<p> Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users. The risks to pedestrians crossing at uncontrolled locations are much higher than at signalized intersections. There has been an increasing trend in pedestrian deaths during the past decade. Specifically, pedestrian fatality as the percent of total fatalities indicates an increasing trend in a ten-year period from 2005 to 2014. Several research projects funded by both federal and state transportation agencies have attempted to identify effective strategies for improving pedestrian safety within their jurisdictions. However, very little research was conducted on pedestrian safety at uncontrolled locations in Illinois. The objectives of this study were to identify the best practices of approving pedestrian crossings and pedestrian treatments at uncontrolled locations and to develop guidelines to be used by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and local agencies. To achieve the research goal, comprehensive literature review of related studies and existing guidelines, analysis of Illinois pedestrian-crash data from 2010 to 2014, and a field review of selected high-crash corridors (HCC) in Illinois were conducted. The field review identified several common issues associated with the high-pedestrian-crash-prone roads, e.g., speeding, poor lighting, noncompliance with posted signage, inadequate or missing signage, lack of conspicuity. Several geometric features were also proven to be related to pedestrian crashes; for instance, long crossing distances, insufficient sight distance, inappropriate placement of bus stops and parking were also proved to affect pedestrian safety. Based on the research findings, best practices for implementing various pedestrian treatments were identified and recommendations were made for the pedestrian treatments at uncontrolled locations, with a comprehensive discussion of uncontrolled pedestrian crossing warrants, five categories of pedestrian treatments, selection of appropriate at grade and separate grade treatments, and other safety considerations. The target audiences for the final guide book are transportation professionals, highway designers, traffic engineers, law enforcement officers, and safety specialists who may be involved in efforts to reduce pedestrian crashes at uncontrolled locations. </p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10616692 |
| Date | 03 November 2017 |
| Creators | Rab, Md Abdur |
| Publisher | Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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