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Number 181                                                                                             May 1998U.S. Department of TransportationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590

ZONE GUIDE FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY SHOWS HOW TO MAKE SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENTS
Public officials are constantly on the lookout for new ways to make       the nation's roadways safer for walkers. With increasingly scarce funds,       however, it simply is not possible to implement many of these ideas if       they must be applied to an entire commun-ity. The zone process provides a       systematic method for targeting pedestrian safety improvements in a cost       effective manner. It involves defining relative-ly small geographic areas,       or zones, where a relatively large proportion of the problem occurs. Then,       a countermeasure program is applied only in the selected zones, targeting       the locations with the biggest crash problems.The National Highway       Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway       Administration (FHWA) sponsored a research study to apply the safety zone       concept to reducing crashes involving older (65+) adult pedestrians. That       study, released earlier this year, developed procedures for defining       pedestrian safety zones, and developed, implemented, and evaluated a       countermeasure program in Phoenix, Arizona and Chicago, Illinois (see       Traffic Tech 174, March 1998). Older pedestrian crashes were reduced by       more than 46 percent in target zones.As a second part of the       study, Dunlap and Associates prepared a concise how-to document, Zone       Guide for Pedestrian Safety. The Guide describes step-by-step procedures       officials can use in applying the zone process to their community's       pedestrian safety problems.Steps In Defining Zones       - Step 1. Select the crash problem         
- Step 2. Map the pedestrian crashes         
- Step 3. Define zones         
- Step 4. Calculate efficiency measure and select final zones       
Steps in Using Zones       - Step 5. Evaluate zones and identify resources         
- Step 6. Select program activities         
- Step 7. Implement program activities         
- Step 8. Monitor program activities 
Defining Zones       The first step is to pick the pedestrian crash problem that the community       wants to address. Determine if there are excessive pedestrian crashes       involving young children, working adults, or maybe the elderly. Then, map       the pedestrian crashes either manually or with a computerized mapping       system, if one is available.Since most pedestrian crashes occur       within one mile of the victim's home or place of business, circular zones       with a radius of one mile are good geometric choices. Decide on a minimum       number of crashes within a particular zone for your community. These rates       will vary by the size of your community. Linear or rectangular zones that       meet a defined rate can also be used.Finally, calculate an efficiency measure for the selected zones to       determine if it is practical to apply countermeasures in the zones. This       is really just a calculation of the percentages of both crashes and land       area. If the ratio of the percent of the problem to the percent of the       land area covered in the zones is much less than three, the zones may need       to be reexamined to try to improve their efficiency. An efficiency ratio       of three to one or higher (for example, in Phoenix 54.8 percent of the 65+       year old crashes occurred in 4.6 percent of the jurisdic-tion's land area)       will almost certainly have a good benefit.Using Zones       Once the zones are selected, they must be examined to determine how       they can be used. The problems and resources in each zone need to be       identified. Program activities need to be selected, developed as       necessary, implemented, and monitored.The first step here is to       review each zone to assess the pedestrian safety problems that exist and       the resources that are available to help solve the problem. Start with a       review of the police report for each zone crash to determine the nature of       the crash and factors that might have caused it. Then drive or walk       through the zones to identify where engineering improvements can be made.       The Guide includes checklists for these activities.Activities that       can be applied in defined, small areas are best suited for zoning. Some       examples are:       - engineering improvements such as new signs or signals; parking         setbacks; installing or refreshing crosswalks; improving roadway         lighting; or trimming shrubbery or trees         
- distributing posters or flyers to homes, businesses, libraries,         senior centers, medical offices and other areas in the zone         
- targeting enforcement efforts in the zones         
- making presentations and giving training programs to target         populations that congregate in the zonesOnce the countermeasure         ideas are in place, it is time to implement the program and to monitor         its success.The Guide highlights examples of successful         pedestrian safety zone programs and includes charts, checklists, and         some sample flyers. In Phoenix, by distributing materials in the zones         rather than the entire city, it was estimated that more than $200,000         was saved. The Guide will be useful for any organization seeking to         enhance pedestrian safety in their communities, whether it's on a large         scale or a smaller neighborhood one.HOW TO ORDERFor a         copy of Zone Guide for Pedestrian Safety (14 pages), write to the Office         of Research and Traffic Records, NHTSA, NTS-31, 400 Seventh Street,         S.W., Washington, DC 20590, or send a fax to (202) 366-7096. Marv Levy         was the contract manager for this project, email:         mlevy@nhtsa.dot.gov                U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety         Administration 400 Seventh Street, S.W. NTS-31 Washington, DC         20590Traffic Tech is a publication to disseminate information         about traffic safety programs, including evaluations, innovative         programs, and new publications. Feel free to copy it as you wish. If you         would like to receive a copy contact: Linda Cosgrove, Ph.D., Editor,         Evaluation Staff Traffic Safety Programs (202) 366-2759, fax (202)         366-7096 E-MAIL: lcosgrove@nhtsa.dot.gov 
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