usdot - pedestrian and walkway design guidelines
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Sponsored by:
Washington State Department of TransportationPuget Sound Regional Council
Association of Washington Cities
County Road Administration Board
PPPPPEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANFFFFFAAAAACILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESGGGGGUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOK
IIIIIncorporating Pncorporating Pncorporating Pncorporating Pncorporating Pedestrians Intoedestrians Intoedestrians Intoedestrians Intoedestrians Into
WWWWWashingtonashingtonashingtonashingtonashingtons Transportation Systems Transportation Systems Transportation Systems Transportation Systems Transportation System
PPPPPEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANFFFFFAAAAACILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESGGGGGUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOK
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PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES
GUIDEBOOK
Incorporating Pedestrians Into
Washingtons Transportation System
Sponsored byWashington State Department of Transportation
Puget Sound Regional CouncilCounty Road Administration BoardAssociation of Washington Cities
Prepared by
September 1997
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why a P edest r ia n F a cilit ies G uidebook? 1
Who Will U se This G uidebook? 2
Wha t is t he Focus? 2
References a nd Other Resources 3
Acknow ledgment s 3
How to Use This Guidebook
H ow S hould t he Informa t ion in This G uidebook B e U sed? 5
Rela t ionship to Ot her G uidelines a nd S t a nda rds 5
P ermission to Reproduce a nd C opy 6
Wh er e C a n You Fin d t h e I nfor ma t ion You Need in Th is G uid ebook? 6
About Pedestrians
P edest r ia ns D efined 9
P edest r ia n S a fety 9
P edest r ia n Needs 11
Levels of U se a nd Tra vel C ha ra ct erist ics 16
Design Toolkit
Toolkit 1 General Design Guidelines
P edest r ia n Fa cilit ies D efined 24
The Import a nce of G ood D esign for P edest r ia ns 24
Th e B i gg er P ict ur e C r ea t in g P ed es tr ia n F rien dly C om mu nit ies 26
C rea t ing a C ont inuous P edest r ia n S yst em 28
C rea t ing a n E ffect ive P edest ria n S yst em 28
P edest r ia n F riendly S t reet s 30
Ot her S ources of Informa t ion 31
Toolkit 2 Accessibility
U nderst a nding t he AD A 33
D esigning for P eople w ith D isa bilit ies 34
Table of
Contents
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKii
Table of Contents
D esigning for Older Adult s 34
Accessible Routes of Tra vel 35
E limina t ing B a rr iers a nd Obst a cles 35
Widt hs a nd C lea ra nces 37
P a ssing a nd Rest ing Area s 37G ra des 38
C ross S lopes 38
S idew a lk C urb Ra mps 39
Ra mps 39
H a ndra ils 43
Accessibilit y Across D rivew a ys 43
S urfa cing 45
Textura l a nd Visua l C ures 45
S ite C onnect ions 46
S igning a nd Other C ommunica t ion Aids 46
Light ing 46Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 47
Toolkit 3 Children and School Zones
S pecia l C onsidera t ions Rela t ed to C hildren 50
Improving S tudent P edest ria n S a fet y A C oopera t ive P rocess 50
S chool Rela t ed P edest ria n Improvements 51
The S chool a s a C ommunity Foca l P oint 52
P edest r ia n F riendly S chools a nd S chool Zones 53
Tra ffic C ont rol a nd C rossings Nea r S chools 57
S chool Wa lk Rout es a nd S a fety P rogra ms 64
Ongoing Ma intena nce 64
Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 65
Toolkit 4 Trails and PathwaysTra ils a nd P a t hw a ys Across Mult iple J urisdict ions 67
Regiona l C onnect ivit y 68
Accessibilit y of Tra ils a nd P a thw a ys 68
Mult i-U se Tra ils a nd P a thw a ys 70
Recommended D imensions 74
P a ving a nd S ur fa cing 76
G ra des, C ross S lopes, a nd D ra ina ge 77
S houlders, S ide S lopes, a nd Ra ilings 77
C onnect ions a nd C rossings 78
Ma na ging Mot or Veh icle Access 78
Veget a t ion a nd La ndsca ping 79
S ea sona l a nd Night t ime U se 80
Ma intena nce 80
Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 81
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK ii
Table of Contents
Toolkit 5 Sidewalks and Walkways
D et er m in in g Wh en a n d Wh er e S id ew a l ks a n d Wa l kw a y s a r e N eed ed 84
S idew a lks a nd Wa lkw a ys in Va r ious S et t ings 85
D escr ipt ions a nd C ompa risons of S idew a lks a nd Wa lkw a ys 86
Loca t ion B ot h S ides Versus One S ide 87Accessibilit y 87
Recommended D imensions 89
P a ssing, Wa it ing, a nd Rest ing Area s 89
G ra des, C ross S lope, a nd D ra ina ge 90
S ide S lopes, Ra ilings, a nd Wa lls 90
S urfa cing 91
S t reet S epa ra t ion a nd E dge Trea t ment 92
S t reet Furnishings, U t ilit ies, a nd Rela t ed C lea ra nces 97
La ndsca ping a nd S t reet Trees 99
Light ing 100
S igning 100S idew a lks in B usiness D ist rict s a nd D ow ntow ns 100
S houlders a s Wa lkw a ys in Rura l Area s 102
B icycles on S idew a lks 104
S t reet D esign C onsidera t ions 105
Ma int ena nce 109
Ot her S ources of Informa t ion 110
Toolkit 6 IntersectionsE ffect s of P edest r ia n Improvement s on Vehicle C a pa cit y 114
C om m on D es ig n P r a ct ices for P ed es t ri a n C r os sin gs a t I nt er sect ion s 114
Minimizing the C rossing D ist a nces a t In t ersect ions 123
Minimizing P edest r ia n/Mot or Vehicle C onflict s 129
Ot her S ources of Informa t ion 139
Toolkit 7 Crossings
D et ermining the Need for Mid-B lock C rossings 142
Mid-B lock C rossing D esign 143
Ra ilroa d C rossings 151
G ra de S epa ra t ed C rossings 152
Mult i-U se Tra il In tersect ions a nd C rossings 156
B oa rdw a lks a nd Trest les 157
Ot her S ources of Informa t ion 158
Toolkit 8 Traffic Calming
Why is Tra ffic C a lming U sed? 162
Resident ia l Tra ffic Ma na gement 162
Tra ffic C a lming a nd Ma na gement Met hods 163
Ot her S ources of Informa t ion 172
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKiv
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Toolkit 9 Pedestrian Access to Transit
Tra nsit C ompa t ible D esign 176
Improving Tra nsit Fa cilit ies for P edest ria ns 177
Tra nsit S tops a nd B us P ullout s 179
Tra nsit C enters 181P a rk-a nd-Ride F a cilit ies 181
Tra nsit Ma lls 182
C oordina t ion B et w een Agencies 183
Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 183
Toolkit 10 Site Design for PedestriansThinking About P edest r ia ns a s P ar t of S it e D evelopment 186
P edest r ia n Fr iendly S it e D esign 186
Wa lkw a ys a nd Accessible Routes 187
S it e Access a nd D r ivew a y D esign 188
On-S ite C ircula t ion a nd P a rking 191B uilding Loca t ion a nd D esign 193
La ndsca ping a nd Furnish ings 194
Ra mps, S t a irw a ys, a nd S t eps 194
S ites U sed E xclusively by P edest r ia ns 195
St ra tegy for Increasing P edestria n Tra vel
Mixed U se S it e D evelopment 198
Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 199
Toolkit 11 Safety in Work ZonesP rot ect ive B a rr iers 202
C overed Wa lkw a ys 202
S idew a lk C losure D uring C onst ruct ion 202
Int ersect ions a nd C rossings Nea r Work Zones 203
Ma int ena nce 204
Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 204
Resource Guide 204
Glossary 215
Index 227
Metric to English Conversion Chart
Comment Request Form
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK v
Table of Contents
List of Tables
Ta ble 1 Ant icipa ted G uidebook U sers 2
Ta ble 2 D esign Focus 2
Ta ble 3 P edest ria n Fa cilit ies Are: 2Ta b le 4 O t her D ocu men t s t o R ev iew for P ed es t ria n F a ci lit y D es ig n 6
Ta ble 5 C ommon C ha ra ct er ist ics of P edest r ia n C ollisions 10
Ta ble 6 S ome Import a n t Needs of P edest r ia ns 12
Ta ble 7 C ommon P edest r ia n C ha ra ct er ist ics by Age G roup 14
Ta ble 8 Aids to Older P edest r ia ns 15
Ta ble 9 Aids t o P edest r ia ns With D isa bilit ies 15
Ta ble 10 Why U rba n Area s Receive H igh P edest r ia n U se 17
Ta ble 11 Typica l Types of P edest ria n Trips 17
Ta ble 12 P edest ria n Trip F a ct s 18
Ta b le 13 C om mon R ea s on s for L ow L evels of P ed es tr ia n Tr a vel 19
Ta ble 14 Ask t he Follow ing Quest ions 20
Ta ble 15 E xpa nded D efinit ion of P edest r ia n Fa cilit ies 24
Ta ble 16 S ta te P olicy for E ncoura ging P edest ria n Tra vel 25
Ta ble 17 Common Cha ra cteristics of P edestr ian Friendly Communit ies 26
Ta ble 18 Typica l E lements of P edest ria n Fr iendly S t reet s 30
Ta ble 19 D efinit ion of Accessible Rout e of Tra vel 35
Ta ble 20 Import a nt Things t o Remember About Cur b Cut s
a t In t ersect ions 42
Ta ble 21 AD A Requirement s for Ra mps 42
Ta ble 22 S umma ry of Accessibilit y Requirement s 47
Ta ble 23 Most C ommon Types of P edest ria n/Motor Vehicle Collisions
for C hildren Aged K-6 49
Ta ble 24 S ome S pecia l Limit at ions of C hildren Aged 5 to 9 50
Ta ble 25 P rocess for Improving S t udent P edest r ia n S a fet y 51
Ta ble 26 The S chool a s a C ommunit y F oca l P oint 52
