SAFE TRANSPORTATION FOR EVERY PEDESTRIAN CASE STUDY

Figure 1. Graphic. There are several options for raised 

crosswalk profiles. The sinusoidal profile (top example) 

is easiest for snowplows to maneuver due to its curving 

slope that transitions gently from the road surface to the 

top of the raised crosswalk. 

Agencies Design Raised Crosswalks for 

Snow, Rain, and Heavy Vehicles 

KEY ELEMENTS:

 Pedestrian Crosswalk Improvements

Maintenance Practices

Raised crosswalks reduce vehicle speeds, promote 

driver yielding, and enhance the conspicuity of 

uncontrolled pedestrian crossings. They can also 

reduce pedestrian crashes up to 45 percent. However, 

agencies may have concerns about addressing winter 

maintenance, drainage effects, and emergency and 

transit vehicle routing when implementing raised 

crosswalks. While these factors are important to 

consider, raised crosswalks can still be effective in a 

variety of sites and climates. 

WINTER MAINTENANCE 

Concerns surrounding winter maintenance 

are often a primary cause for hesitance 

when an agency considers implementing 

a raised crosswalk. These concerns include 

the maintenance equipment damaging the 

raised crosswalk and vice versa. 

A traffic calming survey in over 250 

Canadian municipalities found that 

79 percent of agencies reported no 

deterioration in infrastructure due to snow 

removal.1 However, if concerns persist, 

there are potential solutions. The design of 

the profile of a raised crosswalk allows for 

approach slopes that are either straight, 

parabolic, or sinusoidal. A slope with a 

sinusoidal profile is easier for snowplows to 

maneuver while adequately removing snow 

and ice from the crosswalk. Additionally, 

the New York City Department of 

Transportation recommends using signage 

to alert winter maintenance vehicle 

operators to the raised crossing.2

The City of Cambridge, Massachusetts 

implemented raised crosswalks on 

Berkshire Street and Granite Street.3 The 

City installed bollards at the edges of 

the raised crosswalk on Granite Street to 

alert snowplow operators to its presence 

and location. The City has not noted any 

maintenance problems at either location 

and continues to monitor them, especially 

throughout the winter months.

Snowplow operators must adapt their 

usual methods when they encounter a 

raised crosswalk, adjusting the positioning 

of the blade to avoid damaging the 

crosswalk. This can require additional time 

clear the roadway and may affect winter 

maintenance activities. 

For more information, please contact:

Becky Crowe, FHWA Office of Safety

Rebecca.Crowe@dot.gov, 202.507.3699

Source: FHWA
Case Study: Raised Crosswalk Design Considerations 

STEP: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/step/

INCORPORATING DRAINAGE 

Winter maintenance concerns may only 

affect a portion of agencies, however, all 

agencies shuold consider drainage when 

implementing raised crosswalks. Raised 

crosswalks can disrupt existing drainage 

patterns because they extend from curb to 

curb across the entire width of the roadway. 

Roadway grade and existing infrastructure 

are important characteristics that can affect 

a raised crosswalk’s impact on drainage.4

A raised crosswalk should be placed 

so existing catch basins are located 

immediately upstream of the crossing. 

Depending on the existing infrastructure, 

additional catch basins may be required. 

The Georgia DOT Pedestrian and 

Streetscape Guide recommends covering 

the grates of flat caps as an alternative 

measure for trench drains. This creates a 

continuous walking surface from curb to 

curb.5

EMERGENCY VEHICLE ROUTES

Raised crosswalks are typically not 

recommended on primary emergency 

vehicle routes due to their effect on vehicle 

speeds. The Institute of Transportation 

Engineers estimates that a raised 

crosswalk will result in approximately 3 

seconds of delay for a standard fire truck.6

However, most fire departments prefer 

raised crosswalks other vertical deflection 

measures such as speed humps. Agency 

discussions with public safety and 

emergency response stakeholders should 

consider the tradeoffs between reduced 

emergency vehicle speed and increased 

pedestrian safety. 

TRANSIT VEHICLE ROUTES

Agencies should also consider the 

placement of raised crosswalks along 

transit routes because of the potential 

effect on transit vehicle speeds. The FHWA 

Traffic Calming ePrimer notes that raised 

crosswalks can be used on bus routes 

where the operating speed is 25 miles per 

hour (mph) or lower (raised crosswalks can 

normally be implemented on roadways up 

to 30 mph). Additionally, raised crosswalks 

should not be placed near bus stops. This is 

to avoid the risk of passengers falling while 

transitioning between sitting and standing 

as the bus traverses the raised crosswalk.7

References 

1

" Traffic Calming Speed Humps and Speed Cushions,” NACTO, Presentation, 2011, https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Berth-odC.-2011.pdf

2

Traffic Calming Design Guidelines, New York City Department of Transportation, 2020, https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/traffic-calming.shtml#raisedcrossings

3Berkshire Street Traffic Calming, PEDSFAE, n.d., http://www.pedbikesafe.org/pedsafe/casestudies_detail.cfm?CM_NUM=7&CS_NUM=22

4Raised Crosswalks, City of San Francisco, 2015, https://www.sfbetterstreets.org/find-project-types/pedestrian-safety-and-traffic-calming/

traf fic-calming-overview/raised-crosswalks/-

5

Traffic Calming ePrimer, Module 3, FHWA, February 2017, https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/speedmgt/ePrimer_modules/module3pt2.cfm

6Pedestrian and Streetscape Guide, GDOT, April 2019, http://www.dot.ga.gov/PartnerSmart/DesignManuals/TrafficOps/GDOT%20Pedestrian%20and%20Streetscape%20Guide.pdf

7

Traffic Calming Fact Sheets – Speed Table/Raised Crosswalks, ITE, May 2018, https://www.ite.org/pub/?id=2c8edbfb-0c48-b1f3-

c506-9e8e72dd3922

Figure 2. Photo. Raised crosswalk in Chicago with additional 

drainage grates added upstream of crossing. 

©2020 VHB.