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close windowCase Study No. 28
Multiple Cities, NY�
Prepared by James M. Ercolano, Pedestrian Specialist, New York State Department of Transportation.
Pedestrians were not safe or comfortable crossing in crosswalks at unsignalized intersections and mid-block locations due to traffic congestion.
The real and perceived inability of pedestrians to safely and comfortably cross unsignalized intersections and mid-block crossings on Main Streets and in Central Business Districts (CBD’s) throughout New York State was, and continues to be, a growing problem due to vehicular traffic congestion. While signalized pedestrian crossings and separate rights-of-way were more appropriate in major cities and metropolitan areas, many retail- and tourism-oriented main streets in suburban and rural centers were seeking low cost, flexible, and seasonal pedestrian-oriented traffic control measures that would enhance their sidewalk-based economy and restore “curb appeal” for residents and tourists alike.
Since no statewide standards or specifications for such devices’ use on state and local roadways existed before 1997, many municipalities custom-designed or purchased their own stand-alone devicesand/or signs to place near crosswalks within the centerline of the road. Many of these “non-conforming/non-standardized channelization devices” were either manufactured from materials that could become a hazardous or potentially deadly projectile if hit by a motorist. Often the signs contained language that was inconsistent with New York State vehicle and traffic laws.
A SPCCD was placed at a ladder crosswalk on Fall Street in Downtown Seneca Falls, New York.
Based on a device tested by the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) developed specifications for Supplementary Pedestrian Crossing Channelization Devices (SPCCD’s) in 1996. An SPCCD is a pedestrian safety cone placed in the centerline of the road, immediately in advance of, or immediately beyond, a marked crosswalk. It is used to communicate pedestrian right-of-way laws. Initially, SPCCD’s were deployed in Upstate New York and on Long Island to assist FHWA-sponsored testing of the effectiveness of pedestrian safety cones by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. When this device and a miniature version of the STATE LAW sign explaining the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law regarding pedestrian right-of-way at marked crosswalks were approved for use in 1997, a two-year SPCCD permit was required to install the devices on state-owned roads.
NYSDOT was initially concerned the devices might become a projectile if struck by a motorist, but testing did not find this to be a problem. The agency also found the presence of the devices made motorists aware of their responsibilities when encountering pedestrians crossing a roadway. Therefore, SPCCD permits issued for installation and renewals after June 1999 have been extended for a five-year duration, and the devices have been authorized for inclusion in the New York State Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Vehicles yield to a pedestrian near an SPCCD on New York Avenue in Downtown Huntington, New York.
One of the most remarkable features of NYSDOT’s SPCCD design and material specifications (especially the “soft-shell” traffic cone standards) is the resilience of these devices and their ability to take occasional hits by motorists. Most SPCCD hits require only replacement of the cones, and the soft-shell sign panels are often reused. Since their initial testing five years ago, no incidents of the devices causing harm or injury to either pedestrians or motorists have been reported on two-lane, slow-speed roadways with less than a posted 40 km/h (30 mi/h) speed limit. Vehicle hits that do occur only reinforce the public health and traffic safety justification for their appropriate and specified use.
While a formal study of SPCCD effectiveness was not conducted exclusively for New York State, positive public response continues to warrant support for “Main Street,” school zone, temporary seasonal, and work zone crossing applications. At a cost of $200 to $300 per device, SPCCD’s are a cost-effective, portable countermeasure.
The satisfactory performance of the devices were further supported by an FHWA report, “The Effects of Innovative Pedestrian Signs at Unsignalized Locations: A Tale of Three Treatments,” FHWA-RD-00-098, August 2000. The study collected data on motorist and pedestrian behavior at seven crosswalks in New York State and Portland before and after SPCCDs were installed. Overall, more than 2000 pedestrians crossed during both the before and the after periods. The proportion of pedestrians who ran, aborted, or hesitated in the crosswalk decreased from 35.4 percent before to 33.3 percent after the cones were installed. A statistically significant increase in motorists yielding to pedestrians was also observed. Only 69.8 percent of motorists yielded in the before period, but 81.2 percent yielded after the SPCCD’s were added.
James M. Ercolano, Pedestrian Specialist
New York State Department of Transportation
1220 Washington Avenue 4-134
Albany, NY 12232-0414
Phone: (518) 485-8291
Fax: (518) 457-8358
E-mail: jercolano@gw.dot.state.ny.us
Huang, H., C. Zegeer, R. Nassi, and B. Fairfax. “The Effects of Innovative Pedestrian Signs at Unsignalized Locations: A Tale of Three Treatments,” Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-00-098, August 2000.