Ta ble 27 E lement s of G ood S chool S it e D esign 53
Ta ble 28 Roa dside P edestria n Im provements Along S chool Wa lk
Rout es 55
Ta ble 29 Potentia l Tra ffic Control a nd C rossing Treat ments Near
S chools 59
Ta ble 30 When t o U t ilize Adult C rossing G ua rds 62
Ta ble 31 P rima ry Funct ions of S tuden t S a fet y P a t rollers 62
Ta ble 32 P rocedures for D eveloping S chool Wa lk Rout es 64
Ta ble 33 D esign G uidelines for Recrea t iona l Tra ils 70
Ta ble 34 Delinea tion/Separ a tion Treat ments for Multi-U se P a thw a ys
71
Ta ble 35 Separa tion Treat ments for Multi-U se Pa thw a y Next to
Roa dw a y 75
Ta ble 36 Recommended D imensions for Tra ils a nd P a thw a ys 75
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKvi
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Ta ble 37 P riorit ies for P edest ria ns Tra veling Along S treet s 83
Ta ble 38 ITE Crit eria t o Be Ana lyzed to Determine P edestr ian
S a fet y D eficiencies 85
Ta b le 39 R ecom m en ded D im en sion s for S id ew a l ks a nd Wa l kw a y s 88
Ta ble 40 Adva nta ges a nd D isa dva nt ages of P la nt ing B uffers 92Ta ble 41 Recommenda t ions for Wa lking S houlders 104
Ta ble 42 Access Ma na gement 107
Ta ble 43 B enefit s a nd D isa dva nt a ges of One-Wa y S t reet s 109
Ta ble 44 Ba sic Pr inciples of Int ersection Design t o Accommodat e
P edest r ia ns 114
Ta b le 45 G u id elin es for I n st a l la t i on of P ed es t ria n I m pr ov em en t s 118
Ta ble 46 Cit y of Bellevue Recommend ed Element s t o Be Analy zed When
D et ermining t he Need for Ma rked C rossw a lks 119
Ta ble 47 C rossw a lk Widt h a nd Ma rking G uidelines 120
Ta ble 48 Adva nta ges and Disa dvan ta ges of Crosswa lk
Ma rking P a t t erns 121Ta b le 49 B en efit s a n d D is a dv a nt a ges of S h or t en in g C ur b R a dii 125
Ta ble 50 L oca t ion s Wh er e R efuge I sla n ds a re Most B en eficia l 127
Ta b le 51 M ea s ur es t o I m pr ov e t h e E f fect iv en es s of P u sh B u t t on s 132
Ta ble 52 C rossing D ist a nces, S peeds, a nd Time 133
Ta ble 53 Reducing Turning C onflict s 135
Ta ble 54 D esign G uidelines for Media ns a nd Refuge I sla nds 147
Table 55 Common Residential Traf f ic Mana gement P rogra m Actions 164
Ta ble 56 C ommon Types of Tra ffic C a lming Met hods 164
Ta ble 57 Low Cost I mprovements to Increase P edestr ian
Access t o Tra nsit 179
Ta ble 58 P edest r ia n F riendly S it e D esign C hecklist 186Ta b le 59 C h eck lis t for S u cces sf ul Mix ed U s e S it e D ev el opm en t s 198
Ta ble 60 C on sider a tion s for P ed est ria n Sa fet y in Wor k Zon es 202
Ta ble 61 Work Zone Ma int ena nce 204
List of Figures
Figure 1 Fa t a lit ies B a sed on S peed of Vehicle 10
Figure 2 Thinking and Stopping Dista nces Related to Speed of Tra vel 11
Figure 3 H uma n D imensions When Wa lking a nd S it t ing 13
Figure 4 S pa t ia l Needs for P edest r ia ns 13
Figure 5 S pa t ia l B ubbles 14
Figure 6 S pa tia l D imensions for P eople Wit h D isa bilit ies 16
Figure 7 C rea t ing a n E ffect ive P edest ria n S yst em 29
Figure 8 Accessible S it e D esign 36
Figure 9 Accessible P a ssing Area 37
Figure 10 Accessible Ra mped P a t hw a y Wit h La ndings 38
Figure 11 Accessible C urb Ra mp D esign D eta ils 40
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Figure 12 Accessible S idew a lk C urb Ra mp D esigns 41
Figure 13 S idew a lk C urb Ra mps a t In t ersect ions 41
Figure 14 H a ndra il D et a il 43
Figure 15 Tra dit iona l D rivew a y D esign 44
Figure 16 D rivew a y Wit h Wide S idew a lks 44Figure 17 D rivew a y Wit h P la nt ing S t r ips 44
Figure 18 D rivew a y Wit h S idew a lk B ehind 44
Figure 19 D rivew a y Wit h D ipped S idew a lk 44
Figure 20 Text ura l C ues 46
Figure 21 S chool S it e D esign 54
Figure 22 S idew a lk 55
Figure 23 S houlder Wa lkw a y 55
Figure 24 Typica l B us S top D esign for U rba n Loca t ion 56
Figure 25 Typica l B us S t op D esign for Rura l Loca t ion 57
Figure 26 S chool S igns 63
Figure 27 One La ne S chool Ma rking 64Figure 28 Accessible Tra il/P a thw a y 68
Figure 29 U niversa l Levels of Accessibilit y S igns 69
Figure 30 Mult i-U se P a t hw a y S t riping 72
Figure 31 Mult i-U se P a thw a y 72
Figure 32 P aved Multi-U se Pa thw ay With S epar at ed Soft Surface
Tra il for E quest r ia ns a nd J oggers 72
Figure 33 P a t hw a y S epa ra t ion F rom Roa dw a y 73
Figure 34 P a ved P edest ria n-Only P a t hw a y 73
Figure 35 U npa ved P edest r ia n-Only P a t hw a y 73
Figure 36 U npa ved Mult i-U se P a t hw a y 73
Figure 37 Mult i-U se P a t hw a y P a vement C ross S ect ions 76Figure 38 P a thw a ys Requiring Ra ilings 78
Figure 39 Thickened-E dge P a vement D esign 79
Figure 40 B olla rd S pa cing 79
Figure 41 S plit P a t hw a y E nt ra nce 80
Figure 42 Root B a rr ier 80
Figure 43 Wa it ing a nd Rest ing Area s 89
Figure 44 Wa ll D esign Trea t ment s 90
Figure 45 P la nt ing B uffer B et w een S idew a lk a nd S t reet 93
Figure 46 P lant ing Str ips Provided a s Area for Signs, Ut ilities,
a nd S t reet Furnishings 93
Figure 47 S t ra ight Wa lkw a y 93
Figure 48 Wa lkw a y w it h S light Mea nder 93
Figure 49 S idew a lk S epa ra t ed by a D it ch 94
Figure 50 S idew a lk Adja cent t o C urb a nd G ut t er 94
Figure 51 Vert ica l C urb Adja cent t o a P la nt ing S t r ip 95
Figure 52 S idew a lk Wit h Rolled C urb 95
Figure 53 P la cement of E xt ruded or Timber C urbing 96
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKviii
Table of Contents
Figure 54 B ike La ne as B uffer B etween P edestr ian a nd Motor
Vehicles 97
Figure 55 C lea ra nce for S idew a lks a nd Wa lkw a ys 98
Figure 56 P edest r ia n Tra vel Wa y, C lea r of Obst ruct ions 98
Figure 57 U rba n S t reet side Zone 101Figure 58 S hy D ist a nce B et w een B uilding a nd Wa lkw a y 101
Figure 59 S houlder Wa lkw a y 103
Figure 60 On-St reet P ar king as a Buffer Betw een S treet and
P edest r ia n Wa lkw a y 105
Figure 61 P a rking Overha ng 106
Figure 62 Access Ma na gement 108
F igur e 63 Ma rked a nd U nm arked C rossw a lks a t In t er sect ion 116
Figure 64 G uidelines for t he Insta llat ion of Marked Crosswa lks
a t Un c on t rol led I nter sect i on s an d Mi d-B l ock C rossi ng s 118
Figure 65 Clear Trave l Area for P edes tr ians a t In te rsect ion Corners 119
Figure 66 C rossing S igns 123F ig ure 67 R ed uced C ross in g D i st an ce Wi th R ed u ced C urb R ad iu s 124
Figure 68 Reduced C urb Ra dii a t One-Wa y Intersect ion 124
Figure 69 E longa ted Refuge I sla nd a t Right -Turn Slip La ne 126
Figure 70 Right -Turn S lip La ne a nd Refuge I sla nd 126
Figure 71 Media n/Refuge I sla nd a t a n Intersect ion 128
Figure 72 Typica l C urb E xt ension D esign 128
Figure 73 Typica l C urb B ulb-Out D esign 128
Figure 74 C urb B ulb-Outs a nd E xtensions 129
Figure 75 S ight D ist a nce a t In t ersect ion C orners 129
F igur e 76 Recomm ended P a rking S et ba ck for Sight Dist a nce 130
Figure 77 P edest ria n Indica t ion S equence 131Figure 78 Modern Rounda bout D esign 137
Figure 79 Tra ffic C a lming C ircle 138
Figure 80 S pecia l P a ving 139
Figure 81 Typica l Mid-B lock C rossing 142
Figure 82 Mid-B lock C rossing of Tw o-La ne Arter ia l 144
Figur e 83 Mid-B lock C rossing of F ive-La ne Arteria l With
E xist ing Media n 146
Figure 84 C rossing S igns 149
Figure 85 S oft S a ndw ich 150
Figure 86 P ort a ble P edest r ia n F la gs 151
Figure 87 Typica l G eomet r ies of Overhea d C rossings 155
Figure 88 Tunnel 156
Figure 89 Typica l G eomet r ies of U nderpa sses 157
F ig ure 90 Tra f fi c M an ag em en t Approac h S ol vi ng th e P ro bl em s 163
Figure 91 Recommended Tra ffic C a lming C ircle D esign 167
Figure 92 Na rrow ed S t reet 168
Figure 93 C hica nes 168
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK ix
Table of Contents
Figure 94 C urb B ulb-Out s a nd E xtensions 169
Figure 97 Ra ised C rossw a lk/S peed Ta ble 172
Figure 98 Tra nsit C ompa t ible Object ives 176
Figure 99 Widened S idew a lk in B us Loa ding Area 177
Figure 100 Typica l B us S t op C ross-S ect ion 177Figure 101 B us S helt ers a nd C overed S t ructures 178
Figure 102 S a me C orner B us S top Loca t ions 180
Figure 103 P edest r ia n Fr iendly S hopping C ent er 187
Figure 104 Accessible B uilding E nt ra nce 188
Figure 105 C overed Wa lkw a ys 188
Figure 106 D rivew a y D esign C ompa r isons 189
Figure 107 Wide P la nt ing Area s a t D rivew a y 190
Figure 108 Access t o Tra nsit 191
Figure 109 S ha red P a rking Lot 192
Figure 110 La nding P la cement for S t a irw a ys 196
Figure 111 S t a ir/S tep Nosing D esign 196Figure 112 P edest ria n P la za 197
Figure 113 Mixed-U se S it e D evelopment C oncept 198
F ig ur e 114 Tem por a ry P ed es tr ia n Rou tes Ar ou nd Wor k Zon es 203
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Introduction
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 1
IntroductionWhy a Pedestrian
Facilities Guidebook?
