The distance from sidewalk edge to sidewalk edge at pedestrian crossings (like crosswalks) is known as crossing distance. Researchers know it affects pedestrian safety and behavior, but crossing distance has seldom been quantified at a broader city-wide scale. In “Multiscale Analysis of Pedestrian Crossing Distance” (Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 92, No. 2), Marcel E. Moran and Debra F. Laefer identified granular patterns of where people could cross the street across three cities.
They mapped out 49,000 pedestrian crossings in Paris, France; San Francisco; and Irvine, California. By matching the crossings with recent pedestrian-vehicle collision data, the study showed that longer crossing distances correlated with a higher likelihood of collisions.
Looking across three cities allowed the authors to identify street characteristics and patterns of dangerous pedestrian crossings. In each city, crossings where recent collisions occurred were longer, on average, than crossings overall. This ranged from a 15% increase in Paris to a 23% increase in San Francisco, CA and 43% in Irvine, CA. Specifically, for every 1-foot increase in crossing distance, the probability that a collision occurred increased by 0.8% in Paris, 2.11% in San Francisco, and 1.8% in Irvine.
Beyond this correlation, the authors note unique, city-specific patterns in crossing distance. While Paris had very few crossings 70 feet or more, San Francisco had multiple corridors with strings of long crossings. Irvine had crossings of 70 feet or more scattered throughout.
Age- and dementia friendly community initiatives can include strategies to improve pedestrian safety for people of all ages. The resources below from our partners at WalkMassachusetts, AARP and the Executive Office of AGing & Independence outline some tools and examples communities can utilize.