{"id":208621663,"date":"2011-08-12T14:27:43","date_gmt":"2011-08-12T14:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=208621663"},"modified":"2011-08-12T14:27:43","modified_gmt":"2011-08-12T14:27:43","slug":"medians-and-refuge-islands-walkways-and-shoulders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=208621663","title":{"rendered":"Medians and Refuge Islands & Walkways and Shoulders"},"content":{"rendered":"

FHWA Safety Program on Medians and Refuge Islands:
\nAdding medians and refuge islands can increase both pedestrian and motor vehicle safety, helping to solve multiple challenges faced by DOTs. They do this by allowing pedestrians to cross one direction of traffic at a time\u2014often allowing them to focus on just two to three lanes rather than having to anticipate traffic for the entire width of the road. They also provide a space to install improved lighting at pedestrian crossing locations. Improved lighting has been shown to reduce nighttime pedestrian fatalities at crossings by 78 percent
\nRaised medians provide additional benefits above and beyond reducing pedestrian crashes, including the following:
\nReducing motor vehicle crashes by 15 percent
\nDecreasing delays (>30%) for motorists
\nIncreasing capacity (>30%) of roadways
\nReducing vehicle speeds on the roadway
\nProviding space for landscaping within the right-of-way
\n[Note: The improved pedestrian safety is attributed to lighting and not the median. So we are basically spending money for pedestrian "improvements" that are proven to benefit motorists and they might or might not help with pedestrian safety. After all, if we design our roads like a easy level of "Froger" it should be better for pedestrians to play Froger with their lives, right?]
\n***************************************************************************************************************
\nFHWA Safety Program on Walkways and Shoulders
\nWalkways and shoulders create safer pedestrian environments. Pedestrians killed while "walking along the roadway" account for almost 8 percent of all pedestrians killed in traffic crashes. Many of these tragedies are preventable. Providing walkways separated from the travel lanes could help to prevent up to 88 percent of these "walking along roadway" crashes. Widening paved shoulders also provides numerous safety benefits for motorists as well as benefits for pedestrians including:
\nReducing numerous crash types
\n– Head on crashes (15%-75% reported reduction)
\n– Sideswipe crashes (15%-41%)
\n– Fixed object crashes (29%-49%)
\n– Pedestrian "walking along roadway" crashes (71%)
\nImproving roadway drainage
\nIncreasing effective turning radii at intersections
\nReducing shoulder maintenance requirements
\nProviding emergency stopping space for broken down vehicles
\nProviding space for maintenance operations and snow storage
\nProviding an increased level of comfort for bicyclists
\n[Note: Again I’ll point out that this bike\/ped improvements it is motorists that benefit the most, so why all the resistance?]
\n
\n.
\nhttps:\/\/safety.fhwa.dot.gov\/ped_bike\/tools_solve\/fhwasa11017\/<\/a>oldId.20110812142743966<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FHWA Safety Program on Medians and Refuge Islands: Adding medians and refuge islands can increase both pedestrian and motor vehicle safety, helping to solve multiple challenges faced by DOTs. They do this by allowing pedestrians to cross one direction of traffic at a time\u2014often allowing them to focus on just two to three lanes rather … <\/p>\n

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