As our st a tes populat ion continues to grow,
w e strive to creat e livable commun ities tha t
of fer a diversi ty o f tra nsporta t ion al terna tives
including convenient, reliable, safe, efficient,
a nd a t t ra ct ive pedestrian fa cil i t ies .
Most of us ar e pedestria ns a t some point ea ch
da y, a nd for some of us, especially children,
wa lking is a prima ry mode of tra nsporta t ion .
Whether we w alk severa l miles a day , use a
w heelcha ir t o get from our office to th e bus
stop, r ide a skat eboar d t hrough t he park, or
simply wa lk across the parking lot from our
car t o the grocery st ore ent ra nce, a ll of us
ha ve a need for w ell-designed an d properly
functioning pedestria n fa cilities.
To dat e, there ha s been limited informa tion
published a bout h ow to design pedestria nfa cilities, a nd no comprehensive design
guidelines h a ve been developed for use in
Wa shingt on. Severa l existing sources cont a in
design criteria relat ed to pedestr ian fa cilities,
a lthough in some design guideline documents,
th e focus is on enha ncing the speed and
mobility of motor vehicles, often a t t he
expense of pedestria n needs. In some ca ses,
th ere is significant design guidance relat ed to
bicycle facilities, but minima l a dvice for
design of pedestria n fa cilities.
As par t of the pla nning process tha t
culminat ed in the development of the 1994
Tr ansport ation Pol icy Plan for Washington
State, the subcommittee responsible for
creat ing the Pedestri an Poli cy Pl an
recommended tha t t he Wa shington St at e
Depar tm ent of Tra nsporta tion (WSD OT)
coordina te w ith o ther sta te a nd local
jurisdictions t o develop a pedestr ian design
ma nual t ha t r ecommends appropriate designpra ctices for pedestria n fa cilities a nd provides
common sense a pproa ches to improving t he
pedestr ian environment . This guidebook ha s
been creat ed in response to tha t
recommendation.
I ncreasing pedestr ian tr avel an d safety ar e
objectives of Washi ngtons Tran spor tat ion Pl an.
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Introduction
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK2
Who Will Use ThisGuidebook?
The design guid elines provided in th is
guidebook w ill as sist WSD OT, cities, counties,
privat e developers, design professionals, a nd
others in designing, constructing, a nd
ma inta ining pedestria n faci l it ies in a va rie ty
of sett ings, including urba n, suburban and
rura l communities throughout Wa shingt on.
The prima ry a udience of t he guidebook will betransportation design practitioners, including
th ose listed in Ta ble 1.
Ta b le 2
Design Focus
The prima ry focus of th is guidebook is t o
encourage good planning, design, andengineering practices related t o
pedestria n facilities. The guidebook a lso
a ddresses a few importa nt constr uction,
ongoing ma intena nce, and operat iona l
a spects relat ed to pedestria n fa cilities.
Ta b le 1
Anticipated Guidebook Users
P r i ma r y Aud i ence
Traf f ic and tra nsportat ion engineers Si te development a nd building permit
review st aff
Planners and designers, including
a rchitects, civil engineers, landsca pe
a rchitects, urba n designers, an d other
design professiona ls
D eveloper s
Other s Who M igh t F i nd t he
Gu id ebook H elp fu l
S ch ool dis t rict s
Neighborhood councils and planning
committees
Metropolita n planning organizat ions
Cen tra l bus iness d is t r ict p lanning
orga niza t ions/busin ess people
S ma ll t ow ns
Off icia ls and pol it i cians
Specia l campaigns and programs
C it izen a d voca t es
Ta b le 3
Pedestrian Facilities Are:
Sidewalks, tra ils, curb ra mps, traffic
calming a nd contr ol devices, grade
sepa ra ted crossings, wide shoulders a nd
other technology, design feat ures, a nd
stra tegies intended to encourage
pedestria n tra vel.
Source: Washi ngton Stat e Tr ansport ati on
Policy Plan, 1994
What is the Focus?
The focus of this guidebook is on des ignof
pedest r i a n f a c i l i t i e s (see Tables 2 and 3),
but good design is only one component of a
successful pedestr ian fa cility. Conscientious
plann ing, effective educa tion progra ms, a nd
consistent sa fety an d law enforcement a lso
cont ribute to improving our communities for
pedestr ian s. Some ba sic principles rela ted to
plann ing for pedestr ian s a re provided in thisguidebook, but t he overa ll intent is t o
encourage good design practices.
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Introduction
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 3
References and
Other Resources
The technical informa tion conta ined in th is
guidebook was compiled from numerous
sources. The Resource G uide at t he end of
the guidebook provides a comprehensive list
of sources for informa tion relat ed to
pedestr ian pla nning a nd design, including
sources referenced for th is document . In
a ddition to the Resource G uide, rea ders
interested in finding additional information
relat ed to specific types of pedestria n fa cilities
w ill f ind a list of releva nt sources of
informa tion a t t he end of each section of the
design t oolkit. The Resource Guid e als o list s
sources of informa tion relat ed to pedestria n
planning, educat ion, and enforcement. The
State Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on and Pedestr ian
Walkways Plan, published by WSD OT in
1995, provides comprehensive pedestr ia n
pla nning informa tion a nd addresses law s and
other plan s support ing nonmotorized
tra nsporta t ion , costs , a nd funding
opportunit ies , as well as pedestrian safe ty
educa tion an d enforcement.
When no specific source is referenced for
gra phics, f igures, and t a bles in this document,
Ota k creat ed those dra win gs a nd/or compiled
th e informa tion especially for use on th e
P edestria n Fa cilities G uidebook. In some
cases, other documents or sources of
informa tion may have been researched a nd
specifica lly a da pted for this gu idebook based
on input fr om the ad visory gr oup a nd other
technical experts involved.
Acknowledgments
Funding for t h is report wa s provided in pa rt
by member jurisdictions of the P uget S ound
Regional Council grant s from US Departm ent
of Tra nsporta tion, Federal Tra nsit
Administrat ion , Federa l Highwa y
Administrat ion , and Washington St at e
Depart ment of Tra nsporta t ion .
Sponsoring Agencies andOrganizations
Wash i ng ton S t a te D epar tm e n t of
Transportation
C ou n ty R oad A dm in is t r a t i on B oard
P uget Sound Regional Counci l
Associat ion of Washington Cit ies
Advisory Group Members
Da ve Almond , City o f Redmond
G a ry Arm s t ron g , C i t y of S t an wo od
J ames B loodgood , Snohomish County
B o b B ru gg em an , S p ok an e C ou n ty
J oh n D e wh ir s t , S n oh om i sh C o un ty
C h u ck G reen , C la rk C ou n ty
M a t t H a y s , F eet F ir s t
J on J a i n g a , C i t y of Fe de ra l Way
J ean n e K r i kaw a , S ea t t l e P e d es t r ian
Advisory Board
Tony Mazzel la , C i ty o f K irk land
Kirk McKin ley , City o f Shore line
Michae l Meagher , K ing County
P h i l M il le r, K i ng C ou n ty
J oh n Mi lton , WS D OT
P a g e S cot t , K it t i t a s C ou n ty
D av i d S m i th , K i t sap C ou n ty
Anne Tonella-Howe, City o f Bellevue
Bob Vogel , P ierce County
Da ve Whi tcher , County Road
Administra t ion B oa rd
S an d ra Wood s , C i t y of S ea t t l e
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Introduction
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK4
Other Reviewers
K ing Cushman , Puget Sound Regional
Council
Mat t Feeney , Puget S ound Reg ional Counci l Ca rol ine Feiss, Puge t Sound Reg ional
Council
K a th y J oh n son , C it y of L yn nwo od
Kat h i Ross i, K ing County review o f
tra nsi t re lated informa tion
Consultant Team
Ot a k, I nc.
