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Informational Brief: Treatments for Uncontrolled Marked Crosswalks

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Federal Highway Administration
Office of Operations
December 2017

The FHWA provides this information to practitioners about acceptable methods of enhancing pedestrian safety that can be implemented at uncontrolled marked crosswalks. The FHWA continues to be committed to helping practitioners reduce the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities that occur at uncontrolled marked crosswalks each year.

There are numerous treatments that comply with the current edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD, see https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/) that can be employed either individually or in varying combinations to enhance safety at uncontrolled marked crosswalks. These treatments range from various types of crosswalk markings to enhancing the edge of a standard Pedestrian Crossing warning sign with light-emitting diodes that can be activated by pedestrians. In addition to traffic control devices, roadway treatments, such as lighting or roadway narrowing, can enhance the safety of pedestrians using the crosswalk. The most appropriate treatment, or combination of treatments, will depend on the specific conditions of each site. Conducting a Road Safety Audit (see https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsa/) is one way to identify potential treatments based on the roadway and user characteristics. Additional information to help in the selection of treatments for varying site conditions can be found in the following FHWA resources:

The following traffic control devices comply with the provisions of the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD and can be implemented for a particular crossing if their use would be appropriate based on the specific conditions at the site, such as roadway geometrics and traffic volumes and speeds:

 

This photo shows a Pedestrian (W11-2) warning sign with 8 yellow illuminated LED lights around the border of the sign, with one LED light at each of the four corners of the sign and one LED light at each of the mid-points of the four sides of the sign.
Pedestrian-activated Flashing LEDs in the Border of a Warning Sign –Section 2A.07 describes the use of flashing white or yellow LEDs in the border of a pedestrian crossing warning sign. The flashing LEDs may be pedestrian activated to increase their effectiveness in making the crossing sign more conspicuous when a pedestrian desires to cross the roadway.

 

Enhanced Conspicuity of Pedestrian Crossing Signs – Section 2A.15 describes numerous methods that may be used to improve the conspicuity of regulatory or warning signs that are associated with pedestrian crossings.

 

This graphic shows the sign images from Figure 2B-2 of the 2009 MUTCD for the Yield Here To Pedestrians (R1-5) sign and the Stop Here For Pedestrians (R1-5b) sign. Full-size image of Figure 2B-2
Yield Here to (or Stop Here for) Pedestrians signs – Section 2B.11 describes pedestrian crossing signs that may be placed upstream from a crosswalk to inform drivers on multi-lane roadways that they are legally required to stop a specified distance in advance of the crosswalk if a pedestrian is crossing the roadway.

 

Overhead Pedestrian Crossing Signs – Section 2B.12 describes pedestrian crossThis graphic shows the sign image from Figure 2B-2 of the 2009 MUTCD for the Overhead Pedestrian Crossing (R1-9) sign.ing signs that may be mounted over the roadway to make it easier for drivers to notice that a crosswalk is present, especially from a greater distance than they would for post-mounted signs, and to inform them of their legal obligation to stop if a pedestrian is waiting to cross or in the process of crossing the roadway. This photo shows an uncontrolled marked crosswalk. A Yield Here To Pedestrians (R1-5a) sign is post-mounted prior to the crosswalk on the right-hand side of the roadway. A mast arm extends in a cantilever fashion over the crosswalk from a support pole on the left-hand side of the roadway adjacent to the crosswalk. A Pedestrian (W11-2) warning sign with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7P) plaque is mounted on the mast arm support pole. Two single-section warning beacons are mounted on the mast arm for each direction of travel and only one of the yellow indications facing the camera is illuminated, which means that they are flashing in an alternating manner. Two Pedestrian (W11-2) warning signs are mounted on the mast arm, one of which is between the two warning beacons facing the opposing direction of travel and one of which is between the two warning beacons facing the camera.

 

This graphic shows the sign images from Figure 2B-2 of the 2009 MUTCD for the In-Street Pedestrian Crossing (R1-6) sign that requires motorists to yield to pedestrians within the crosswalk and the In-Street Pedestrian Crossing (R1-6a) sign that requires motorists to stop for pedestrians within the crosswalk. Full-size image of Figure 2B-2
In-street Pedestrian Crossing Signs – Section 2B.12 describes pedestrian crossing signs that may be placed in the street to notify drivers that a crosswalk is present and to inform them of their legal obligation to stop if a pedestrian is waiting to cross or in the process of crossing the roadway.

 

These two photos both show a crosswalk that is marked not only by a pair of white transverse lines that define the outside edges of the crosswalk, but also by a series of wide white longitudinal lines parallel to traffic flow between the transverse lines to make the crosswalk more visible to motorists.
High-visibility Crosswalk Markings – Section 3B.18 describes the various types of crosswalk markings that may be used, including those that include diagonal or longitudinal lines to increase the visibility of the crosswalk to approaching drivers. Additional information These two photos both show a crosswalk that is marked not only by a pair of white transverse lines that define the outside edges of the crosswalk, but also by a series of wide white longitudinal lines parallel to traffic flow between the transverse lines to make the crosswalk more visible to motorists.on crosswalk marking patterns is available in a recent study, Crosswalk Marking Field Visibility Study (Report No. FHWA‑HRT‑10‑068).

 

Shows a three-section vehicular signal face with the circular red signal indication in the top section illuminated. Shows a pedestrian signal face with the white walking person indication illuminated.
Midblock Pedestrian Signals – Sections 4C.05 and 4C.06 describe warrant criteria that can be used in a signal needs study of a marked crosswalk location to determine if the installation of a midblock pedestrian signal is justified to assist pedestrians or schoolchildren in safely crossing the major street.

