Impact of Intersection Design on Pedestrians’ Choice to Cross on Red

Abstract

The existing research and modeling applications for predicting pedestrians’ decision to cross on red at signalized intersections have most commonly modeled this decision as a function of pedestrian characteristics (such as age and mobility restrictions), traffic conditions, and signal delay. For this study, field observations suggested that the physical configuration of the crosswalk should also be an important predictor of the decision to cross on red, because pedestrians should be less likely to cross on red at major intersections with longer crosswalks. In addition, the overall configuration and complexity of the signal also have an impact on signal compliance. The study tested these hypotheses by collecting video data of pedestrian behavior at signalized intersections in Washington, D.C., and by building a binary logit model to predict the probability of crossing on red. The study found that certain signal phases, such as protected left turns, were strongly correlated with a higher probability of crossing on red. The study also found that the length of crosswalks was inversely correlated with the probability of crossing on red. Through tests of the model's predictive accuracy under various specifications, the design variables (e.g., geometry and types of signal phases) were found to be key in improving the model's predictive ability. The findings offer insights for the design of signalized intersections and shed light on the complexity of the relationship between crossing on red and pedestrian safety, because some characteristics that are associated with a lower incidence of pedestrian crashes are also associated with more crossing on red.