Mandi Roberts , P roject Mana ger
Tra cy Bla ck, Document E ditorin association wi th:
KJ S Associa tes, Inc.
P a cific Rim Resources, Inc.
Lin & Associat es, Inc.
Project Managers
Mike Dorn feld , WSDOT
Ned Conroy, Puget Sound Regional Council
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How to Use This Guidebook
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 5
How Should the
Information in This
Guidebook Be Used?
The informa tion present ed in this gu idebook
should not be interpreted as sta nda rds,
specifica tions, requ irements, or regulat ions,
but ra ther a s design guidelines.
The guidelines in cluded in t his g uidebook
a pply t o norma l situa tions encountered during
project development. U niqu e design problems
sometimes require flexibility in design
solutions. Other a vaila ble design informa tion
a nd a ll a pplicable federa l, stat e, a nd local
requirements should be reviewed as part of
project design.
The informa tion present ed in this gu idebook
ma y not solve all problems a ssociat ed with
pedestria n tr a vel, but it provides a first step
in establishing a consistent set of sta tew ide
guidelines for design of pedestrian facilities.
The guidebook can a lso be used a s a tool to
build consensu s on sometimes differing
a pproa ches t o design.
The guidelines in th is guidebook a re often
presented in t erms of desirable an d
minimum dimensions or recommenda tions.
These recommend a tions sh ould be applied
w ith professional judgement t o achieve design
solutions tha t a re specifica lly ta ilored to the
circumsta nces encount ered. For exa mple, if a
sidewa lk receives a high a mount of use, the
project designer or local design reviewer may
elect t o apply th e desira ble dimension over
the minimum for the sidew a lk w idth.
This guidebook represents th e work of the
Advisory G roup and is not necessa rily the
posit ion of a ny of th e ag encies involved.
Relationship to Other
Guidelines and
Standards
Cities and counties may already have a dopted
sta nda rds relat ed to design of pedestria n
facilities th a t supersede the guidelines in this
guidebook. When no st a nda rds ha ve been
a dopted by federal, st a te, or local a gencies,
these guidelines an d other documents ca n
provide useful direction to design
practit ioners. Event ua lly, local agencies ma y
am end their current design standa rds to
incorpora te a ll or portions of these guidelines.
P edestr ian facilities should be designed a nd
built in a ccorda nce wit h existing federa l,
s ta te , and local s tanda rds as a pplicable. In
How to Use
This Guidebook
Washington pedestr ian s li ve, work, and pl ay in
a w id e var iety of setti ngs, and design of
pedestr i an fa cil i ti es needs to be adaptabl e to
th ese sett ings.
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK
How to Use This Guidebook
6
some si tuat ions, the current sta ndard ma y
not be achievable due to geometric,
environmenta l, or other constr a ints. In these
circumstances, variances from the standard
ma y be a ccepta ble; however, a facility shouldnot typically be built to less tha n the
minimum standards described. Deviations
from sta nda rds should be documented an d
justified through specia l studies. Refer t o the
L ocal Agency Gui deli nes (LAG) Man ualfor
procedures for deviat ing from sta nda rds.
Ta ble 4 lists severa l documents tha t include
other design informa tion rela ted topedestrians.
Permission to
Reproduce and Copy
P ermission is grant ed by the aut hors a nd
sponsors of this gu idebook to all other pa rt ies
to ma ke and distribut e copies of all or portions
of the informa tion in t his guidebook, w ithout
limita tions, in a ccordance with t he fair use
provisions of the U nited St a tes Copyright Act.
Where Can You Find
the Information You
Need in This
Guidebook?
About Pedestrians
Refer to t he next s ection of th is guidebook,
About P edestr ians, for informa tion about the
needs a nd chara cteristics of pedestria ns a nd
factors tha t a f fect pedestrian tr avel .
Design Toolkit
The D esign Toolkit provides r ecommend a tions
under 11 topics. A directory of the t oolkit
topics is provided on t he first pag e of the
D esign Toolkit for ea sy refer ence. Toolkit 1
G eneral Design G uidelines, provides a general
Ta b le 4
Other Documents to Review forPedestrian Facility Design
Local design standards, zoning codes
a nd development codes
Ameri cans with Di sabil i ti es Act(ADA)
Federal Requirements
Manual on U niform T raff ic Contr ol
Devices, Federal Highwa y
Administration, USDOT
A Pol icy on Geometr ic Design of
H ighw ays and St reets, American
Associat ion of Sta te Highwa y and
Tra nsporta tion Officia ls (AASH TO)
Un iform Bui l ding Code(UBC),
Int erna tional C onference of B uilding
Officia ls, a nd/or loca lly a dopted
building code
L ocal Agency Guideli nes M anual,
WSDOT
A Gu id ebook for Student Pedestri an
Safety, WSD OT
A Guid ebook for Resid enti al Tr affic
M anagement, WSD OT
Design M anual, S ection 1020 Facilities
for Nonmotorized Transportation,
WSDOT Gui de for the Development of B icycle
Facilities, AASHTO
Note: Th is is only a parti al li st and does not
in clud e al l avai la ble resour ces. See the Resour ce
Gui de for other r elevant publi cations
Look for the Boxes
Importa nt a nd helpful informa tion ishighlight ed in boxes like this one,
throughout the guidebook.
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How to Use This Guidebook
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 7
overview of design considerat ions r elated to
pedestria ns and creat ing pedestr ian friendly
commun it ies. Toolkit 2 Accessibilit y,
provides recommenda tions a nd guidelines
related to accessible design and compliancewit h th e American s wit h Disa bilities Act
(ADA). The remaining toolkit sections focus on
more specific area s of pedestria n fa cility
design.
Resource Guide
Look in the Resource Guide near the end of
th is guidebook for a comprehensive list of
sources related t o plann ing a nd design of
pedestria n fa cilities. Releva nt sources ofinforma tion related t o pedestrian facilities
a ddressed are a lso listed at the end of each
toolkit section.
Glossary
A glossary is provided at the end of this
guidebook. Terms an d acronyms relat ed to
pedestria n facilities a ddressed in this
guidebook are defined and described.
Index
The index a t t he end of this guidebook
provides an alphabetical listing of subject
headings a nd w ords to help you quickly find
informa tion a bout specific topics.
Someti mes, there's more than "one-way" to fi nd
th e best sol ut i on for d esign of pedestr ian
facilities.
Metric to English Conversion Chart
Dimensions a re shown in m etric throughout
the document w ith En glish equiva lents
following in pa rent heses. A metr ic to Englishconversion cha rt is provided near the end of
th e guidebook for ea sy r eference purposes.
Comment Request Form
A comment request form is provided on t he
last page of the guidebook. If you have
comment s on t he guidebook, please fill out
this form an d return it to the WSD OT a ddress
shown. Your input w ill be referenced for futu re
updat es and revisions to the guidebook.
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About Pedestrians
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 9
About
PedestriansUndersta nding the needs a nd chara cterist ics
of pedestrians a nd fa ctors tha t af fect
pedestria n tra vel is import a nt w hen designing
pedestria n facilities. This part of the
guidebook describes the ma ny t ypes of
pedestria ns a nd provides informa tion about
pedestria n safety a nd current resea rch on
levels of pedestria n t ra vel.
Pedestrians Defined
Every tr ip begins and ends a s a pedestria n
tr ip w hether w a lking to a bus stop or a cross
a parking lot to your car.
Wa shington S ta te law defines a Pedestrian
a s:
An y per son w ho is afoot or wh o is using a
wh eelcha ir or a m eans of conveyance
pr opell ed by hum an power other th an abicycle(RCW 46.04.400),
an d a Handicapped Pedestrian a s:
A pedestr ian , or per son in a w heelchai r ,
who has l i mi ted mobi l i ty, stam ina, agi l i ty,
reacti on t im e, im pair ed vi sion or h eari ng,
or who may have di f f icu l ty walk ing wi th
or w it hout assisti ve devices (WAC 236-60-
010).
B y st a te definition, rollerska ters, in-line
skaters , and ska teboar ders are also
pedestrians.
Pedestrian Safety
Ana lys is of pedest ria n/mot or vehicle collisions
can h elp esta blish engineering, educat ion, a nd
enforcement solutions. Most reported
pedestria n injuries ar e a result of collisions
w ith mot or vehicles. The Wa shingt on Tra fficSafety Commission reported that there were
2,029 pedestria ns st ruck by motor vehicles in
th e st a te of Wa shingt on in 1995. Of those, 75
pedestrians were killed, accounting for 11.5
percent of all persons killed in t ra ffic-rela ted
collisions.
Accordin g t o Walk T al l : A Cit izens Gui de to
Walkable Comm uni ti es, published by t he
P edestr ian Federat ion of America in 1995, the
average cost to society of a pedestrian-motorvehicle collision is $312,000, or a t ota l of $32
billion each yea r, nat ionw ide. Common
chara cteristics of pedestr ian collisions a re
listed in Ta ble 5.
Vehicle speed is a significant factor in causing
fat a lities as a result of pedestr ian collisions.Every tr ip begins and ends as a pedestr ian tr ip.
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About Pedestrians
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK10
The faster a motorist drives, the more likely
injuries to a person on foot w ill result in
deat h. The cha rt in Figure 1 illustra tes the
ra te of deat h th a t occurs in correla tion to the
speed of a vehicle involved.
As t he figure sh ows, w hen collisions occur
wit h t he vehicle tra velling a t a speed of 65
kph (40 mph), 85 percent of pedest ria ns a re
killed, compared to a death rate of 45 percent
a t a vehicle speed of 50 kph (30 mph), an d
only 5 percent a t a vehicle speed of 30 kph (20
mph). The abilit y to stop in time for crossing
pedestria ns a lso significa ntly decreases as
vehicle speed increa ses, as s hown in F igure 2.