 

The photo shows a mast arm extending in a cantilever fashion over the crosswalk from a support pole on the left-hand side of the roadway adjacent to the crosswalk. Mounted on the mast arm are two pedestrian hybrid beacon faces facing the camera and two pedestrian hybrid beacon faces facing the opposing direction. None of the pedestrian hybrid beacon indications in the two pedestrian hybrid beacon faces facing the camera are illuminated. Mounted on the mast arm between the two pedestrian hybrid beacon faces facing the camera is a CROSSWALK STOP ON RED (symbolic circular red) (R10-23) sign. Post-mounted on the left-hand side and on the right-hand side of the roadway adjacent to the crosswalk are Pedestrian (W11-2) warning signs with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7P) plaques. A STOP HERE ON RED (R10-6) sign is post-mounted on the right-hand side of the roadway prior to the crosswalk.
Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons – Section 4F.01 describes warrant criteria that can be used to determine if the installation of a pedestrian hybrid beacon is justified to assist pedestrians in safely crossing the major street.
Shows a three-section pedestrian hybrid beacon face mounted near the end of a mast arm with both of the two horizontally-arranged circular red indications illuminated. right shows a pedestrian signal face with the white walking person indication illuminated.

 

shows a pedestal-mounted pedestrian push button detector above which is mounted a PUSH BUTTON TO TURN ON WARNING LIGHTS (W10-25) sign. shows a Pedestrian (W11-2) warning sign with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7P) plaque with two horizontally-arranged warning beacons mounted just above the sign. The yellow indication in the left-hand warning beacon is illuminated, which means that they are flashing in an alternating manner.
Pedestrian-activated Warning Beacons – Section 4L.03 describes the use of a flashing yellow warning beacon to supplement a pedestrian crossing warning sign. The warning beacon may be pedestrian activated to increase its effectiveness in making the crossing sign more conspicuous when a pedestrian desires to cross the roadway.

 

In-roadway Warning Lights – Section 4N.02 describes pedestrian-activated yellow lights that may be installed in the roadway surface at an uncontrolled marked crosswalk location to warn drivers that a pedestrian is waiting to cross or in the process of crossing the roadway.
This graphic shows a crosswalk that has been equipped in each direction with a series of ten pavement-mounted yellow lights facing motorists and facing away from the crosswalk. A pedestrian is shown crossing the roadway in the crosswalk and the graphic portrays all 20 of the lights to be illuminated. Pedestal-mounted pedestrian push button detectors are shown on each side of the roadway at the ends of the crosswalk. This photo shows a crosswalk that has been equipped with a series of yellow lights mounted on the pavement facing motorists. The photo is dark because it was taken at night, but a set of four yellow lights facing the camera are illuminated and visible.

The following roadway features, which are not considered to be traffic control devices, can be implemented for a particular crossing if their use would be appropriate based on the specific conditions at the site, such as roadway geometrics and traffic volumes and speeds:

 

This photo shows a motor vehicle lane and a bike lane just to the left of a parked motor vehicle. The curb and sidewalk area on the right-hand side of the roadway extends out in front of the parked vehicle to the edge of the bike lane. A marked crosswalk is shown across the roadway at the point where the curb and sidewalk area on the right-hand side is extended. A Pedestrian (W11-2) warning sign with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7P) plaque is post-mounted on the right-hand side of the roadway adjacent to the crosswalk.
Curb Extensions (bulb-outs, neckdowns) – This feature, which is particularly beneficial in urban settings where on-street parking (either parallel or diagonal) is present, shortens the crossing distance and allows the pedestrian waiting to cross to be more visible to the approaching driver. Where physical construction is not immediately feasible, neckdown of the street width at the crosswalk can be accomplished on an interim basis using markings and flexible delineator posts to achieve a traffic calming effect similar to that of a curb extension.

 

Pedestrian Refuge Islands (median islands) – This feature, which is particularly beneficial on wide multi-lane roadways, allows pedestrians to cross a two-way street in two stages by finding a gap in one direction, and then stopping on a median island of sufficient width to wait while searching for a gap in the other direction of traffic.

 

This photo shows a two-lane one-way street upon which motor vehicles are traveling away from the camera. A marked crosswalk is shown across the roadway on a raised portion of roadway, also known as an extended speed hump or a speed table. The standard speed hump advance markings shown in Figure 3B-31 of the 2009 MUTCD are present in both lanes.
Raised Crosswalks – This feature improves pedestrian safety by forcing drivers to slow down when traversing the crosswalk location.

 

This photo shows an uncontrolled marked crosswalk. A Yield Here To Pedestrians (R1-5a) sign is post-mounted prior to the crosswalk on the right-hand side of the roadway. A mast arm extends in a cantilever fashion over the crosswalk from a support pole on the right-hand side of the roadway adjacent to the crosswalk. A Pedestrian (W11-2) warning sign with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7P) plaque is mounted on the mast arm support pole. A Pedestrian (W11-2) warning sign with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7P) plaque is mounted on a street light support pole on the left-hand side of the roadway. Two single-section warning beacons are mounted on the mast arm for each direction of travel and neither of the yellow indications facing the camera are illuminated. Two Pedestrian (W11-2) warning signs are mounted on the mast arm, one of which is between the two warning beacons facing the opposing direction of travel and one of which is between the two warning beacons facing the camera. A street light (luminaire) is shown on the left-hand side of the roadway and it is providing ambient light in the crosswalk location.
Crosswalk Lighting – This feature improves pedestrian safety by allowing the pedestrian waiting to cross or in the process of crossing to be more visible to the approaching driver during nighttime conditions.