Choosing Locations for Installation of Pedestrian Crossing Signs and Safety Measures at Non-signalized Intersections (Phase II)

Reynolds, Isabelle; Machemehl, Randy · 2024 · ROSA P / University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Center for Advanced Multimodal Mobility Solutions and Education

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Summary

This study addresses the challenge of identifying optimal locations for pedestrian safety countermeasures at non-signalized, unlighted urban intersections, a context where the majority of pedestrian fatalities occur. Traditional hotspot identification methods, which rely on high crash volumes, are often ineffective for pedestrian safety due to the low frequency and scattered nature of pedestrian crashes. To overcome this limitation, the authors developed a ranking methodology to prioritize sites for the installation of high-visibility crosswalks and lighting, aiming to assess the marginal safety benefits of these components through phased implementation. The research was conducted as a case study within the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Austin District. The authors analyzed 3,026 pedestrian crashes recorded in the TxDOT Crash Records Information System (CRIS) between July 2019 and July 2024. After excluding crashes with inadequate location data, those on Interstate or US/State routes, and those within 300 feet of signalized intersections, 131 viable crash locations remained. These locations were evaluated using a seven-criteria ranking system, scoring each site 0 or 1 based on: fatality occurrence, injury severity, presence of sidewalks on both sides, absence of frontage roads or overpasses, proximity of another crash within 1,000 feet, nighttime occurrence, and lack of overhead lighting. Data regarding infrastructure features were verified using Google Maps satellite imagery and Street View. The analysis identified 15 crashes with high scores of 6 or 7. One location on N Lamar Blvd received a perfect score of 7, while 14 others scored 6, missing only one criterion each, such as existing overhead lighting or nearby sidewalks. Further screening eliminated three locations due to infeasibility: one was too close to an existing crossing, and two had speed limits of 55 mph and 60 mph, which were deemed unsafe for crosswalk installation. This process resulted in ten promising locations for crosswalk installation, including segments on N Lamar Blvd, S Lamar Blvd, S Congress Ave, and FM 812. The study also noted potential data inaccuracies in crash reporting, such as conflicting lighting codes for adjacent crashes, highlighting the need for manual verification. The significance of this work lies in providing a structured, evidence-based procedure for prioritizing pedestrian safety improvements where traditional statistical methods fail. By focusing on specific attributes like lighting and sidewalk availability, the methodology supports targeted interventions in high-risk urban areas. The selected locations will undergo phased installation of crosswalks and lighting, allowing for subsequent monitoring of driver and pedestrian behavior to evaluate the effectiveness of each safety measure. This approach offers a replicable framework for transportation agencies seeking to improve pedestrian safety in non-signalized environments.

Key finding

A seven-criteria ranking system successfully identified ten high-priority locations for pedestrian safety countermeasure installation from a dataset of 2,366 crashes in the TxDOT Austin District.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 2366

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

StageOutcomeToolModelPromptAttemptsCompleted
discover success rosap 2 2026-05-23
archive success 1 2026-05-23
extract success cached 2 2026-06-10
clean success 1 2026-06-01
chunk success 1 2026-06-01
embed success 1 2026-06-02
enrich success 1 2026-05-23
promote success 1 2026-05-23
summarize success llm qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant summ-v5 3 2026-06-10
tag success vector_similarity 19 2026-06-11
verify success 2 2026-06-10

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

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