Relocation of intersection crosswalks to nearby mid-block locations: Simulation-based performance evaluation

Abstract

This study explores the performance of an alternative crosswalk design, where crosswalks are removed from the intersections and placed at nearby mid-block to reduce conflicts between turning vehicles and pedestrians. Several scenarios with balanced and unbalanced vehicle volumes were considered to represent a range of practical vehicle demand levels. Considering a series of pedestrian volumes, a comparison of the performance is conducted using TRANSYT15 macroscopic simulation software for four different pedestrian treatments; i.e., an alternative crosswalk design with the same cycle lengths at the critical intersection and mid-block crosswalks, an alternative crosswalk design with half-cycle length at mid-block crosswalks, the traditional exclusive pedestrian phase at the critical intersection and the traditional conflict-free concurrent pedestrian phase at the critical intersection. Results indicated that the alternative crosswalk design with double cycles at mid-block crosswalks outperformed the other three treatments. In particular, alternative designs performed better for higher pedestrian volumes for unbalanced vehicle demand scenarios. Finally, applicability ranges for all four treatments were suggested for various vehicle and pedestrian demand levels. Outcomes of this study could be useful to practitioners for implementing short-and medium-term solutions to reduce delays and enhance safety at signalized intersections.