, and 3.0- ft/sec for the entire Walk/Flashing Don’t Walk interval. This paper will give the history of the 4.0 ft/sec walking speed, going back to the 1961 MUTCD, and then explain the rationale for the new MUTCD recommendations.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • LaPlante, John
  • Kaeser, Thomas P
• Conference:
  • 3rd Urban Street Symposium: Uptown, Downtown, or Small Town: Designing Urban Streets That Work
  • Location: Seattle WA
  • Date: 2007-6-34 to 2007-6-27
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 8p
• Monograph Title: 3rd Urban Street Symposium: Uptown, Downtown, or Small Town: Designing Urban Streets That Work, June 24-27, 2007, Seattle, Washington

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Flashing traffic signals; Highway traffic control; Pedestrian clearance interval (Traffic signals); Pedestrian movement; Pedestrian phase; Pedestrians; Speed; Walking
• Identifier Terms: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01091740
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 23 2008 9:26AM