Pedestrian Crash Risk on Boundary Roadways

Prominent pedestrian trip attractors, such as college campuses and major urban parks, are often surrounded by roadways with high volumes of motor vehicle traffic. Although many pedestrians cross busy boundary roadways, relatively little is known about the pedestrian crash risk along these types of facilities. This study quantifies pedestrian crash risk at roadway intersections on the boundary of the University of California, Berkeley, campus during typical spring and fall semester weekdays. Manual pedestrian counts were extrapolated with data from three automated counter locations to represent pedestrian exposure. Pedestrian crash risk was highest at intersections along the boundary roadways with the lowest pedestrian volumes. In addition, pedestrian risk in the evening (6:00 p.m. to midnight) was estimated to be more than three times higher than in the daytime (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). The crash risk estimation approach presented can be used to study pedestrian safety on the boundary of campuses and other major attractors so that agencies can identify and prioritize engineering, education, and enforcement treatments to reduce pedestrian injuries.

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