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30 <br />LRRB <br />Local Operational Research Assistance Program (OPERA) for <br />Local Transportation Groups <br />Field Report <br />Date: June 24, 2013 <br />Project Title: In-Pavement LED Pedestrian Crossing Operations and Effectiveness <br />Project Number: 2011-04 <br />Agency: City of St. Anthony Village <br />Person Completing Report: Janelle L Borgen <br />Project Leader: Jay Hartman <br />Phone Number: (612) 782-3302 <br />Problem: <br />Pedestrian and vehicle conflicts are a severe and dangerous problem at many locations <br />in Minnesota. Life threatening situations can arise when pedestrians try to cross at a <br />location and vehicles fail to yield the right of way. This can make pedestrians more <br />aggressive as they wait or enter the crosswalk and expect vehicles to stop because it is <br />state law. As part of recent societal trend toward environmentally conscious lifestyles, <br />cities are encouraging more citizens to walk or bike to their destinations. This has <br />increased the number of conflicts in urban areas where heavy traffic occurs during peak <br />hour periods that coincide with the start and end of school and work days as well as <br />extra-curricular activities at recreational fields and centers. <br />Through observation and resident complaints, the mid-block crossing on Silver Lake <br />Road at 34th Ave NE was identified as a dangerous location with many pedestrian- <br />vehicle conflicts and the potential of a severe accident. <br />There are many new technologies emerging that claim to be effective in increasing driver <br />compliance with the state law and minimizing potential dangerous and life threatening <br />situations. One such system that was attractive to City staff, because of its aesthetically <br />pleasing quality, is in-pavement lighting (LED's). The technology has proven effective in <br />other parts of the country; however, Minnesota has an extreme climate and unique driver <br />behavior so this project set out to evaluate the effectiveness as well as to document <br />maintenance tasks over the first 9 months of operation. <br />Solution: The implemented system warns motorists they are approaching an active <br />pedestrian crossing either occupied by pedestrians or about to be occupied by <br />pedestrians. The system includes three primary components: a push button activation <br />mechanism, bi-directionalln-pavement LED's, and pedestrian crossing blinker signs. <br />Procedure to Evaluate Operational Effectiveness: In order to evaluate the <br />effectiveness of the pedestrian crossing enhancements before and after counts were <br />performed and compared. The before counts occurred in March of 2012 and the after <br />counts were performed in May of 2013. Crosswalk usage condition definitions were <br />created as follows: