Road User Behaviors at Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons

Abstract

The pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB) has shown great potential in improving safety and driver yielding; however, questions have been asked about actual driver and pedestrian behavior. A data set reflecting more than 78 h of video data recorded at 20 locations included 1,979 pedestrians crossing during 1,149 PHB actuations. For the 20 sites, driver yielding to pedestrians averaged 96%. For the majority of the pedestrians who left during the dark indication (124 of 1,979, which was 6%), the roadway volume was such that the pedestrian was able to find sufficient gaps (fewer than four vehicles/min/lane for the majority of these crossings). Overall, 91% of the pedestrians pushed the pushbutton. A greater number of pedestrians activated the device on a road with a posted speed limit of 45 mph compared with roads with a posted speed limit of 40 mph or less. When the equivalent hourly volume was 1,500 vehicles/h or more, the percentage of pedestrians activating the PHB was always 92% or more. The conflict rate was found to be higher for noncompliant pedestrians than for compliant pedestrians. More conflicts occurred at locations with nearby bus stops or driveways.