Potential Pedestrian & Bicycle Solutions
Several potential design solutions for Rice Street would prioritize pedestrian and bicycle users.
Share your feedback on pedestrian and bicycle design solutions
Photo examples
The image gallery shows an example of each potential design solution described below.
Rapid flashing beacon
A rapid flashing beacon is an activated warning to drivers that pedestrians are present and intend to cross the road.
Benefits
- Increases the driver yield rate from 18% to 81% (Source: Federal Highway Administration).
- Reduces pedestrian crashes by 47% (Source: National Cooperative Highway Research Program).
- Solar powered.
Challenges
- Does not assign right-of-way to pedestrians.
- Vehicles are less likely to stop at a flashing beacon than at a signalized intersection.
- Requires public education for greater understanding.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
Pedestrian traffic signal
A pedestrian traffic signal is a pedestrian-activated signal designed to make drivers aware of pedestrians crossing the street.
Benefits
- Increases the driver yield rate from 18% to 97% (Source: Federal Highway Administration).
- Reduces pedestrian crashes by 69% and total crashes by up to 29% (Source: National Cooperative Highway Research Program).
- More intuitive for drivers than the rapid flashing beacon.
Challenges
- Requires public education for greater understanding.
- Limitations on where this device can be installed.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
Median refuge island
A median refuge island is a protected space in the center of the roadway to facilitate a two-stage pedestrian crossing. An offset crossing is similar to a median refuge island, however the two legs of the crossing area offset to turn pedestrians in the direction of approaching traffic.
Benefits
- Reduces pedestrian crashes by up to 46% (Source: Federal Highway Administration).
- Can enhance crossing visibility and reduce speed of vehicles.
- Pedestrians can focus on crossing one direction of traffic at a time.
Challenges
- Refuge islands alone do not increase driver awareness of pedestrians and should be paired with other crossing facilities to maximize pedestrian safety.
- Requires additional space in right-of-way.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
Curb extensions (bump-outs)
Curb extensions are devices that physically narrow the roadway, increasing the overall visibility of pedestrians by aligning them with the edge of the travel lane.
Benefits
- Reduces crossing length for pedestrians.
- Reduces vehicle speeds.
- Tightens vehicle turning movements, encouraging slower turning speeds.
- Provides more sidewalk space for transit riders, where applicable.
Challenges
- Abrupt bump-outs can be hazardous for drivers in higher speed and high traffic areas.
- Can eliminate space for right turns, increasing delays.
- Can act as an obstacle for buses, where applicable.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations
- Safe traffic operations
- Healthy community
Pinchpoints
Pinchpoints are designed to slow traffic speeds and add pedestrian space within the public right-of-way. Pinchpoints can facilitate mid-block crossings and should be paired with pedestrian crossing facilities along high volume roadways.
Benefits
- Reduces vehicle speeds.
- Provides more space for transit stops, where applicable.
- Increases pedestrian space along the sidewalk.
- Can be used as a stormwater management device.
Challenges
- Abrupt pinchpoints can be hazardous for drivers in higher speed and high traffic areas.
- More applicable where street grid is compact.
- Only applicable in parking lanes.
- Can be hazardous for bicyclists.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
- Welcoming streetscape.
Leading pedestrian interval (LPI)
Leading pedestrian intervals give pedestrians and bicyclists a 3-7 second head start to cross an intersection during an all-red signal phase, allowing pedestrians to better establish their presence in the crosswalk before vehicles are allowed to turn.
Benefits
- Increases the visibility of pedestrians in the intersection.
- Reinforce the pedestrian’s right of way over turning vehicles.
- Reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions be as much as 60% (Source: National Association of City Transportation Officials).
Challenges
- Decreases vehicular capacity at intersections.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe bicycle connections.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
School zone speed limit
A school zone speed limit is a lower speed limit within a school zone, determined based on an engineering or traffic investigation. The slower speed limit is only in effect during opening or closing school hours. Any speeding in the area is subject to a double fine.
Benefits
- Encourages reduced speed during school start and end times.
- Establishes a clear route for biking or walking to and from school.
- Increases driver awareness of the school zone.
Challenges
- Signage alone does not result in lower speeds and increased driver attention
- Slowing down and speeding up when entering and exiting the school zone can degrade traffic safety
- Not effective at reducing speed by themselves
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
Trained adult crossing guard
A trained adult crossing guard is an employee who helps children safely cross the street as they walk or bike to and from school.
Benefits
- Supports crossing with greater visibility.
- Encourages safer youth behavior.
- Guards can watch for potential conflict.
- Alerts motorists to the presence of pedestrians.
- Guards can observe and report incidents or potential hazards.
Challenges
- Inclement weather reduces visibility of guard.
- Staffing needs to be managed.
- Wider streets with higher speeds are difficult to control.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe bicycle connections.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
High-visibility crosswalk marking
High-visibility crosswalk markings are ladder markings used to increase the visibility of a crossing location for drivers.
Benefits
- Increases visibility of pedestrian crossing paths.
- May decrease vehicle speed.
Challenges
- Not shown to reduce crashes.
- Speeds increase over time.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Safe bicycle connections.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
Bike lane
Bike lanes are on-street spaces for bicyclists designated by striping, sigange and pavement markings. They are often used for one-way travel and normally provided in both directions on two-way streets.
Benefits
- Encourages non-motorized travel reducing traffic congestion and pollution.
- Decreases vehicle speeds lowering fatalities and injuries for all roadway users.
- Keep bicyclists off sidewalk.
Challenges
- Can create bicycle and vehicle conflict points at intersections.
- Can result in wrong direction of bicyclist travel.
- May result in loss of on-street parking.
Project goals addressed
- Safe bicycle connections.
- Welcoming streetscape.
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
Intersection bicycle box
An intersection bicycle box is a designated area at the approach to a signalized intersection consisting of an advance stop line and bicycle symbols. Bike boxes are used primarily to facilitate queuing a larger number of bicyclists at the head of the traffic queue to reduce conflicts between drivers and bicyclists at the beginning of the green signal phase.
Benefits
- Increases visibility of bicyclists at intersections.
- Reduces signal delay for bicyclists.
- Facilitates bicyclists left turn positioning at intersections during red signal indication, for bike boxes that extend across the entire intersection.
- Helps prevent ‘right-hook’ conflicts with turning vehicles at the start of the green indication.
- Provides priority for bicyclists at signalized bicycle boulevard crossings of major streets.
- Groups bicyclists together to clear an intersection quickly, minimizing impediment to traffic.
- Pedestrians benefit from reduced vehicle encroachment into crosswalk.
Challenges
- Eliminates motorist right turns on red.
- Potential for unfamiliar drivers to be confused or to encroach into the bicycle box.
- Can result in additional conflicts by placing bicyclists in front of moving vehicles.
- Maintenance costs of colored surface.
Project goals addressed
- Safe bicycle connections.
- Safe traffic operations.
- Healthy community.
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
Pedestrian lighting
This is the illumination of the roadway and pedestrian surfaces from light fixtures.
Benefits
- Reduction in nighttime fatal crashes of up to 65% for vehicles and up to 52% for pedestrians (Source: National Cooperative Highway Research Program).
- Improved visibility of intersections and crossings.
- Increased security and reduced crime.
Challenges
- Lighting should be positioned at the approach of all intersections which can result in bright spots.
- Lighting levels needed for high traffic roadways can shed light pollution on adjacent residential areas.
Project goals addressed
- Safe pedestrian accommodations.
- Welcoming streetscape.
- Public safety.