SDOT’s goal is to provide an interconnected pedestrian network, including crossing opportunities, that allows pedestrians to safely and comfortably access their destinations including transit stops, places of employment, recreation facilities, schools and residences.

Location of legal crosswalks: Legal crosswalks exist at every intersection, unless otherwise signed, regardless of whether they are marked or unmarked.

• Standard construction of crosswalks: New marked crosswalks shall be ladder-style crosswalks with the accompanying signing per the MUTCD and Standard Plan No. 712. Additional marking and signing may be needed based upon the traffic conditions.  Marked crosswalks should keep as much as possible to the natural path of travel. Ideally they will align with existing sidewalks. Refer to Chapter 4.8.2 Curb Ramps.
• Materials: Marked crosswalks shall conform to Standard Specifications 8-22 and 9-29
• Site distance: No obstructions between pedestrian and driver visibility should be present within 20 feet of the legal crosswalk. These include parking, trees, and bus zones.

Variation from standard construction of crosswalks: Textured and/or colored concrete may be considered in certain crosswalk applications. The following design criteria apply:

• Area of crosswalk: At least 10 feet wide.
• ADA-accessible surface: The surfacing material must be compliant with ADA. 
• Visibility: A thermoplastic parallel line on either side of a colored or textured crossing maintains visibility. See Standard Plan 712 for Crosswalk marking standards.
• Street lighting upgrades may be necessary. 

The SDOT Traffic Operations Investigation & Implementation section considers each request for a marked crosswalk individually.  In most cases, SDOT will wait to see how people use a new facility before making a decision about a marked crosswalk.

Orientation of building entrances to crosswalks: New development (and their pedestrian access points) should be designed to be consistent with the existing roadway operations and pedestrian travel patterns. For example, entrances and access points to new facilities should orient as much as possible towards a legal crosswalk.

This is especially true of facilities where a high volume of pedestrian travel across the street is expected.  New development should take into account the location of existing legal pedestrian crossings when designing pedestrian access points.  Entrances and access points that orient pedestrians towards unsuitable crossing locations can promote mid-block or illegal pedestrian crossings. This problem is difficult to remedy after construction is complete.