October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, dedicated to raising awareness about pedestrian safety for all people, including those who are blind or low vision. Pedestrian Safety Month also includes White Cane Safety Day on October 15, during which communities across the country bring attention to their state’s White Cane Law requiring drivers stop for pedestrians using a white cane or a guide dog.
White Cane Safety Day is an important piece of the puzzle in keeping pedestrians safe, but it only impacts a small percentage of all pedestrians. Everyone is a pedestrian some of the time. For the 31% of Wisconsin residents who do not drive, pedestrian safety is a critical issue that affects them every day.
Advocating for pedestrian safety in your neighborhood and community is a great way to begin to get involved in local policy-making. One effective tool for bringing pedestrian safety hazards to the attention of local officials is to take them on a walk audit. A walk audit is an assessment of the walkability of a specific area. By using this free walk audit tool kit from AARP, you can show your local elected officials and community leaders exactly how and where a lack of pedestrian safety features impacts your day-to-day life.
During National Pedestrian Safety Month, we encourage everyone to scan their community to find where potentially life-saving pedestrian safety features are needed. Here are a few of the features that can make a difference.
Connected Sidewalk Networks
A connected sidewalk network exists when someone can walk everywhere they need to go on the sidewalk. That includes having sidewalks on both sides of the street. Sidewalks should be even with no large cracks or chunks sticking out. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that they be at least four feet wide when possible. Shared use paths must be at least 10 feet wide.
If a neighborhood doesn’t have adequate sidewalks on one or both sides of the road, pedestrians must either cross multiple streets to get to get where they’re going or walk in the roadway, putting them in increased danger.
Curb Cuts
A curb cut is the ramp that connects the sidewalk and the street, usually leading into a crosswalk. Curb cuts are not only essential to people who use mobility devices but are vital to telling white cane users where the sidewalk ends and where they can safely cross the street.
Most sidewalks already have curb cuts at almost all crosswalks, but not all curb cuts are created equally. Newer federal pedestrian right-of-way guidelines call for curb cuts to include a tactile warning field and be painted a high contrast color, like yellow.
Curb cuts are most useful when they are placed in alignment with the crosswalk. If the curb cut is placed in the corner of the sidewalk, a pedestrian might unintentionally walk diagonally through the intersection and into danger.
The best time to ask your town or municipality to improve the curb cuts in your neighborhood is when they begin to plan upgrades to the sidewalks. It is much easier to ask government officials to tear out an old curb cut and replace it with a more accessible one when they are already replacing the sidewalk attached to it.
Zebra Stripe Crosswalk
Zebra stripe crosswalks, also known as continental crosswalks, are crosswalks that are displayed as thick lines through an intersection perpendicular to the crosswalk, instead of just two lines connecting two sides of the road. In addition to simple zebra stripes, continental crosswalks can also be turned into a public art project, such as a rainbow or other design.
Zebra stripe crosswalks are designed to be more visible to drivers, meaning they will be more likely to stop a proper distance from a crosswalk. They are also more visible at night, because more reflective road paint is used.
Signalized Pedestrian Crossings
Signalized pedestrian crossings are crosswalks with signals that are controlled by the pedestrian to indicate they are ready to cross the road. They can be found at traffic lights and at non-controlled intersections with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB). Signalized pedestrian crossings make crosswalks even more visible to drivers and help pedestrians know when it is safe to cross.
The best signalized pedestrian signals are audible ones that help people who are blind or low vision know when it is safe to cross. They should also include tactile information like a raised arrow to better indicate where and how to activate the signal.
Signalized pedestrian crossings are expensive, so getting one installed can be a tough ask. The best time to advocate for signalized pedestrian crossings is when local officials update the stop light or signal itself. If a main street with a busy intersection is being updated, that is the time to talk with your transportation officials.
No Turn on Red
By default, right turns are allowed at all stoplights unless there is a sign stating otherwise. Right turns on red can be dangerous for pedestrians as drivers look to the left to watch for cars and miss the pedestrian crossing the street right in front of them.
Under state law, towns and cities cannot ban all right turns on red. Instead, they must apply to have a specific intersection designated as “no turn on red.” Because “no turn on red” signs can only be placed in certain intersections, it’s important to identify where those signs will be most useful.
The best place to implement no turn on red is an intersection where drivers may be approaching at a higher speed, especially at intersections that have a dedicated right turn lane.
It’s important to remember that while these road features undoubtedly make our roads safer for pedestrians, city leaders cannot engineer their way to pedestrian safety completely. Pedestrian safety needs to start with drivers, and more needs to be done on a local, state and federal levels to encourage safer driving and greater awareness of pedestrians.
More information about Pedestrian Safety Month and White Cane Safety Day are available on our website at WCBlind.org/Events/Pedestrian-Safety-Month-And-White-Cane-Safety-Day. You can learn more about how to work with local leaders to bring these features to your community on our advocacy page at WCBlind.org/Advocacy.
