Crossing the Street

Pedestrian Master Plan > Toolbox > Common Pedestrian Issues > Crossing the Street

Crossing a street should not be difficult, and there are tools to help improve pedestrian safety when crossing. The street crossing experience comes down to pedestrian and motorist behavior as well as intersection or crossing design. A variety of factors influence motorist behavior (whether, and how, motorists stop for pedestrians), including vehicle speed. A motorist driving more slowly has more time to see, react, and stop for a pedestrian. The number of pedestrians also influences motorists—in general, more people walking raises motorist awareness of the likelihood of a pedestrian crossing the street. Click here for more information.

• It is difficult to cross the street because of high traffic volume or speed.
• It is not clear where to cross the street.
• It is difficult to cross the street because of short signal cycles.
• Cars are parked too near the crosswalk (or in the crosswalk).
• Motorists or bicyclists do not yield to pedestrians