New crosswalk technology improves pedestrian safety Congress’s
ongoing debate over whether to include funding for pedestrian
and bicycle infrastructure in the next transportation bill does
not change the fact that pedestrian traffic deaths are
unacceptably high. Sixty-seven percent of the more than 47,000
pedestrian fatalities from 2000 to 2009 occurred on federal-aid
roadways. These numbers clearly indicate there should be a
federal interest in funding pedestrian safety measures. Many
state and local governments are not waiting for the federal
funding bill, but are moving forward to improve pedestrian
safety, particularly at intersections and mid-block crossings.
Fortunately, recently approved technological advances in
intersection design and signalization are improving pedestrian
safety and motorist behavior. The traveling public, both
motorized and nonmotorized, are encountering these new
technologies with increasing frequency. Improvements may not
even be visible such as passive pedestrian detectors that