Another common reason for pedestrian/
a utomobile collisions is driver inat tention. In
1995, the Wa shingt on Tra ffic Sa fety
Commission conducted a survey to mea sure
driver compliance with the pedestrian
crosswa lk la w . Over one-th ird of observed
drivers did not fully comply wit h this la w.
Ta b le 5
Common Characteristics ofPedestrian Collisions
D r iver i na t t en t ion
Struck by vehicle while crossing at an
int ersection (50 percent of a ll
collisions)
Struck by vehicle while crossing mid-
block (33 percent of a ll collisions)
S t ruck f rom beh ind whi le walking
along the roadw ay in the same
direction as t ra ffic (part icular ly in
rural areas)
Motorist exceeding safe speed
(contributes to most pedestrian
deaths)
Dar t ing ou t in to the s t reet a t mid-
block (most common t ype of pedest ria n
collision for children)
Vehicles backing up (difficult to see
children a nd others w a lking behind)
Collisions in urban areas (80 percent
of all collisions)
Sources: Washington State Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on
and Pedestri an Wal kwa ys Plan ; Pedestr ian and
Bi cycle Crash Types of t he Earl y 1990s; (Snyder,
Kn oblauch, Moore, and Schmi tz; Cross and Fi sher)
F igu r e 1
Source: Walk Tal l: A Cit izens Gui de to Walkabl e
Communities
Fatalities Based on Speed ofVehicle
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About Pedestrians
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 11
Children and Older Adults
P edestr ians most likely t o be involved in
collisions a re a lso the ones who most r ely on
pedestrian t ra vel for t ra nsporta t ion
children and older adults. In Wa shington,children a nd young a dults a ge 5 to 19
const itut e only 21.8 percent of th e popula tion;
yet bet w een 1990 a nd 1995, this group
a ccounted for 34.3 percent of a ll pedest ria n
injuries na tionwide (Washin gton State
Pedestri an Coll ision D ata, 1990 to 1995).
According to the Wa shington S ta te
Depa rt ment of Healt h, in 1989-1990,
pedestria n collisions were t he third highest
cause of hospitaliza tions for unint entiona l
injuries of children betw een the a ges of 5 and14 yea rs in Wa shingt on. The Wa shingt on
Tra ffic Sa fety C ommission report ed in 1995
tha t the a ge groups of 10 to 14 and 15 to 19
were st ruck by motor vehicles at a much
higher average rate than other age groups.
P eople over a ge 65 represented 13 percent of
the national population in 1992; yet accounted
for 23 percent of all pedestria n dea ths during
tha t same year (Walk Al er t , N at ional
Pedestr ian Sa fety Program Gui de).
P edestrian s over 65 a re tw o to four t imes morelikely t o die when involved in a pedestria n-
motor vehicle collision. Older adu lts a re
part icular ly more vulnerable while crossing
the street, since they need more time to cross.
Pedestrian Needs
In order to successfully design pedestrian
facilities, we must recognize tha t pedestrian
needs are w ide-ra nging, a nd our design
a pproa ch must be flexible to meet the
diversity of needs.
For some of Wa shingt ons populat ion,
pedestria n tra vel is the primary mode of
tr a nsporta tion. Citizens in this segment of the
popula tion include those wh o do not use a
F igu r e 2
Thinking and Stopping Distances Related to Speed of Travel(U nder Optimum Conditions)
Note: Safe stoppin g sight di stances may dif fer f rom t hese di stances. Refer t o AASHTO.
Source: Walk Tal l: A Cit izens Gui de to Walkabl e Communi ti es; Ki ll in g Speed and Savi ng Li ves
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About Pedestrians
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK12
motor vehicle including some older a dult s,
children a nd young adult s, people who wa lk to
the bus or other forms of tra nsit, people with
certa in disa bilities, a nd people who cant
a fford to own car s. There a re also ma ny w hochoose pedestria n tr a vel a s their primar y
mode.
One common obsta cle in design of pedestr ia n
faci li t ies is assuming tha t one standa rd can be
a pplied to fit a n avera ge population. For
example, the speed tha t pedestria ns tra vel can
vary greatly , yet pedestrian signals ar e of ten
timed for average walking speeds of 4.8 to 6.4
kph (3 to 4 mph). Ch ildren, older a dult s, an d
people with certa in disabilities typically tra vela t much lower w a lking speeds 3.2 kph (2
mph).
P edestr ian needs a re diverse. Some typical
pedestria n needs a re listed in Ta ble 6.
Acceptable Walking Distances
Accepta ble wa lking distan ces w ill vary
depending on geography, climate conditions,
a nd la nd use pat terns. The dista ncepedestria ns w ill tra vel is also influenced by
the w eat her, the time of day, demographics,
the purpose of their tr ip, and ma ny other
fa ctors. Most people w ill w a lk longer
dista nces for r ecreat iona l purposes, but prefer
to wa lk shorter distances when they are
commut ing or in a hurry , such as from the bus
st op to their office. G uidelines for a ccepta ble
w a lking dista nces ar e listed below.
Tra dit ional ly , planners str ive to locatecommunity facilities, neighborhood parks,
a nd other popular pedestr ian origins and
destina tions no more tha n 400 meters (one-
quarter mile) from the origin of most
pedestrian tra vel.
Si te designers typical ly use 90 meters (300
feet) as the ma ximum dista nce from pa rking
a nd site pedestr ian circulation to building
entra nces. St reet crossings a re typically
most effective w hen loca ted a pproximat ely
120 t o 180 meter s (400 to 600 feet) apa rt in
a reas hea vily used by pedestria ns.
A Gui de to Land U se and Publ ic
Tr ansport ation, Volume I, published by
SNO-TRAN, sta tes th a t pedestr ians ca n be
expected t o tra vel about 300 meters (1,000
feet) to a tra nsit stop or pa rk-a nd-ride space
about 230 meters (750 feet) for mobility
impa ired a nd a bout 535 meter s (1,758
feet or one-th ird mile) to a commut er ra il
stat ion .
Ta b le 6
Some Important Needs ofPedestrians
S a f e s t reet s and wa lk in g a reas
C on ven ien ce
N earby places to wa l k
Visibilit y
C om for t and shelt er
Attra ctive and clean environment
Access to t r an sit
In teres t ing th ings to look a t w h ile
walking
S ocia l in ter act ion
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About Pedestrians
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 13
Spatial Needs
Figure 3 illustr a tes approxima te huma n
dimensions w hen wa lking a nd si t t ing .
For t w o people wa lking side-by-side or passin geach other w hile tra velling in opposite
directions, the a verage spa ce ta ken up is 1.4
meters (4 feet 8 inches).
Wa lking rat es slow wh en pedestria n volumes
increa se and squa re footage per person
decreases. Figure 4 illustra tes how a verage
flow volumes decrease on wa lkwa ys wit h
increa sing degrees of pedestr ian density.
A spa tia l bubble is t he preferred dist a nce of
unobstructed forw a rd vision w hile w a lking
under various circumst a nces. Figure 5i l lustra tes the spat ial bubbles tha t a re
comforta ble for t he avera ge pedestr ian wh ile
a tt ending a public event, shopping, wa lking
under norma l conditions, a nd w a lking for
pleasur e. This informa tion is helpful to the
designer for use in calculating how much
forw a rd clear space is necessar y to mainta in a
reasonable degree of comfort for pedestrians.
F V = flow volu me
AS = a ver a ge s peed
O = occupa ncy
pfm = pedestrian per foot width of wa lkway perminute
sf/p = square feet per person
Source: Adapt ed from Ti me-Saver Stan dar ds for
L andscape Ar chitectur e
F V: 20 pfm 25 pfm > 25 pfmAS : 2.3 mph 1.5 mph 0-1.25 mph
O: 10 sf/p 5 sf/p < 5 sf/p
F V: 7 pfm 10 pfm 15 pfm
AS : 3 mph 2.8 mph 2.6 mph
O: 36 sf/p 25 sf/p 15 sf/p
Spatial Needs for Pedestrians
F igu r e 4
F igu r e 3
Source: Adapt ed from Ti me-Saver Stan dar ds for
L andscape Ar chitectur e
Human Dimensions WhenWalking and Sitting
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About Pedestrians
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK14
Children and Older Adults
Different pedestr ian a ge groups have different
needs. Ta ble 7 summ a rizes common
pedestria n cha ra cteristics rela ted to a ge
groups.
The primary need of young pedestrians is
a dult supervision. Even design wit h the best
of intentions cannot fully protect children
from the dangers of str eets. Educa tional
progra ms geared towa rd increasing a childs
aw ar eness of tra f f ic and safe ty measures are
an importa nt tool to increasing their safe ty as
pedestria ns. In a ddition to adult supervision
and effective education programs, good design
of the pla ces children w a lk most, such as
school zones a nd school wa lking routes,
neighborhood str eets, a nd pa rks, can
significant ly help to improve their sa fety.
Older a dults have a varie ty o f needs as
pedestria ns. Research shows tha t people over
60 wa lk more, yet in some cases may ha ve
impa ired mobility . Ta ble 8 lists some
examples of elements tha t a id older adult s in
their tra vel as pedestria ns.
