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E l l I <br />Mid -block Crossings <br />Design Guidelines <br />1) The preferred location for pedestrian crossings <br />is at intersections. However, mid -block pedes- <br />trian crossings can be considered and installed <br />under certain conditions. Decisions to install <br />mid -block crosswalks and refuges should be <br />based on appropriate traffic "warrants" to <br />minimize potential adverse effects of inappropri- <br />ately placed crossings. <br />d) provide visual cues that <br />allow approaching motor- <br />ists to anticipate pedestrian <br />activity and unexpected <br />stopped vehicles; <br />e) help channel pedestri- <br />ans to the nearest available <br />crossing point; <br />f) help facilitate access to <br />and use of public transit; <br />g) help motorists identify <br />important school cross- <br />ings; and <br />h) make pedestrian behav- <br />ior more predictable. <br />2) Mid -block crossings may be used to provide <br />street- crossing points for pedestrians on major <br />streets in areas with infrequent intersection <br />crossings or where the nearest intersection <br />crossing creates substantial out -of- direction travel. <br />3) Where warrants are met, mid -block crossings <br />can be used to: <br />a) provide pedestrians with reasonable <br />opportunities to cross streets during periods <br />of heavy traffic, and when there are few <br />naturally occurring gaps in the approaching <br />traffic streams; <br />b) provide pedestrians reasonable crossing <br />places when there are long distances be- <br />tween signalized intersections; <br />c) meet the needs of pedestrians crossing <br />between high pedestrian generators, such as <br />a parking lot on one side of the street serving <br />an office complex or hospital on the other <br />side of the street; <br />4) Generally, an engineer- <br />ing evaluation will be used <br />to determine the need for mid -block crossings <br />on major streets where one or more of the <br />following conditions exist: <br />a) protected intersection crossings are spaced <br />greater than 600 feet, or so that crosswalks are <br />located more than 400 feet apart in high pedes- <br />trian volume locations, or areas with frequent <br />elderly and school pedestrian traffic, and <br />b) speeds on the roadway are 40 m.p.h. or <br />less with pedestrian crossing volumes (for <br />peak four hours) exceeding 25 on streets with <br />average daily traffic (ADT) volumes exceed- <br />ing 10,000. At locations where significant <br />numbers of pedestrians are children, elderly, <br />or disabled, minimum crossing thresholds are <br />10 pedestrians per hour (peak four hours) on <br />streets with average daily traffic (ADT) <br />65 <br />This cold -block crossing Improves pedestrian safety on <br />Wlilakenzle Road near Sheldon High school <br />