One of the best ways to reduce traffic and create healthier communities is by ensuring that our streets are safer for pedestrians so that they feel comfortable walking as opposed to getting into their car. In some places, pedestrians might not even feel safe walking to a bus stop in order to take public transport to their final destination.
But how can streets be made safer for pedestrians?
Lower Speed Limits
Lowering the speed limit will help make pedestrians safer as doing so provides drivers with more time to see and react to them. In addition, any injuries suffered in an unavoidable accident are lessened when the vehicle is traveling at a slower speed.
Create or Expand Sidewalks
Of course, pedestrians are not going to feel safe if there are no sidewalks along the road that they are walking, so they should be created in places where they do not exist. As for ones that are already there, expanding them will help create more space between walkers and vehicles and result in a safer environment.
Reduce Car Lanes in Number and Size
Another way to increase the amount of space between traffic and pedestrians is to reduce the number of car lanes. This is commonly done through reducing four lanes of traffic along a road to three, one in each direction and a middle lane for passing or turning.
Also note that many car lanes are around 12 feet wide, a width that is not necessary, especially if a reduction in their size is combined with the lowering of the speed limit. Reducing that width to 10 feet or, in some circumstances, 9 will keep both drivers and pedestrians safe.
Add Crosswalks and Make Them Shorter
If there is a tremendous amount of distance between crosswalks, more should be added, mainly to reduce the distance in which a pedestrian must walk out of their way before being able to cross a street.
That said, crosswalks should also be as short as possible in order to limit time spent in traffic. When feasible, place them where a road has fewer lanes. Also, if the crosswalk is especially lengthy, consider adding a median or island in the middle.
In most states, including Colorado, drivers are required by law to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Crosswalks can be made be more noticeable to drivers to assure they have time to stop. This can be done in a number of ways, including through improved lighting in the area, the use of high-visibility patterns on the ground and signs that are placed about 30-40 feet in advance of the crosswalk for drivers to see.
Add Greenery
Adding greenery between traffic and pedestrians incorporates the benefits of creating a buffer with beautifying the area. Practically, this not only helps keep cars from crossing over onto the sidewalk, but it also reduces the chances of walkers accidentally entering the street.
A benefit of incorporating trees into this process is the providing of shade for walkers, which will keep them safer by reducing their chances of heatstroke and similar conditions.
Ban Turns on Red Lights
An additional option is the banning of right turns at red lights. This is because many drivers in these situations are so focused on looking left to ensure that no traffic is coming that they neglect to also glance to the right for any pedestrians before turning.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways that we can make our roads safer for pedestrians as well as for drivers, and the adoption of some of these ideas will help cities do just that, resulting in happier, less stressed communities and lower medical and related costs.