Pedestrian Gateway Treatment
What is Pedestrian Gateway Treatment?
The GT is a pedestrian crossing configuration that
features R1-6 yield signs at both ends of the crosswalk and a flexible
delineator post or yield sign in between travel lanes.
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More about Pedestrian Gateway Treatment
IV creates a virtual world in which to model projects accurately in 3D, then render videos and images as well as immersive visualizations to create interactive simulation products. IV models are built from existing and proposed data, including agency design files (i.e., a Microstation roadway surface), while a game engine powers real-time presentation. When optimized with adjacent infrastructure to produce performance simulation, touch screen kiosks and virtual reality (VR) applications can provide a virtual helicopter tour over a proposed project, for instance.
Project NEON, Nevada's largest and most expensive public works project ever, was the catalyst for the initiative. IV helped convey complex planning and design scenarios to the public while helping project development personnel identify and resolve design and construction challenges, such as site impacts and right of way, geometric, and line-of-sight issues. IV products allowed the traveling public, homeowners, and businesses to see the potential impact of the project on their interests, while addressing their concerns and those of regulatory agencies about safety and environmental impact. As a result, IV vastly enhanced interagency coordination, regulatory review, and approval.
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Pedestrian Gateway Treatment
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) estimates national pedestrian fatalities increased 27% between 2007 and 2016. While many movements on pedestrian safety, such as Michigan’s Toward Zero Deaths, are gaining increased attention both locally and internationally, highway agencies across the United States are working diligently to develop innovative ways to reduce pedestrian fatalities. One of the major challenges in reducing pedestrian fatalities is getting drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. To increase yield rates, the Michigan Department of Transportation developed a highly effective, easily implemented, inexpensive innovation with the Gateway Treatment (GT).
The GT is a pedestrian crossing configuration that features R1-6 yield signs at both ends of the crosswalk and a flexible delineator post or yield sign in between travel lanes. Because funding for roadway projects is typically limited, other pedestrian safety solutions, such as pedestrian hybrid beacons and rectangular rapid flash beacons, are often not implemented widely. The installation cost of the GT is only about $1,200 to $1,800 for a six-sign installation. In addition to its relatively low cost, the GT is quick to install, flexible to configure, easy to maintain, and proven effective.
Two studies have been conducted to evaluate the GT’s effectiveness. The first study focused on initial effectiveness and the second studied effectiveness over time. Both studies showed the treatment was highly effective, even over a 6-month period. In addition to overall effectiveness, the second study provided insights on sign fixation and driver behavior with missing signage. Overall, results indicate a 70% to 90% compliance rate on roads with posted speeds of 30 mph or lower with average daily traffic (ADT) of up to 25,000 vehicles. The treatment also had a traffic-calming effect, leading to speed reductions of between 4 and 10 mph, even when pedestrians were not present.
The simplicity of this innovation is a key feature that allows for the solution to be highly context sensitive. In fact, the only components required to install the treatment are signs and flexible delineator posts. Because the components of the GT are relatively small and are recognizable to travelers who use all modes – they are more likely to be accepted by members of the community.
In summary, the GT is an excellent solution to increase yield rates that is cost-effective, quick to install, flexible, easily maintained and highly effective.
Resources
Webinar Video
Pedestrian Gateway Treatment Technical Memo
Gateway Treatment for Pedestrian Crossings Presentation
User Guide for R1-6 Gateway Treatment for Pedestrian Crossing
Florida DOT ArcGIS Map with Request to Experiment – Crosswalks (R1-6a 2(09)- 142(E)
Contacts
Carissa McQuiston, P.E. (Chair)Non-Motorized Safety Engineering Specialist, RSA Program Manager and Strategic Highway Safety Plan Engineer
Michigan Department of Transportation
425 W. Ottawa Street
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 335-2834
Email: McQuistonC@michigan.gov
Alan S. El-Urfali, P.E.
State Traffic Services Program Engineer
Florida Department of Transportation
605 Suwannee Street, Mail Station 36
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 410-5416
Email: Alan.El-Urfali@dot.state.fl.us
Dr. Ron Van Houten, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5439 USA
Phone: (269) 387-4471
Email: ron.vanhouten@wmich.edu
