Pedestrian Safety Hour
Laura Sandt from the University of North Carolina’s Highway Research Center presented information on Road Safety Audits.
Road Safety Audits presentation
Road Safety Audits help identify bus stop improvements for safety, access and amenities. They are usually performed by an independent group.
On one of the slides showed a parking meter at the same location as a bus stop. A participant commented that one jurisdiction usually locates bus stops at parking spaces, which makes wheelchair access difficult.
Laura also reviewed continuity and connectivity. For example, snow is often piled along the sidewalk and there is no good answer of how to get around this. Some places may clear the sidewalk but not the curb, so persons in wheelchairs cannot cross the street.
Comment: DC should look at plowing towards the median like in the Midwest. Because the drainage is also constructed in the middle of the street, the snow melts and runs down the drain.
Laura showed a slide of a pedestrian trying to cross at the middle of a street and in front of a bus, noting that pedestrian behavior and conflicts assessed during the audit.
Participants discussed whether it is better to have the bus stop at an intersection or mid block.
Laura also discussed universal considerations which include stops that are close to schools, senior citizen centers.
Regional Bus Stop Task Force Presentation
Tony Byrd talked of the Regional Bus Stop Task Force, which she Chairs. The group meets bimonthly to ensure the safety of pedestrians. One of the group’s accomplishments was to complete add low-cost/no-cost improvements, such as adding bus route information on bus shelters. The Task Force has also installed fiberglass, vandalism- resistant maps at stations so that they can withstand the weather.
