UCLA

In dense urban areas, collisions involving pedestrians and vehicles present a significant challenge for public health. Achieving pedestrian safety is complicated because countless intersection roadway characteristics—traffic control devices, roadway geometry, and sociodemographic and behavioral decision-making—can influence pedestrian-vehicle collisions (PVCs). In the past, studies have examined influences of multiple roadway, sociodemographic, and built environment factors on PVCs. Few studies, however, specifically examine relationships, ‘at’ or ‘near’ intersections, where pedestrian collisions frequently occur. This study measures the influences of multiple intersection roadway characteristics—including various built environment, traffic control devices, and sociodemographic descriptors of neighborhoods surrounding the intersection sites—on pedestrian-vehicle collisions (PVCs) in Washington D.C. from 2010 to 2014.

Using collision and roadway attribute data sets obtained from the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, the District Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Census, this study consisted of four stages of analysis: 1. archival review of all PVCs, 2. spatial mapping, 3. negative binomial regression modeling, and 4. field observations of seven intersections with the highest number of PVCs over pedestrian demand index (PDI). Findings include some significant relationships between multiple intersection roadway characteristics and PVCs. Based on the findings of this analysis, some countermeasures—such as updating the PDI annually, extending the sidewalks, and increasing the number of streetlights, area of sidewalk, and raised crosswalks—are recommended to enhance pedestrian safety at roadway intersections.