High-volume pedestrian crosswalk time requirements

Existing methods to determine pedestrian crossing times at signalized intersections are described. These approaches have significant shortcomings under high-volume conditions. They can indicate that adequate crossing time is present when a high volume of pedestrians would not be able to clear the intersection in the time provided. Altemative shock wave approaches are developed to provide a more appropriate means of estimating flow characteristics when pedestrian volumes are high. The results can be used to determine crosswalk capacity, to assist in developing signal timing plans, and to determine desirable crosswalk widths and lengths.