A significant increase in traffic-related pedestrian fatalities has occurred in the United States since 2010. Of particular concern are uncontrolled pedestrian crossings at mid-blocks and other uncontrolled approaches, as the majority of pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersection locations. The objective of this research was to review existing guidance for selecting intelligent transportation system (ITS) countermeasures at uncontrolled pedestrian crossings and uncontrolled approaches, and to identify associate gaps and needs. The project completed a review of existing guidance for selecting ITS pedestrian safety treatments, conducted an interactive meeting with state department of transportation (DOT) traffic safety professionals, and identified potential gaps and needs. The guidance reviewed commonly includes ITS treatments such as blinker signs, flashing beacons, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), and pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs). However, the interactive meeting with state DOT traffic safety professionals revealed limited deployment of ITS pedestrian treatments, inconsistency in application of these ITS treatments, and hesitancy with the use of some ITS technologies because drivers and pedestrians may not be familiar with these treatments. Overall, there appears to be a lack of on-road ITS pedestrian treatments for uncontrolled approaches. There may be an opportunity to further develop infrastructure-based pedestrian detection approaches such as cameras, radar, and LiDAR, especially at locations with known safety issues.
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