Title
Staff Report for an Update on Pedestrian Crossing Improvements
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In response to requests for new marked crosswalks or enhancements to existing marked crosswalks, staff is establishing a priority list for review based on recommended scoring criteria and three-tiered prioritization.
BACKGROUND
Providing safe and efficient pedestrian facilities is a well-established goal of the City of San Leandro. With this in mind, staff has worked to establish practices that aid in the evaluation of pedestrian crossing improvements as well as having strategies in place for allocating resources on a priority basis given the limited nature of available funding and staffing.
Having conducted research on other jurisdictions’ crosswalk policies and practices, staff recommended proposed draft scoring criteria and three-tiered approach for considerations at the July 5, 2017 Facilities and Transportation Committee meeting. Staff has compiled a draft priority list for review based on the recommended scoring criteria and three-tiered approach.
ANALYSIS
Staff uses the recommendations from a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report entitled, “Safety Effects of Marked Versus Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Locations” to routinely review crosswalk inquiries and make recommendations for improvement. Staff also used a Crosswalk Treatment Decision Matrix from Oregon DOT for additional evaluations of all crosswalk requests.
These preliminary screening methodologies; however, do not facilitate the prioritization of candidate sites for improvements. With limited funding and staffing level, priorities must be established to help guide the allocation of those limited resources. The draft practices to be reviewed are intended to assist in developing priorities for the allocation of resources for pedestrian crossings.
SCORING CRITERIA AND PRIORITIES:
Scoring criteria are developed to reflect the relative merit for improvements at a pedestrian crossing. The criteria includes influences from schools, vehicle traffic, vehicle speeds, pedestrian activity and other considerations which play a role in the merit for additional improvements at a crossing location.
A location which satisfies a particular criteria is not justification for alterations and no duty is implied or presumed for the city to provide a marked crosswalk or enhanced crosswalk treatment by use of this guidance. In addition to the proposed scoring criteria, staff further recommends three draft Tier Levels that are an important strategy in helping to manage how and when improvements are made for pedestrian crossings given limited resources.
DRAFT CROSSWALK PRIORITY LIST
Staff has evaluated crosswalk requests at 24 locations. Each of the 24 locations were preliminarily evaluated using the FHWA Crosswalk Evaluation Criteria and the Oregon Crosswalk Treatment Decision Matrix. A scoring sheet is also prepared based on aforementioned scoring criteria. Finally, a draft priority list is also prepared for review.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff requests the Committee’s comments on the draft list of the crosswalk requests and priority list and to confirm selection of the locations to be improved using the budgeted crosswalk improvement funding.
PREPARED BY: Reh-Lin N. Chen, Senior Transportation Engineer, Engineering and Transportation Department