Three Ways Santa Monica is Investing in Pedestrian Experience

May 10, 2017 10:02 AM
by Andrew Maximous

Santa Monica is a walkable community. It’s part of what makes this city so desirable to live and work in. With people choosing more sustainable ways to get around town, improvements are rolling out to enhance the pedestrian experience.

These improvements are part of the Pedestrian Action Plan adopted by City Council last year. The Council adopted a goal to reduce and ultimately eliminate roadway fatalities and severe injuries. Zero pedestrian fatalities is called a Vision Zero strategy.

On May 9, 2017, staff delivered a report to Council sharing best practices for Vision Zero from nearby cities. More details about Santa Monica’s path to Vision Zero will roll out in the coming months, and here’s a look at enhancements coming to your neighborhood now.

Flashing Beacons

Santa Monica has a total of 33 crosswalks with flashing beacons or in-pavement lights. Both of these strategies can be found at crossings where there aren’t signals. These lights are activated by pedestrians looking to cross. Studies have shown that crosswalks with flashing beacons improve the rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians, especially at night. Flashing beacon lights were recently added to the following existing crosswalk locations:

  1. Ocean Park Boulevard at 30th Street
  2. Ocean Park Boulevard at 31st Street
  3. Cloverfield Boulevard at Kansas Street
  4. Santa Monica Boulevard at 16th Street
  5. 1750 Pearl Street

Audible Pedestrian Buttons

In an effort to enhance pedestrian safety and keep traffic flowing, we are testing new audible pedestrian buttons at two scramble locations in the Downtown core:  Colorado Avenue at Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard at 2nd Street. At these locations, you will hear “WAIT” when the pedestrian light is showing a solid yellow hand and “WALK SIGN IS ON FOR ALL CROSSINGS” when the walking person is shown. In addition, the remaining crossing time is counted down.  Check out this video on how to cross an all-way scramble. 

“Head Start Signal”

A Head Start Signal, otherwise known as Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) gives pedestrians a 3–7 second head start when entering an intersection with a corresponding green signal in the same direction of travel.  LPIs enhance the visibility of pedestrians in the intersection and reinforce their right-of-way over turning vehicles. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), LPIs "have been shown to reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions as much as 60% at treated intersections."

LPIs with a 4 second head start are currently active at the five intersections listed below. This video shows the one at Olympic Drive at Main Street in action.  Additional locations include:

  1. Olympic Drive & Ocean Avenue (E/W direction only)
  2. Olympic Drive & Main Street (all directions)
  3. Lincoln Boulevard & Marine Street (E/W direction only)
  4. Lincoln Boulevard & Ashland Ave (E/W direction only)
  5. Lincoln Boulevard & Pearl Street (E/W direction only)

 

Pedestrians are given a minimum 3–7 second head start entering the intersection.

Through and turning traffic are given the green light. Turning traffic yields to pedestrians already in the crosswalk.

 Images courtesy of NACTO

More about the Pedestrian Action Plan

The Pedestrian Action Plan (PAP) brings together a coordinated set of practices, programs, and projects that will improve conditions for walking over the next 15 years. Already, the City has successfully reduced speed limits along sixteen street segments, installed 12 pedestrian scrambles in Downtown, and converted all pedestrian traffic lights to the countdown style (more than 1,200), among other projects.

Since adoption of the PAP, the Traffic Management Division has been working closely with the Mobility and Traffic Services Divisions to implement the action items listed in the PAP.  You may have noticed some of these improvements popping up around town. If you have any ideas or feedback for pedestrian enhancements at other locations, please reach out to traffic.engineering@smgov.net. 

Authored By

Andrew Maximous
Principal Traffic Engineer