SUCCESS IN REDESIGNING MAIN STREETS FOR PEDESTRIANS

In the Fall of 1997, the City of Kirkland installed small flashing LEDs in the pavement at two crosswalks. The systems were purchased from LightGuard, Inc. of Santa Rosa, California, and installed by City crews. The LEDs are mounted in snowplow-compatible aluminum housings that are similar in appearance and installation to raised pavement markers. Devices are installed across all travel lanes for both directions of travel on each side of the crosswalk. When activated, lights in the pavement flash at drivers across the entire roadway in both directions. Pedestrians wishing to use the crosswalk activate the flashers using standard pedestrian pushbuttons and the LEDs flash in a proprietary manner via a small solid state controller, for a programmable amount of time. The paper summarizes Kirkland's successful use of the LightGuard devices through: Background discussion of how Kirkland came to try the device; Explanation of the devices and their installation; Results of a comprehensive before-and-after study; Response of general public and elected officials; Summary of application guidelines. Additionally, the presentation will use videotape to thoroughly explain the devices and give the audience a feel for device performance. Flashing crosswalk devices are particularly suited to small communities because: They work well in relatively isolated/high speed settings. Cost of materials and installation is around $15,000. They are more effective than normal "constant on" overhead flashers, yet a fraction of the cost of traffic signals. They allow local officials to respond in an effective, reasonable way to the traditionally difficult issues of school and pedestrian safety concerns. Before they were installed in Kirkland, LightGuard devices were installed in a number of small cities in northern California. They have been approved by the California Committee on Traffic Control Devices, and Kirkland has received official FHWA authorization to experiment with the units. Additionally, before-and-after studies are being funded by FHWA.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.21949/1403149
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/12751
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Conference proceedings available only on CD-ROM.
• Corporate Authors:

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building, 310 Maple Park Avenue SE, P.O. Box 47300
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504-7300
• Authors:
  • Godfrey, D
  • Mazzella, T
• Conference:
  • Sixth National Conference on Transportation Planning for Small and Medium-Sized Communities
  • Location: Spokane Washington, United States
  • Date: 1998-9-16 to 1998-9-18
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 9p
• Monograph Title: SIXTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED COMMUNITIES, SEPTEMBER 16-18, 1998, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Crosswalks; Design; Flashers; Light emitting diodes; Pavements; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrians; School safety; Streets; Traffic control devices
• Uncontrolled Terms: Main streets; Pushbuttons; Redesign
• Subject Areas: Design; Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00780093
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: NTL, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Dec 7 1999 12:00AM