On corridors with scattered development and residences, it is difficult to predict where crossings may occur. Planners and transportation officials must work together to ensure that land use is compatible with the roadway design, and vice versa. Most transit users will have to cross the road to access a transit stop on one leg of their trip. Cooperation between public transit agencies and transportation designers is essential to ensure safe pedestrian crossings. By coordinating land use, roadway design and transit stops, passengers will be more secure when boarding or leaving a bus, and walking to or from their destination at either end of the transit trip.
Pedestrians seeking refuge in a center turn lane are unprotected.
However, eliminating road connections and signals also eliminates potential pedestrian crossing opportunities. Creating an urban freeway can increase traffic speeds and volumes. See Figure 5, page 44. Travel Though grade-separation may seem to offer greater safety, excessive added travel distance will discourage pedestrians who want to take a more direct route. A structure that is unused because of inconvenience creates a situation whereby pedestrians are at risk when they attempt to cross the road with no protection.