SE Division & Green Line: Overhead Flashing Pedestrian Sign

1. SE Division & Green Line:Overhead Flashing Pedestrian Sign By: Vanessa Victor Scott Yoshida Travis Hills Lucas Sprague

2. Outline • Site Description • Evaluation of Data • Pedestrians • Bicyclists • Motor Vehicles • Observed Trends • Site Comparison • Issues/Proposed Solutions

3. Site Description • Intersection: 2 travel lanes, a bike lane, and a bus stop, on each side of the 10 foot wide median • Total crosswalk length= 70 feet w/continental markings • Crossing occurs mid-block w/signalized intersection approximately 300’ to the East and West. • Motor vehicle speed 35 MPH both directions

4. Site Description • 2 “Stop Here for Pedestrian” signs and 2 “Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing” signs as warning • Wide sidewalks for pedestrians from MAX, I-205 multi-use path, and bus stops • Adequate lighting/signage

5. Site Description

6. Crosswalk Data Collection Layout • Pedestrians and cyclists traveled from 4 to 3 and 3 to 4 • Motor vehicles traveled from B to D and D to B

7. Pedestrian Evaluation • Pedestrians crossed from 3 to 4 and from 4 to 3 • Violations • Did not push button before crossing • IPod or other listening device • During observation period, no pedestrians were seen using cell phones while crossing • On-street parking and buses prevent driver from seeing the pedestrians at crosswalk

8. Pedestrian Evaluation Total Pedestrian Counts Violation Counts for Not Using Button Five pedestrians from 3 to 4 and three pedestrians from 4 to 3 were seen using a listening device

9. Pedestrian Evaluation Violation Data • 15/45 = 33.33% did not use signal • 8/45 = 17.78% using an iPod or similar device • 23/45 = 51.11% total undertook a violation • 6.33 seconds delay per approach pedestrian= LOS A • 4.8 minutes delay during observation hour

10. Bicycle Evaluation • Bicycle crossed from 3 to 4 and from 4 to 3 • Violations • Did not push button before crossing= T on chart • Were not wearing a helmet= H on chart • During observation period, no cyclists were seen riding on sidewalk or using wrong side of road • On-street parking and buses prevent driver from seeing the cyclists at crosswalk

11. Bicycle Evaluation Total Bicycle Counts Violation Counts for Bicycles T= Did not push button, H= No helmet *One cyclist rode from B to D w/o wearing a helmet

12. Bicycle Evaluation Violation Data • 20/35 = 57.14% did not use signal • 3/35 = 8.57% did not wear a helmet • 23/35 = 65.71% total undertook a violation • 11.9 seconds delay per approach bicycle= LOS B • 6.75 minutes of delay during observation hour

13. Motor Vehicle Evaluation • Vehicles crossed from B to D and from D to B • Violations • Vehicle stops abruptly= A on chart • Vehicle does not stop for pedestrian= B on chart • Vehicle impedes on crosswalk= C on chart • Many drivers did not stop for pedestrian at crosswalk even when signal was flashing • Oregon law states drivers must stop and remained stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared your lane and adjacent lane • Law was violated numerous times

14. Motor Vehicle Evaluation Violation Counts for Vehicles A= Abrupt stop, B= No stop, C= Impedes on crosswalk

15. Observed Trends • Pedestrians utilizing crosswalk tended to feel safer when a bus was making stop • Speeding motor vehicles not a concern b/c of controlled adjacent signalized intersections • Traffic “backing up” from intersection led to blind-spots and decreased crosswalk visibility • Majority of pedestrians/ cyclists used signal and were cautious throughout

16. Crosswalk Comparison • NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Going Street examined • Unsignalized intersection • Configuration of this crosswalk was similar to SE Division and Green Line • Vehicles extremely respondent • Trend attributed to driver expectation at crosswalk • Drivers expected to yield for pedestrians/ bicyclists

17. Crosswalk Comparison

18. Crosswalk Issues • On-street parking • Overhead flashing pedestrian sign • Signal placement • Flashing signal length

19. On-Street Parking • Issue: Parked cars on south side of Division preventing drivers from seeing the pedestrians/cyclists • Solution: Remove some on-street parking stalls close to the crosswalk

20. Overhead Flashing Sign Issue 1 • Signal placed above median which is not in the driver’s line of sight • Many drivers do not slow down when signal is flashing • Daily drivers familiar with flashing when no pedestrians present which leads to behavioral habits such as not slowing down • Drivers did not see signal b/c more concentrated on intersection ahead

21. Overhead Flashing Sign • Solution 1: Place separate signals above westbound and eastbound lanes • Placement will be in line of sight of the drivers • Solution 2: Remove signal and place in-pavement lighting (shown at right)

22. Overhead Flashing Sign Solution 3: HAWK signal for each direction of traffic (shown below)

23. Overhead Flashing Sign • Issue 2: Signal flashes for two minutes after button is pressed • Solution: Change signal time to 30 seconds • MUTCD- design for 3.5 feet per second which would mean 20 seconds of signal flash for the 70 foot crosswalk.

24. Questions?