Portland State University

The objective of this project, NCHRP 17-87 funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and led by Kittelson & Associates with PSU as a partner, is to help jurisdictions identify techniques for efficient and accurate estimation of pedestrian volume and exposure. The research determined field-observed factors affecting pedestrian flow at the facility levels and integrated those factors into the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) pedestrian level-of-service (LOS) methodology. In addition to developing new and updated HCM-compatible methodologies to evaluate the quality of networks of pedestrian facilities, the research team also created several practical tools: a new NCHRP 992 Guide to Pedestrian Analysis, documenting the state-of-the-practice for pedestrian volume counting, pedestrian safety analysis, and pedestrian operations analysis; two spreadsheet-based computational engines for implementing the new and updated analysis methods; several presentations which were shared in a peer exchange workshop; and an implementation plan for putting the research into practice.

Learn more about Enhancing Pedestrian Volume Estimation and Developing HCM Pedestrian Methodologies for Safe and Sustainable Communities.

This Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) project set out to identify best practices and countermeasures to mitigate serious crashes involving older pedestrians. The research, and a workshop of key stakeholders and experts, resulted in recommendations for three systemic treatments. The first is Improving Pedestrian Visibility and Illumination. Lighting is a significant factor in older pedestrian fatal and serious injury crashes. Crash data analysis showed that 20% of the crashes occurred in the dark with no street lighting, and an additional 8% and 5% of the crashes occurred during dawn and dusk, respectively, where the ambient lighting is low. The second recommendation is Treatments for Left Turns. Vehicles turning left accounted for 19% of the older pedestrian fatal and serious injury crashes. Eliminating the use of permissive left turns and increasing the use of protected left turns can improve older pedestrian safety, as drivers often focus on the oncoming traffic looking for gaps and thereby miss the crossing pedestrians during permissive left turns. Finally, the team recommended Shortened Crossing Distances. Shortening the crossing distance for pedestrians will decrease the amount of time they are exposed to auto traffic, thus increasing their safety. These strategies will be included in Oregon's next State Strategic Highway Safety Plan update.

Learn more about Addressing Oregon’s Rise in Deaths and Serious Injuries for Senior Drivers and Pedestrians.

This research aimed to develop an understanding of the safety and operational implications of using the flashing yellow arrow (FYA) in permitted and protected/permitted right turn (PPRT) operations to maximize safety and efficiency. This report includes a review of more than 50 scientific and technical articles on the selection of right turn phasing alternatives and a review of Oregon crash data at intersections with exclusive right-turning lanes from 2011-2013. The study had three phases: 1) a web-based survey, 2) a microsimulation model, and 3) and a driving simulator study. The survey measured Oregon driver’s comprehension of right-turn signal display. Analysis revealed a general misunderstanding of the required driver response for the steady red arrow signal indication, but comprehension of the FYA for right turns was high.better understand the value of this type of data.

Learn more about Improved Safety and Efficiency of Protected / Permitted Right Turns in Oregon.

The research team conducted a field experiment where black and white male and female pedestrians wore identical clothing and repeatedly crossed the same intersection in Portland, Oregon, with coders in the field marking drivers’ behaviors. The initial study found that black male pedestrians were passed by twice as many cars and waited nearly a third longer to cross than white male pedestrians. The second phase of the research examines how additional factors, such as gender, affect drivers’ stopping behaviors at crosswalks. Based on these results, researchers came up with a set of recommendations for crosswalk design and enforcement to increase drivers’ compliance with crosswalk laws in order to ensure equitable access to a safe pedestrian experience for all.

Learn more about Walking While Black: Racial Bias At the Crosswalk.