The goal of such a policy was to have a consistent approach applied
throughout the City of River Falls with regards to crosswalks. The
committee did extensive research on the issue in order to propose what
they felt was a responsible policy regarding crosswalks. A research of
information on "marked crosswalks" found no compelling study providing
the effectiveness of crosswalks, and some evidence that "marked
crosswalks" could have a negative influence on pedestrian safety.
One issue of particular interest to the committee was multiple
studies done elsewhere that showed pedestrians to be significantly more
likely to be involved in an accident at a marked crosswalk than at an
unmarked crosswalk. These studies showed that nearly six pedestrian
accidents were occurring in marked crosswalks for every one mishap in
unmarked crosswalks. When this ratio was adjusted in terms of relative
crosswalk usage, there was still a significant 2 to 1 difference in
accidents.
Marked crosswalks are widely classified as "safety devices," and
Wisconsin law gives the pedestrian the right-of-way when within them.
Interestingly, however, there is strong evidence that these very facts
prompt many pedestrians to feel overly secure when using a marked
crosswalk. Some pedestrians aggressively place themselves in a hazardous
position with respect to vehicles in the mistaken belief that the
motorist can and will stop in all cases, even when it may be impossible
to do so.
By contrast, a pedestrian using an unmarked crosswalk generally feels
less secure, less certain that the motorist will stop, and exercises
more caution in waiting for safe gaps in traffic before crossing. The
end result is fewer accidents at unmarked crosswalks.
One of the commonly accepted functions of the marked crosswalk is
that it serves as a warning device to the motorists. And yet, studies
show that the motorist's view of a crosswalk is greatly reduced when the
driver is at the safe stopping sight distance -- where he should be able
to perceive and react to a pedestrian in a crosswalk -- due to the
effects of foreshortening and distance diminishment. The driver’s view
of the crosswalk is further affected by road alignment, irregularities
in the pavement, and other variables like weather, dirty windshield,
glare and adverse lighting conditions. Meanwhile, the pedestrian's view
of the same crosswalk is quite impressive and the pedestrian is prone to
assume that, since they can see the crosswalk so well, certainly the
motorist can see it just as effectively. This resulting overconfidence
is seen as another factor in the disproportionate share of accidents in
marked crosswalks.
Realizing that marked crosswalks are a useful traffic engineering
device for channelizing pedestrians and helping pedestrians find their
way across complex and confusing intersections, the committee developed
a policy for use in River Falls. This policy established criteria which
should be met to warrant installation of a marked crosswalk. The
criteria include: pedestrian volume, approach speed, distance to nearest
marked crosswalk, visibility, illumination, and average gaps in traffic.
The policy also dictates consistent standards for marked crosswalks if
they are warranted and cover issues such as, painting, signage, and
parking restrictions to create better visibility.
The issue of where and how the City should implement marked
crosswalks is a difficult issue with diverse views. Perceived safety,
actual safety, parking, cost, pedestrian awareness and driver awareness
introduce unique and sometimes contradictory factors to this issue.