Ta b le 7
Common PedestrianCharacteristics by Age Group
Age 0 to 4 Lea rning to w alk
Requ ir ing constan t
parent a l supervision
Developing peripheral
vision, depth perception
Ag e 5 to 12 I ncreas in g in depen den ce,
but st ill requiring
supervision
P oor depth perception
Susceptible to dart out/
intersection da sh
Age 13 to 18 Sense of invulnerab il ity
In tersect ion dash
Age 19 to 40 Act ive, ful ly aware of
tr a ffic environment
Age 41 to 65 S lowing of ref lexes
Age 65+ S treet crossing difficult y
Poor vision Di ff icu lty hear ing
vehicles approaching
from behind
H igh fa t a lit y ra t e
Source: Washington State Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on
and Pedestri an Wal kwa ys Plan , 1994
F igu r e 5
Source: Adapt ed from Ti me-Saver Stand ard s for Lan dscape Ar chitectur e
Spatial Bubbles
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About Pedestrians
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 15
People With Disabilities
P eople with disabilities, including t hose using
special w a lking aids or w heelchairs, need
carefully designed fa cilities tha t eliminat e
barriers .
The needs of pedestr ians wit h disa bilities can
va ry w idely depending on the ty pe of disability
and level of impairment. Elements tha t a re
helpful to people w ith d isa bilities a re listed in
Ta ble 9.
Spa ce requirements for pedestr ians w ith
disabilities va ry considerably depending upon
their physica l abilities and t he assistive
devices they use. Spa ces designed to
a ccommodat e wheelcha ir users a re genera lly
considered to be functiona l an d a dva nta geous
for most people. Figure 6 illustra tes the
spat ial dimensions of a w heelchair user, a
person on crutches, and a sight-impaired
person.
Ta b le 8
Aids to Older Pedestrians
Reduced roadwa y crossing distances
(bulb-outs a nd curb extensions)
Signals within 60 feet of viewing
distance; easy-to-read signs
Refuge areas in roadway crossings
Tra ffi c ca l min g
S helt er a nd s ha de
H andra ils
Smooth sur faces and unobstructedtra vel ways
S ig na l t im in g a t lower th an av erag e
wa lking speed
Ta b le 9
Aids to Pedestrians WithDisabilities
C ur b cut s a n d r a mps
Ta ct ile w a rn in gs
Ea sy-to-reach activat ion buttons
Audib le warn ings and message
systems
Raised and Bra i l le let te rs for
communication
S ig na l t im in g a t lower th an av erag e
wa lking speed
Maximum grade of 1:20 and cross
slope of 1:50 (ra mps ca n be 1:12)
Roadwa y crossing refuges
Reduced roadwa y crossing distances
(bulb-outs a nd curb extensions)
Tra ff ic ca l mi ng
H andra ils
Smooth sur faces and unobstructed
tra vel ways
Resear ch shows that older adu lt s wal k more
th an other age groups.
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK16
Levels of Use and
Travel Characteristics
Various Settings
Different a reas in Wa shington experience
different levels of pedestr ian t ra vel. In certa in
urba n area s, the level of w a lking is higher. In
Sea tt le, for exa mple, a pproxima tely sevenpercent of commut e trips a re wa lking trips.
The Centennial Trail along the Spokane River
provides a pedestria n a nd bicycle link thr ough
Spokan e an d is considered the centerpiece of
successful redevelopment effort s in t he city
center. Ta ble 10 lists some reasons w hy urba n
a reas receive high pedestr ian use.
In spite of the t wo good examples of Sea tt le
a nd Spokane, wa lking typica lly still only
comprises betw een one a nd four percent of all
commu te trips in Wa shingt on overall. This
low pedestria n commut e percenta ge lea ds to
the conclusion tha t t here is an enormous
a mount of unta pped potentia l to increase
wa lking as a mode of commut ing in
Washington (State Bi cycle Tr anspor tat ion and
Pedestri an Walk ways Plan).
P edestrian tra vel is h igher in urban area s, but
pedestria ns can a lso be found in suburba n a nd
rur a l a rea s. There is a common misconception
that people who live in the suburbs do not
wa lk, but resear ch indicat es that th is is not
Sour ce: Accessibi li ty Design for Al l
F igu r e 6
Spatial Dimensions for People With Disabilities
Sight Impair ed
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 17
the case , part icular ly in suburban a reas tha t
provide a n interconnected a nd continuous
system of well-designed pedestrian facilities.Anne Vernez-Moudons r esear ch pa per, Effects
of Site Design on Pedestri an T r avel i n M ixed-
U se, Mediu m Density En vir onm ents,
December 1996, found that relatively high
numbers of people wa lk in suburba n centers,
where a dequate pedestrian faci li t ies a re
provided. (See the discussion relat ed to this
research lat er in this section.)
It is a lso import a nt to recognize tha t people
l iving in suburban and rura l areas t ravel as
pedestria ns for different purposes th a n t hose
living in urban areas. Suburban and rural
pedestria n trips ar e often associa ted wit h
w a lking to schools or school bus st ops, tr a nsit
bus st ops, or for recreat ion a nd leisure
purposes, an d fewer people wa lk for t he
purpose of running erra nds, shopping, a nd
tr a velling t o community services.
Trip Characteristics
P edestrians tra vel for a wide varie ty o f
reasons. In Wa shington a nd throughout the
United St at es, pedestria n tra vel is gaining
renewed a t t ention a s a form of tra nsporta t ion .
P edestr ian t ra vel a nd other modes of
transportation are being encouraged as
a lterna tives to single occupant vehicle tra vel
for energy conserva tion, reduced t ra ffic
congestion, and bett er air qua lity. Ta ble 11
lists va rious types of trips more and m ore
people are choosing to ma ke as pedestria ns.Ta ble 12 lists facts relat ed to pedestria n t rips.
Research on Pedestrian Use
Research ha s shown tha t more people w a lk in
areas where pedestrian improvements and
facilities have been constructed.Ta b le 10
Why Urban Areas Receive HighPedestrian Use
Higher densit ies of residences,
businesses, a nd other origins a nddestinations
Traf f ic congestion
High concentrat ions of origin and
destinat ion points
Shopping and services are more
accessible to pedestrians
Average tr ip distances are shorter
Pa rking is too costly or unavai lable
Transi t service is more readily
available
More avai lable pedestrian faci li t ies
Ta b le 11
Typical Types of PedestrianTrips
(Why P eople Wa lk)
To and from work and school
Socia l v is it s and even ts
Appoin tm en ts
H ea lt h a n d exer cis e
E r r an ds an d d eliv er ies
Recrea t ion
Extra curricu lar act ivi t ies
Combined (recreational wa lking while
shopping)
Multimodal tr ips (wa lking to a bus stop)
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Un i ver si t y of Wash i ng t on S tud y
As previously discussed, recent resea rch
conducted by t he U niversity of Wa shington
Department o f Urba n P lanning (Dr. Anne
Vernez-Moudon) stud ied 12 locat ions in t he
P uget Sound region, six in urba n a reas a nd six
in suburban area s, each w ith similar
populat ion densities, land us e cha ra cteristics,
a nd demogra phics. The va ria ble a t each
locat ion w a s th e extent of pedestria n fa cilities
provided. The study esta blished tw o prima rycriteria for measur ing the extent of facilities:
completeness of th e pedestria n netw ork
(extent, distribution, and type of facilities);
a nd pedestr ian r oute directness (tra vel
dista nce, dista nce contour, an d relat ed
densities).
According to th is research, t he mea sures
tr a ditionally used to predict pedestr ian
volumes (population density, land use
distribut ion, an d intensity) are insufficient toexplain pedestr ian volumes. Site design,
community layout (block size), and the
presence of pedestr ian facilities must a lso be
considered. This research confirms tha t
pedestria n volumes in suburban a reas ha ve
the potential t o increase w hen facilities
(sidewa lks, wa lkwa ys, crosswa lks, a nd other
improvements) are a dded.
The foregone conclusion of this s tud y w a s th a t
in locations where there were more completefacilities and direct routes provided for
pedestria ns, there were more pedestr ian s
wa lking (Ef fects of Si te Design on Pedestr ia n
Tr avel i n M ixed-Use M edi um Density
Envi ronments).
Na t i o n a l B i k i n g a n d Wa l k i n g St u d y
The Nati onal Bi k ing and Walking Study,
conducted in 1993, included 24 case st udies
that provided in-depth information on specific
topics related t o bicycling an d w a lking. CaseStu dy N o. 4, Measur es to Over come
Impedi ments to Bi cycl i ng and Walk ing, cited
thr ee prima ry ca tegories of reasons for not
walking:
Fa ci l ity def iciencies
Informa tion or knowledge deficiencies
Motivat ional def iciencies
Facility deficiencies include lack of adequate
facilities and connectivity. Informat ion or
knowledge deficiencies ar e a result of peoplenot knowing a bout t he level of wa lking
opportun ities a va ilable to them. Motiva tional
deficiencies have to do w ith a tt itudes a nd
behaviors people not walking because
dista nces betw een origins and destina tions are
too long, w a lking is not convenient, the
w eat her is poor, or th ey feel uncomfort a ble or
unprotected as pedestr ians. In man y ca ses
informa tion/knowledge a nd motiva tiona l
deficiencies would decrease as a result of
improvements to pedestr ian facilities a nd
expa nding the pedestria n netw ork.
Pedestrian Trip Facts
Pedestrian tr ips account for 39 percent
of all trips less th a n one mile, ranking
second only t o priva te motor vehicletrips
73 percent o f al l pedestrian tr ips are
less than one-half mile
One out of five tr ips is work related
Sources: Washington Stat e Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on
and Pedestri an Walk ways Plan; Best Foot Forw ard
Pedestr ian News
Ta b le 12
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 19
Desire for Improved PedestrianFacilities
P ublic opinion surveys h a ve shown t ha t people
have a desire to wa lk and w ould increase thea mount of pedestria n tr a vel they do if better
facilities were a va ilable. One survey
conducted at the na tional level is the 1990
H arr is Pol l. In th is survey, 59 percent of
respondents sa id they w ould be willing to
wa lk outdoors or w a lk more often if there
were safe designated paths or wa lkway s
(Pathways for People, Em ma us P A, 1992).
