Award Date

1-1-2007

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Engineering (ME)

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

First Committee Member

Shashi S. Nambisan

Second Committee Member

Edward S. Neumann

Number of Pages

173

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative countermeasures deployed to help improve pedestrian safety and walkability. Potential countermeasures evaluated in this research include: (1) a portable speed trailer, (2) a high visibility crosswalks, (3) advance yield markings, (4) "yield here to pedestrians" signs, (5) in-roadway knockdown signs, (6) danish offsets, (7) median refuges, (8) intelligent transportation system (ITS) based automatic pedestrian detection device, (9) smart lighting, (10) pedestrian activated flashing lights; A before-and-after analysis strategy was be used to evaluate the selected countermeasures. Measures of effectiveness (MOEs) identified to evaluate the impacts of these countermeasures, include pedestrians' and motorists' behaviors. Data were collected immediately prior to the installation of each countermeasure during AM and PM peak periods and two weeks after the installation of each countermeasure. The results were evaluated for their statistical significance; Results from the analyses of the data showed that the installation of high visibility crosswalk, advance yield markings, "yield here to pedestrians" signs, median refuge, danish offset, in-roadway knockdown signs were effective in the following ways: increase motorists' yielding, diverted pedestrians, pedestrians who look for vehicles before beginning to cross and before crossing second half of the street. These countermeasures also resulted in fewer vehicles blocking the crosswalk, reducing average pedestrian delay and decreasing the number of pedestrians trapped in the roadway. Also, drivers yielded at greater distances upstream of the crosswalk. The average vehicle speed was reduced upstream and downstream of the location of the portable speed trailer. The installation of ITS based automatic pedestrian detection device and smart lighting resulted in fewer pedestrians trapped in the roadway and increased driver yielding behavior. The countermeasures at a mid-block location showed positive safety benefits in motorists' and pedestrians' behaviors; The improvements in MOEs for both motorists' and pedestrians' behaviors are positive and statistically significant in most cases. The findings from this research may be of value to other regions with similar characteristics.

Keywords

Countermeasures; Evaluation; Innovative; Pedestrian; Safety

Controlled Subject

Civil engineering

File Format

pdf

File Size

5550.08 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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