Crosswalk width

Wael alhajyaseen's picture

Quality of Pedestrian Flow and Crosswalk Width at Signalized Intersections

Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
Journal of International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences, IATSS Research, Elsevier, Vol.34, Issue 1, pp. 35-41
Year of Publication: 
2010
Authors: 
Wael Alhajyaseen
Department of Civil Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
Current Affiliation: 
Department of Civil Engineering, An-Najah National University, Nablus P.O. Box 7, Palestine
Hideki Nakamura
Department of Civil Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
Preferred Abstract (Original): 
Among various pedestrian facilities, signalized crosswalks are the most complex and critical ones. Their geometry and configuration including width, position and angle directly affect the safety, cycle length and resulting delays for all users. Existing manuals do not provide clear and rational specifications for the required crosswalk width under different pedestrian demand combinations and properties. Furthermore, they do not consider the bi-directional flow effects on crossing speed and time when addressing pedestrian flow at signalized crosswalks. However, quantifying the effects of such interactions on the behavior of pedestrian flow is a prerequisite for improving the geometric design and configuration of signalized crosswalks. The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology for estimating the required crosswalk width at different pedestrian demand combinations and a pre-defined LOS. The developed methodology is based on theoretical modeling for total pedestrian platoon crossing time, which consists of discharge and crossing times. The developed models are utilized to generate the fundamental diagrams of pedestrian flow at signalized crosswalks. A comprehensive discussion about the effects of bi-directional flow and various pedestrian age groups on the characteristics of pedestrian flow and the capacity of signalized crosswalks is presented. It is found that the maximum reduction in the capacity of signalized crosswalks occurs at roughly equal pedestrian flows from both sides of the crosswalk. By utilizing existing LOS thresholds for pedestrian flow at signalized crosswalks, the required crosswalk widths for various pedestrian demand combinations are proposed for implementation.
Wael alhajyaseen's picture

Estimating the Minimum Required Width of Signalized Crosswalks Considering Bi-directional Pedestrian Flow and Different Age Groups

Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
Asian Transport Studies ATS, Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS)
Year of Publication: 
2010
Authors: 
Wael Alhajyaseen
Department of Civil Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
Current Affiliation: 
Department of Civil Engineering, An-Najah National University, Nablus P.O. Box 7, Palestine
Hideki Nakamura
Department of Civil Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
Preferred Abstract (Original): 
Existing manuals do not provide clear specifications for the required crosswalk width under different pedestrian demand volumes and characteristics. However, optimizing crosswalk configurations including width is an important concern to improve the overall performance of signalized intersections. The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology for estimating minimum required crosswalk width at different pedestrian demand volumes considering bi-directional flow and different pedestrian age groups. The developed methodology is based on modeling total pedestrian platoon crossing time which consists of discharge and crossing times. Discharge time is modeled by using shockwave theory while crossing time is modeled by applying aerodynamic drag theory. The developed models are then calibrated for crosswalks with mainly elderly or pupil pedestrian platoons. A set of criteria based on pedestrian crossing speed is developed to identify the minimum required crosswalk width. Finally, different required crosswalk widths are proposed for different pedestrian demand volumes and directional split ratios considering the effects of pupil and elderly pedestrian platoons.
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