July 09, 2004

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Publication Date: Friday, July 09, 2004

Marked crosswalks too risky for pedestrians?

Those stripes in crosswalks that pedestrians think protect them in crossing busy roadways are being painted out - at least in two Pleasanton locations - because statistics show that they may do just the opposite.

Traffic Engineer Jeff Knowles said he has ordered crews to grind off painted pedestrian crosswalks at two heavily used locations: ¥ Santa Rita Road, from Francisco Street near Valley Avenue across to the Safeway shopping center; and ¥ The crest of Bernal Avenue, mid-way between Kottinger and Palomino drives, linking walkways on the east end of Kottinger Park to the west end.

"These places will still remain as crosswalks, but there just won't be any striping there," Knowles said. "Three decades of research has shown that painted crosswalks actually increase traffic collisions for pedestrians."

He cited a recent study in San Diego at the same intersection that showed pedestrians crossing in a painted crosswalk have six to eight times more accidents than those on the other side of the corner where there were no markings.

Without a painted crosswalk, he said pedestrians will be more cautious in crossing streets, not assuming that because they are within a striped crosswalk that cars will see them more easily and always stop.

In a study by the Anaheim Department of Public Works, traffic engineers found that marked crosswalks were giving pedestrians a false sense of security. Even though the state Vehicle Code requires motorists to yield to pedestrians, the Anaheim engineers said that in "both marked and unmarked crosswalks, it is the pedestrians' responsibility to be cautious and alert while crossing."

Case studies by several other cities, including Sacramento and Richmond, Va., however, found that drivers approach a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk somewhat slower, and that crosswalk usage increases after markings are installed.

"Frankly, I'm not a fan of marked crosswalks," Knowles said. "Traffic engineers throughout California have been taking out many marked crosswalks because they are likely to be more unsafe.

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