Designing better intersections By James Robert Watson, PhD The story New Yorkers (and, I suspect, others in large cities) rarely wait for a 'Walk' light - they cross when it is safe to do so. They step into the street checking for traffic. There is this area in the street that is not used by vehicles driving or parking that people penetrate into. I explored how this space could be built to provide a safer area for pedestrians to wait before crossing the street. That evolved into using these larger peninsulas for signposts, bollards on the corners for protection, and enhanced bus wait lines. Four improvements are addressed below: pedestrian peninsulas, crosswalk stripes, corner signposts, and bus queue lines. Advantages of the improved intersections 1. Safer movement of vehicles and pedestrians. 2. More aesthetic. 3. Better placement of service modules - trash, info, signs. 4. More efficient and complete communication of information. Examples of pedestrians cheating into the intersection. Pedestrian peninsulas Normal intersection with one-way streets, bus lane, parked cars, and pedestrian crosswalks. Traffic pattern shows the light-colored space that is free of vehicles. Proposal with pedestrian peninsulas that help control traffic and people. Version with parking along one side of the primary street. Examples of street space not used by vehicles that could benefit from pedestrian peninsulas. Example of present squared corner with bollards defining the sidewalk. Diagrams showing the peninsula concept, here called a 'neckdown' and a 'bus bulb', as devices used by highway engineers for traffic calming. Examples of of curb neckdowns Bus queue lines Close-up of one corner showing placement of signposts and bus queue rails. The dark line in the bus line represents a metal railing to protect the waiting passengers. The white parallel line is engraved in the sidewalk. It provides guidance on how to form the line without narrowing the sidewalk when there is no line waiting. Similar to these queue lines at Chase bank: Samples of bus platforms along Broadway in NYC. Corner signposts Sketch of a new signpost with, from top to bottom, light identity globe, street names, map and info of area sights, trash can with ads on 4 sides. Sample of existing info signpost on Broadway by Trinity Church. Improved crosswalk stripes Striping the crosswalks parallel to pedestrian path keeps the users aligned, making it easier to get bearings in the crowd, to know direction, and to pass oncoming pedestrian traffic. Perpendicular to vehicle traffic makes them more obvious, as a barrier to cross - conveying caution, be alert. Three lines - two outer boundary lines and a center stripe - suggest a two-way lane, as we are accustomed to in bike lanes and roads. Stripes parallel to traffic flow make a more cumbersome walkway and are not oriented to help pedestrians. Sketches Dates Inspiration: May/June 2007 Sketches: June 2007 Update In September, 2007, New York City announced plans to install 'pedestrian refuges' along Ninth Avenue. These raised islands would make it easier to travel across intersections by shortening the distance required to cross the street. Home • Email Jim Watson • Filename to share: http://www.jamesrobertwatson.com/intersections.html