A survey conducted by the City of Bellevue
found similar results w hen polling students in
sixth thr ough tw elfth gra des in Bellevuepublic a nd priva te schools. The Youth L ink
Tr ansport ation Sur veycompiled t he r esponses
of 900 students a nd det ermined the following
findings:
Approximat ely 75 percent o f the students
w ould consider w a lking or bicycling to school
as a n al terna tive transporta t ion mode.
There ar e several factors that w ould cause
st udent s to be more likely to wa lk to school,
including sa fer crossings (25 percent), bett er
light ing (29.7 percent), bett er sidewa lks
(36.5 percent), a nd people to w a lk w ith (44.9
percent).
Ta ble 13 lists some common rea sons for low
levels of pedestria n t ra vel.
Forecasting Pedestrian Use
At times, pedestr ian facility improvements
a nd expansions ar e not supported because
existing use levels are low. As discussed
above, there are severa l s tudies tha t ha ve
shown t hat when faci li t ies are a dded a nd
improved within a community, more people
will w a lk. Design practit ioners frequently
inquire about more forma l methods ava ilable
to foreca st pedestria n use levels.
Forecast ing methods ma y provide a
qua nti ta t ive approach to determining the
deman d for pedestr ian facilities, but th is
approach shouldnt replace a common sense
Pedestr ia ns come in al l sizes.
Ta b le 13
Common Reasons for LowLevels of Pedestrian Travel
Poor facil it ies ; lack of s idewa lks or
walkways
Fai lure to provide a contiguous system
of pedestria n facilities
Concerns for personal safe ty
Fai lure to provide faci li t ies to and
from popular origins a nd destina tions
I nclem en t w ea t h er
P oor ligh tin g
Lack of separa ted f aci li t ies
Sources: Washington Stat e Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on
and Pedestri an Walkw ays Plan; Nati onal Biki ng
and Wal kin g Study Case Study #4
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P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK20
thought process to determine the necessity for
facilities. Ta ble 14 lists questions tha t sh ould
be asked wh en considering wha t t ypes of
pedestria n fa cilities should be developed
under va rious circumsta nces.
Ta b le 14
Ask the Following Questions
Are there origins and destinations
wit hin acceptable pedestr ian tr a vel
distances tha t will generate tr ips?
- schools and parks
- shopping areas
- medical facilities
- social services
- h ou sin g
- community and recreat ional centers
- tra nsit/park-a nd-ride
Does the exis t ing st reet o r roadway
provide pedestrian facilities?
What is the sett ing (urban center,
residentia l, rura l)?
Are there high traf f ic volumes andspeeds tha t could a ffect pedestria n
use?
Can pedes tr ians cross wi thou t
tr a velling more tha n 120 to 180
met ers (400 to 600 feet ) to a n
intersection or another crossing point?
Are transi t or school bus stops locat ed
along the roadw ay with safe access
a nd crossing?
Is there an opportunity to complete acontiguous system by filling in existing
gaps?
Are there barriers to pedestrian travel
that can be removed or opened (dead-
end routes, blocked pa ssa ges)?
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Design Toolkit
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK
Design ToolkitThe design toolkit provides specific design
guidelines and informa tion organized under
11 toolkit sections:
Toolkit 1 General Design Guidelines
Toolkit 2 Accessibility
Toolkit 3 Children and School Zones
Toolkit 4 Trails and Pathways
Toolkit 5 Sidewalks and Walkways
Toolkit 6 Intersections
Toolkit 7 Crossings
Toolkit 8 Traffic Calming
Toolkit 9 Pedestrian Access to Transit
Toolkit 10 Site Design for Pedestrians
Toolkit 11 Safety in Work Zones
Well designed pedestr ian facili ti es enhance the li vabil it y of our comm un it ies.
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Design Toolkit
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK
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General Design Guidelinesuuuuu1
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK
This section provides an in tr oduction to the
design toolkit by first defining pedestr ian
facilities a ccording to Wa shington law a nd
policy. Next, a brief overview of th e
importa nce of good design for pedestria ns is
provided, followed by a discussion related to
some genera l pedestria n planning a nd design
guidelines tha t ca n be applied on a community
or region w ide ba sis. The design informa tion
presented in t his section provides importa nt
basic guidance for improving overall
conditions for pedestrians in Washington,
thereby encouraging pedestria n tra vel a s an
a lterna tive to single occupant vehicles and
enhan cing our qua lity of life.
This Toolkit Section
Addresses:
Pedestri an Facil it ies Defined
T he Im portan ce of Good Design for
Pedestrians
T he Bi gger Pictu r e Cr eati ng Pedestri an
Fr i endly Comm uni t i es
C reatin g a Conti nu ous Pedestri an System
C reatin g an Ef fective Pedestr ian System
Pedestri an Fr iendl y Str eets
O th er Sour ces of I nform ati on
General Design
Guidelines
uuuuuToolkit 1
Pedestr ian facili ti es in clu de more than ju st sidewal ks, as descr ibed in Tabl e 15.
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Pedestrian Facilities
Defined
The 1994 Washi ngton Stat e Pol i cy Pl an
recognizes that pedestrian facilities are far
more extensive th a n t he simple definition of a
sidewa lk as def ined by Washington la w.
Table 15 compares the expanded definition of
pedestr ian fa cilities to th e definition of a
sidewalk.
The Importance of
Good Design for
Pedestrians
P edestria ns are an in tegral part o f
Washingtons transportation system. The
import a nce of good design not only a pplies to
development of new facilities, but a lso to
improvement a nd ret rofit of existing facilities
for pedestria n use. When pedestria n a ccess is
expa nded a nd existing conditions for
pedestr ian s a re improved, higher numbers of
pedestr ian s can be expected to use thesystem. Resear ch ha s shown tha t well
designed and ma inta ined pedestrian faci li t ies
encoura ge wa lking and promote higher levels
of pedestria n t ra vel.
P edestr ians w an t f ac il it ies tha t a re sa fe,
a t t ra ct ive, convenient , and easy t o use . I f
designed properly, the best public pedestria n
faci li t ies ca n a lso be the most dura ble and th e
easiest t o mainta in . P oor design of pedestrian
fa cilities ca n lead t o perpetua l problems andcan a ctual ly discoura ge use if pedestrians a re
ma de to feel unsa fe, unprotected, or
uncomforta ble. U na tt ra ctive, inadequa te , an d
poorly designed and ma inta ined fa cilities ca n
be an unfortuna te wa ste of money and
resources and a hindra nce to community
vital i ty .
Pedestr ian facil it ies include fur ni shi ngs that
create a pedestr ian fr i end l y atmosphere.
Ta b le 15
Expanded Definition ofPedestrian Facilities
Pedestrian facilities include:
S idewa lks and on-street facil it ies
Wa lkw a y s a n d t r a ils
Curb ra mps
Tra ffic calming and control devices
C rossw a lks
G rad e separa t i on s (such a s
underpasses a nd overpasses)
Wide shou lders in rura l areas
Furnish ings tha t crea te a pedes tr ian
friendly a tm osphere (such as benches
and landscaping)
Other technology, design features, andstra tegies intended to encourage
pedestria n tra vel (such as tra ffic
calming devices including traffic
circles, speed hum ps), plant ing st rips,
shelters, public a rt , and lighting
Source: Washington Stat e Policy Plan, 1994
Definition of sidewalk:
A sidewa lk means property betw een th e
curb lines in the lat eral line of a roa dwa y
a nd adja cent property, set aside andintended for the use of pedestrians or
such portion of private property parallel
a nd in proximity to public highwa y a nd
dedica ted t o use by pedestria ns.
Sour ce: Revised Code of Washin gton (RCW)
46.04.540
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Consider pedestria n fa cilities at the inception
of a ll public a nd priva te projects, a nd a ddress
pedestrian n eeds a s part of the to ta l design
solution. Exa mples of considering pedestria n
facilities at the onset would be creat ing apedestrian circulat ion ma ster plan a s part of
preparing a communit y pla n or project
specific design such as a n interm odal
tr a nsporta tion fa cility. This a llow s for
potential conflicts between transportation
modes related t o safety a nd level of service to
be resolved early on a nd a voids t he problems
of pedestrians being an af t erthought in the
design process.
Consider the cha ra cter and sett ing of thear ea, nearby land use densit ies , orig ins and
destina tions, and t he level of pedestria n use,
including the increa se in use th a t ma y occur
when pedestrian improvements a re insta l led.
Often, decisions not t o inst a ll pedestria n
facilities are short sight ed, ba sed on the
perception tha t a n a rea w ith low pedestria n
use doesnt need improvement. In rea lity,
pedestrians ar e probably not using the syst em
beca use it is not adeq ua tely meeting their
needs under existing conditions. Sometimeslan d use cha nges an d facilities need to be
upgra ded to serve more intensive pedestria n
tr a vel. After conditions ar e improved,
pedestrian use can almost a lwa ys be expected
to increase, bas ed on recent resear ch findings
(see About P edestria ns).
