Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Guide– Recommendations and Case Study
[B' Spokes: Since 2002 the state has had a goal of reducing pedestrian fatalities and year after year no real change has been observed. It just amazes me how many pedestrian safety improvements that could be done here, most for cheap but are not. Maryland seems to have standardised on “essentially not visible” crosswalks and rather than follow the recommendation of marking all legs of the intersection with a high visibility crosswalk we are lucky to get two faded parallel lines that is either a crosswalk or your choice of stop lines if you are a driver. (Ref: An Overview and Recommendations of High-Visibility Crosswalk Marking Styles)
Other places I have been that are working toward reducing pedestrian fatalities have been installing hundreds of these pedestrian hybrid beacons. Does Maryland even have one?
Maybe there is no need for pedestrian improvements here?
Nope, that's not it.
If you would like State Highways to do more for pedestrians please write: James T. Smith <secretary@mdot.state.md.us>
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Pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB) have been shown to significantly reduce pedestrian crashes. A Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) study published in 20101 found that pedestrian hybrid beacons can reduce pedestrian crashes by 69 percent and total crashes by 29 percent. Because PHBs remain dark until activated, they can help increase driver attention to pedestrians crossing the roadway, and can reduce rear-end collisions. The pedestrian hybrid beacon’s red signal indication removes any judgment from the motorists and requires a complete stop. The PHB provides a clear message that motorists must stop and allow pedestrians to cross the street. Motorist compliance with the requirement to yield has been shown to exceed 90 percent at PHBs.
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This document will show how PHBs are being used to reduce pedestrian crashes across the country [but not in Maryland.]
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http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/fhwasa14014/fhwasa14014.pdf