Benefits of new and improved pedestrian facilities – before and after studies
[B' Spokes: For a bit of an introduction, readers of this blog know that Maryland has a terrible pedestrian fatality rate and I will assert that we need to break the perception that roads are for the sole purpose of accommodating cars and that bicyclists and pedestrians are trespassers. If we can make things safer for pedestrians cyclists benefit and if things are safer for cyclists pedestrians benefit. Any thing that says "We accommodate ALL users of public space (roads) equally will help.]
It was broadly observed that the construction of an improved pedestrian facility resulted in an increased proportion of pedestrians using the desire line at the location of the improvement. A key outcome of this analysis is the importance of pedestrian desire lines to the location of new or improved pedestrian facilities. The utility of a facility is maximised when it is placed on pedestrians’ most desirable crossing path – ie a facility that does not lie on the path that is most preferred by pedestrians may not be utilised by a large proportion of pedestrians in the area, as was the case with the Collingwood St kerb extensions.
[B' Spokes: Now contrast that with Baltimore County's (to name just one) and the "We do not accommodate j-walkers, we ticket them." type of pedestrian safety "improvement" program.]
• Safety was rated as the most important factor considered by pedestrians when choosing a location to cross the road.
• Pedestrians at all of the study sites reported feeling safer while crossing the street after the implementation of the new pedestrian facility.
• At five of the eight study sites, the average ‘after’ safety rating was 2.5 or more (out of a maximum of 3), indicating that these facilities had been successful in providing the perception of an extremely safe crossing environment.
[B' Spokes: Can you guess what Maryland typically does to improve pedestrian safety? If you guessed the one on the bottom, your are right! I really think having the 4th highest pedestrian fatality rate gives us some right to demand that the State crank it up a notch for pedestrian safety and where needed crank it down a notch on the (over) accommodation of cars.]
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/436/docs/436.pdf