G ood design is an importa nt factor in
incorporat ing pedestr ian s into Wa shingtons
tra nsporta t ion system, but i t can t be
expected t o solve all pedestria n rela ted
problems. Edu cat ion and enforcement are
other importa nt t ools tha t h eighten
a wa reness of pedestria ns. P ro-active
sta tew ide, regional, a nd loca l policy
development t ypically sets t he sta ge for
esta blishing a st ronger focus on pedestr ian
issues and encouraging communities to better
meet pedestr ia n needs. Ta ble 16 describes
th e sta te policy for a chieving a mult imodal
Ta b le 16
State Policy for EncouragingPedestrian Travel
Loca l, regiona l, an d st a te jurisdictions
a ddressing pedestria n issues through
comprehensive planning as required
by the Int ermodal S urface
Tra nsporta tion E fficiency Act (IS TEA)
Considering pedestr ian needs in all
transportation facilities
Reinforcing a sense of neighborhoodand community w ith tra nsporta tion
designs tha t a ccommoda te pedestria n
us e
Ensur ing a connected syst em of
pedestria n routes in urba n a reas
Enh a ncing pedestria n mobility a nd
safety in rural a reas
Defining jurisdictiona l roles in
providing pedestrian facilities
Encouraging land use a nd
transportation development that
a ccommoda tes pedestr ians
P roviding pedestria n facilities tha t
complement local business a ctivity a nd
provide access for employees
Enh a ncing intermoda l a ccess for
persons w ith impaired mobility
Maintaining the existingtra nsporta tion system a dequa tely so
pedestria n use is ma ximized
Source: Washington State Tr ansport ati on Policy
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tra nsporta t ion system tha t encoura ges
pedestrian t ra vel.
The Bigger Picture
Creating PedestrianFriendly Communities
There a re ma ny good sources of informa tion
about how t o plan a nd design pedestria n-
friendly communit ies, as listed a t t he end of
th is toolkit section. Some common
char a cteristics of pedestria n friendly
communities are listed in Table 17.
Ta b le 17
Common Characteristics of Pedestrian Friendly Communities
CoordinationBetween
J urisdictions
Linkages to a Varietyof Land Uses/RegionalConnectivity
ContinuousSystems/Connectivity
Shortened-Trips and
Convenient Access
ContinuousSeparation fromTraffic
PedestrianSupportive LandUse Patterns
Well-FunctioningFacilities
Designated Space
Security andVisibility
P utt ing pedestria n fa cilities in place to meet current a nd future needs
requir es close coordina tion betw een jurisdictions a nd other m odes of
transportation.
P edestria n circula tion a nd a ccess is provided t o shopping ma lls,
tr a nsit , downt own, schools, parks , offices, mixed-use development s,
a nd other community origins a nd destina tions, as w ell a s other
communit ies w ithin t he region, a s illustra ted in Figure 7.
A complete system of interconnected st reets, pedestria n w a lkwa ys, a nd
other pedestria n fa cilities will increase pedestria n t ra vel.
Connections a re provided between popular origins a nd destina tions,
betw een dead-end st reets or cul-de-sa cs, or a s short cuts t hrough openspaces, as illustra ted in Figure 8.
Minimized or elimina ted st reet a nd drivewa y crossings a re provided
a nd w ell defined. Buffers from motor vehicles a nd separ a tion of uses
are provided.
La nd use patt erns, such a s a grid layout or short blocks in business
districts a nd downtow ns enhance pedestria n mobility.
Adequa te width a nd sight dista nce, accessible gra des, a nd alignment t o
a void blind corner s a re provided. Common problems, such a s poor
drainage, are avoided.
P edestria n facilities should be well delinea ted, signed, and ma rked.
Design to ensure a secure environment for pedestr ians is import a nt.
Light ing, increa sed visibility, open sight -lines, an d a ccess to police a nd
emergency vehicles, and locating pedestria n fa cilities adjacent t o
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Ta b le 17(Continued)
Automobile is notthe Only
Consideration
NeighborhoodTraffic Calming
Accessible andAppropriatelyLocated Transit
Lively PublicSpaces
Character
Scenic
Opportunities
PedestrianFurnishings
Street Trees andLandscaping
DesignRequirements
ProperMaintenance
St reets are designed for a ll modes of tra nsporta tion. P a rking supply is
reduced or ma na ged using methods tha t encoura ge wa lking.
Na rrowed st reets lined w ith trees, tr a ffic circles, curb bulbs, neck-
downs, a nd other t echniques can lower vehicle speeds a nd creat e safer
conditions for pedestrians.
Siting of tra nsit fa cilities adjacent to work, residentia l ar eas, shopping,
a nd recrea tional fa cilities encourages pedestria n tr ips. Tra nsit st ops
a nd centers should typically be loca ted in a reas of support ing densities
(4 to 7 unit s per acre minimum ). Development of a dequa te pedestr ia n
facilities to access tra nsit is essentia l to their success as a n a lterna tive
mode of travel.
Secure, a tt ra ctive, a nd a ctive spa ces provide focal points in thecommunit y wh ere people can ga ther a nd intera ct. P edestr ian pocket
parks a nd plaza s a re examples.
P reservat ion of importa nt cultura l, historic, and ar chitectura l
resources strength ens community herita ge and char a cter.
Att ra ctive environments a nd scenic views encourage pedestria n use,
part icular ly when facilities are oriented tow ar d them.
P roviding furnishings, such a s benches, restr ooms, drinking founta ins,
ar tw ork a nd other elements, creat es a more at tra ctive and functional
environment for pedestria ns.
St reet trees bring human scale to the street environment.
La ndscaping and flowers in plant ing strips, containers, a nd other
a reas soften surrounding har d edges of buildings a nd par king lots a nd
a dd life, color, a nd t extur e to the pedestria n's field of vision.
G uidelines and a dopted sta nda rds a re followed a nd, if deviat ed from,
justified and documented.
Frequent cleanup a nd repair on a regular ba sis ensures ongoing,
consistent use.
Common Characteristics of Pedestrian Friendly Communities (Continued)
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Creating a Continuous
Pedestrian System
The pedestr ian t ra nsporta tion system in
Wa shington sh ould be consistent a cross
jurisdictiona l boundaries a nd public and
privat e developments. Regiona l and loca l
pedestria n syst ems need to be pla nned,
designed, and constructed to provide a
comprehensive net w ork of tr a vel options for
pedestrians.
The design guidelines in th is guidebook
encoura ge more consistent design of
pedestria n facilities throughout the sta te, but
th e responsibility to develop an d support a
seamless pedestrian tra nsporta t ion netw ork
lies with everyone. U nder current sta te la w ,
local jurisdictions ha ve the aut hority t o
require property owners a nd developers t o
provide sidew a lks (Washin gton State Poli cy
Plan). Ta rgeting public funding so tha t
str a tegica lly located projects ca n be designed
a nd built to fill in the gaps between privat e
development is one way to help improve the
overa ll syst em. Retrofit of existing area s
wh ere pedestria n facilities are inadequa te is
a nother importa nt st ep. The development of a
seamless pedestr ian s ystem w ill be the result
of both public and privat e investment
thr oughout n eighborhoods a nd communit ies.
Coordina tion betw een a gencies, governments,
a nd priva te entit ies is critical t o the success of
regiona l pedestria n systems. School districts,
utility companies, priva te corpora tions, and
local a gencies need to w ork together a t t he
onset of tr a nsport at ion a nd development
projects to rea ch the best solut ions for a ll
int erests involved. Consider th e needs of
pedestria ns t hroughout project planning,
design, and development processes a t a ll
levels , with part icular in terest towa rd
increa sing pedestr ian sa fety and mobility, a nd
improving the pedestrian netw ork overall .
Creating an Effective
Pedestrian System
P edestrian sy stems a nd facilities need to be
functiona l a nd effectively used by pedestrian s.
The National Bi cycle and Walki ng Study
conducted by the US D epa rtm ent of
Tra nsporta tion in 1992 provides a broa d
a pproa ch in its description of ma king a
pedestria n system effective. The study sta tes:
P edestria n fa cilities both encourage people to
wa lk and improve pedestria n safety a long
certa in routes. The fa cilities must be well-
designed a nd ma inta ined to be effective, a nd
must include the following feat ures:
Widened pav ed shoul ders to all ow safer
tr avel for pedestri ans;
Sidewal ks, paths or w alkw ays wh ich are
wi de, relati vely clear of obstru ctions and
separ ated fr om tr affi c lanes;
Gr ade separ ated pedestr ia n cr ossings,
wh ich ar e clear ly j usti fi ed, since such
facil it i es go un used or cr eate il legal str eetcrossin g behavi or by pedestr ia ns if n ot
pr oper ly plan ned, d esigned a nd located;
Pedestri an mal ls whi ch ar e well-pl ann ed
wi th r espect to comm ercial development ,
tr aff ic cir culat ion and visual appeal;
Pr oper design and oper ati on of t r affi c and
pedestri an signal s, in clud in g pedestri an
push but tons, wh er e appr opria te;
Barr iers th at ph ysical ly separate
pedestri ans from m otor vehicle tr affi c at
sel ected l ocati ons; (see page 30)
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General Design Guidelinesuuuuu1
P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK
F igu r e 7
Creating an Effective Pedestrian System
1 Loca te par king near t he buildings they
serve.
2 Dr op-off zones a re most convenient w hen
located a s close to the primary entra nce to
th e building as possible. P rovide curb
cuts for pedestrian a ccessibility.
Wa lkwa ys sh ould be unobstr ucted.
Access to drop-off area s, par king, a nd
building entr ies should be direct a nd
convenient.
3 P rovide site entra nces tha t a re well
defined and conveniently located in
relat ion to the site a nd th e building.
4 Use clear a nd easy to read signage to
direct pedestrians to their origins a nd
destinations.
5 P rovide building entr ies tha t a re clearly
identified and accessible. L oca te public
fa cilities (restrooms, phones, drinkin g
founta ins) near entry wa ys an d accessible
routes.
6 Loca te w a iting a reas w ithin 90 m (300 ft)
of building ent ries. Avoid tr a ffic
congestion. Overhead shelters or
a wn ings next t o buildings provide
protection from weat her. P rovide
adequa te seat ing and lighting.
7 P rovide resting a reas w here pedestria ns
must walk
long
distances.
Benches and
other
furnishings
should notencroach on
walkways.
8 Provide
walkways
a long clea r a nd direct routes throughout
the site. Surfa ces should be fir