Guidebook on Pedestrian Crossings of Public Transit Rail Services (2015)

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1 S u m m a r y There is a natural interaction between pedestrians and public transit rail services. Rail tran- sit services provide a high-capacity travel option for trips between major origin-destination pairs in an urban area, allowing pedestrians to travel to many more places than otherwise feasible on foot. Improving pedestrian access to rail transit stations obviously benefits the pedestrian by providing a safer and more usable route. Improving pedestrian access also benefits rail transit by resulting in a more attractive service and improved consistency at crossings. To compile the guidance from other existing resources into one document and to supplement that guidance with observations of existing pedestrian rail treatments, TCRP Report 175: Guide- book on Pedestrian Crossings of Public Transit Rail Services (Guidebook) was developed under TCRP Project A-38. The Guidebook discusses issues associated with pedestrian crossing of public transit rail services and provides examples of treatments in use. Included within the Guidebook are summaries of rail transit service options, safety and accessibility issues related to pedestrians and rail crossings, and methods of selecting appropriate treatments for a given crossing. A collection of existing treatments is described, and case studies pro- vide additional insight on the process for identifying and implementing pedestrian crossing treatments. The following pedestrian treatments are discussed within the Guidebook: • Channelization • Barriers – General – Offset pedestrian crossing – Maze fencing – Pedestrian fencing – Between-car barriers at transit platform edges – Temporary • Design – Clearly defined pedestrian crossing – Smooth and level surface – Sight distance improvements – Stops and terminals – Illumination – Flangeway filler – Pedestrian refuge – Sidewalk relocation – On-road bollards Guidebook on Pedestrian Crossings of Public Transit Rail Services

2 Guidebook on Pedestrian Crossings of Public Transit rail Services • Signs – Passive – Unique warning messages – Signs for enforcement – Blank-out warning • Signals – Timing considerations near railroad crossings – Flashing-light signal assembly – In-pavement flashing lights • Pavement markings – Pedestrian stop lines – Detectable warnings – Word or symbol – Dynamic envelope markings • Infrastructure – Audible crossing warning devices – Pedestrian automatic gates – Pedestrian automatic gates with horizontal hanging bar – Pedestrian swing gates • Operations – Required stop – Reduced train speed – Rail safety ambassador program Case studies were developed on the following topics: • Case Study A: Review of Sound Wall • Case Study B: Location of Station Entrance • Case Study C: Consideration of Visually Impaired Pedestrians When Designing a Station Entrance to a Platform Located Between Tracks • Case Study D: Control of Pedestrian Path