What is urbanism? In short, it is the study of how the inhabitants of an urban area interact with their towns and cities. Here are some of the things I’ve found interesting over the past week related to biking in cities, cycling infrastructure, and urbanism. My job here might be as a tech editor, but I’ve also spent tons of time studying transportation, city planning, and engineering. But if your community is remotely serious about making streets safer for walking or biking, it’s time to pick that low-hanging fruit and implement an LPI. The need to address how people get around the city – and the state – will continue to evolve. And with studies showing that an overwhelming majority of accidents between cars and pedestrians or cyclists happen in intersections, an LPI is low-hanging fruit. Bikes in the lane before cars make it obvious to drivers that they can’t turn right or left until the lane is clear. Having cyclists enter the intersection before cars (and at the same time as pedestrians) makes them more visible to drivers, and thus safer. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) says that reprogramming traffic signals to accommodate an LPI can cost between $200 and $1200 per intersection, a drop in the bucket compared to how much pedestrian or bicyclist injuries cost a city. Another study from the NYC DOT found that 89 percent of bicyclists injured or killed in vehicle crashes were struck by drivers in intersections, showing just how effective that 37 percent reduction could be. One study from the New York State DOT found that adding an LPI reduced the number of bicyclists killed or severely injured by 37 percent. This intersection in particular had a signal specifically for people biking, which activated at the same time as the pedestrian signal. The video above demonstrates just how much space is given to people walking, despite three to seven seconds not sounding like a whole lot of time. If you have an LPI, both pedestrians and cyclists get a head start over cars. In most places, these pedestrian signals are in sync with road traffic signals. 1909 allows bike riders to cross at the same time as when pedestrian signals go from the orange yield hand to the white crossing signal. In the case of allowing people biking to cross before a car, however, it certainly does help. What does pedestrian safety have to do with cyclist safety?Ĭhanges to pedestrian safety do not guarantee safety for people biking. And now in California, an LPI also prioritizes people biking. There’s no major infrastructure building that needs to happen, just a comparatively inexpensive adjustment to signal timing to prioritize the safety of people walking. Implementing an LPI at an intersection is an easy way to make streets safer for people walking. Yet another study in San Francisco showed the intersection with the highest rates of pedestrian injuries from left-turn vehicle crashes saw incidents drop to zero. One more study in San Francisco saw that giving pedestrians a head start reduced the number of times a car driver cut off a pedestrian by up to 98 percent. One study from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) shows that leading pedestrian intervals can reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions by as much as 46.2 percent simply by making them more visible to drivers.Īnother study from the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) showed that intersections using an LPI reduced collisions between pedestrians and vehicles as well, with the number of serious injuries going down for both people walking. This is often called an LPI, or Leading Pedestrian Interval.Īllowing people on the sidewalk to begin crossing the street while cars are stopped in all directions offers several advantages. In California, signals and intersections that detect traffic (sometimes called a traffic-actuated signal) are required to give pedestrians a three to seven second head start before the signal turns green for road traffic. Benjamin Miller, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons) What is a Leading Pedestrian Interval? (Photo: D. As it turns out, the LPI is one of the easiest ways to make streets safer for people biking. According to the California Bicycle Coalition, people biking will now be able to cross intersections whenever pedestrians are allowed to go. 1909, which went into effect January 1st. LPIs were one of the most important parts of California Bill A.B. But one of the easiest ways to make streets safer is with the Leading Pedestrian Interval, or an LPI. Bike lanes are an obvious one, as are simply adding sidewalks that are wide enough for pedestrians to feel comfortable. There are many ways to improve safety on streets for people not driving. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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