Free Pedestrian Safety Assessments for California Communities

According to Berkley’s Institute of Transportation Studies, The primary objectives of a Pedestrian Safety Assessment (PSA) are:

• To improve pedestrian safety in a city or county
• To create safe, comfortable, accessible, welcoming environments for pedestrians
• To enhance the walk-ability and economic vitality of local districts

To meet these objectives, the Tech Transfer Program, also found at the following website; http://www.techtransfer.berkeley.edu/pedsafety provides free Pedestrian Safety Assessments, in which evaluators will review your city or county’s pedestrian safety conditions, programs, and needs, and suggest new strategies to improve pedestrian safety.

Any city or county agency in California can initiate a request for a PSA.  After a thorough interview of local agency staff, a team of two pedestrian safety experts will visit the city or county for one day to conduct an evaluation using the comprehensive Guide for Conducting Pedestrian Safety Assessments to help the communities achieve the objectives listed above.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  So, how is the Assessment Conducted?  First, a team of two pedestrian safety experts conducts the assessment and prepares a report.  These two safety experts perform field observations, analyze relevant data and information, and hold discussions with the city’s key staff and representatives.

Next, the evaluators review the city’s current pedestrian safety-related programs, with a view to increasing the overall effectiveness of the programs. After completing the one-day visit, the two evaluators prepare a report for the city summarizing their findings and suggestions.  This report presents the findings and suggestions for improvements derived from the following:

• Benchmarking analysis of the community’s existing pedestrian programs, policies, and practices
• Field walking audit at various locations in the city

The benchmarking analysis aims to provide the city with information on current best practices and how the city compares.  A walking audit is conducted at various locations, as determined in coordination with city staff.  The observations made during the walking audit are used to suggest policies and physical improvements that could enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility, and in some instances, economic vitality.

Many suggestions in the PSA report may be appropriate for grant applications, including OTS or Safe-Routes-to-School funding.  The suggestions for improvement may also be used as the starting point for a Pedestrian Master Plan, a document that would set forth pedestrian and streetscape policies for the city and identify and prioritize capital improvement projects.

Finally, if you are wondering what kinds of safety issues can the PSA Addresses, look no further. Pedestrian safety issues that PSAs address includes the following:

• Bicycle safety and planning
• School safety, Safe-Routes-to-School Program and grant funding
• Collision history and collision reporting practices
• Pedestrian safety education program
• Enforcement of pedestrian right-of-way laws and speed limits
• Inventory of sidewalks, informal pathways, and key pedestrian opportunity areas
• Adoption of open space requirements
• Walking audits
• Proper use of pedestrian traffic control devices (signs, markings, and signals)
• Adoption of bicycle parking requirements
• Pedestrian-oriented speed limits and speed surveys
• Adoption of street tree requirements
• Pedestrian-oriented traffic signal and stop sign warrants
• Coordination with health agencies
• Historic sites
• Implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements
• Crosswalk installation, removal, and enhancement policy
• Preparation of a Pedestrian Master Plan
• Crossing barriers
• Collection of pedestrian volumes
• Traffic calming programs Resources