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Updated Crash Forms & How They Influence Vision Zero
The City of Omaha is deep in the process of developing a Vision Zero Action Plan that will support the Mayor’s goal of safer streets for all.
Vision Zero is a data-driven approach to reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.* Data, especially quantitative data, is important because it provides an accurate picture of the nature and safety of our roads and drivers. This data is used to identify high-injury networks and then design evidence-based solutions to address these dangerous areas in our road network.
However, what I’ve learned from being on the Vision Zero Technical Advisory Committee is that data is only useful if you HAVE it. For instance, during the TAC’s Distracted & Impaired Driving Focus Group a few months ago, we learned that since not much data is gathered on distracted driving, we don’t really know if distracted driving is the problem many of us “believe” it to be in the State of Nebraska.
We need to widen our nets to gather all the pertinent data.
And the State did just that!
THE UPDATED MANUAL
The Nebraska Department of Transportation recently released the 5th edition of the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) Guideline titled the “Investigator’s Motor Vehicle Crash Report Manual - April 2023” which provides a standard set of motor vehicle traffic crash data variables to be collected on crash forms.
This 61-page document is a uniform guide for enforcement officers who collect crash data, specifically the manual states:
“The information collected by law enforcement officers on these reports provides the foundation for the statewide crash database, which is the foundation for crash analysis and contributes to the success of the state’s highway safety program. Accurate reporting of motor vehicle crashes ultimately serves to make Nebraska’s roadways a safer place to travel.”
See how important data is?
The last major update to this Guide was in 2002 – over 20 years ago! Think about how much the nature of crashes has changed since then. In that time our cell phones have been inextricably integrated into our lives (and cars) and vehicle size has increased.
The Forms
I had NO idea how comprehensive these crash reports are. As an aside, notice the use of the term “crash” instead of “accident,” this is important as the word accident implies no one or no thing is at fault, but a “crash” indicates fault, whether shared amongst users or infrastructure.
There are a total of 6 possible forms an enforcement officer could choose from at a crash, including 1) General form, 2) Continuation form, 3) Vehicle Continuation form, 4) Heavy Truck/Bus form, 5) Non-motorist form, and 6) Fatal form.
See the image below from the Manual to understand which form is used for which scenario.
A crash investigation form basically gathers every variable from location (including latitude & longitude) and infrastructure (intersections, road surface, traffic controls, etc) to context (seating arrangement, weather, restraints, helmets, etc) and injury (fatal, serious, suspected serious, minor, none, etc).
The Updated Forms
To better understand the changes to the crash forms, I reached out to Don Butler at the Nebraska Department of Transportation and Lt. Straub of the Omaha Police Department. Butler works for the agency that released the manual, and Straub works for the agency that uses the manual.
It’s Bigger
Yep, the new crash forms have 50% more fields for collecting data! This means a heavier load now for crash investigators but beneficial data for planners and engineers in the future.
Per Don Butler, here are some of the new categories of data that will be collected for these updated crash forms:
Distracted Driving Details
Speeding Details
Additional Roadway Characteristics
Non-Motorist Action & Location Prior to Crash
Additional Details When Crash Involves Fatality
Vehicle Automated Driving Systems
Commercial Motor Vehicle Trailer Details
Drug Impairment Testing
Notice the first category of Distracted Driving. Having officers gather this data will provide the State with a more accurate picture of the severity of distracted driving in Nebraska. Once that data is gathered, it has to be analyzed, interpreted, and then presented. And then, State and Municipality leaders can really start to make some headway on creating solutions to our distracted driving problem.
Every new bit of data that is gathered from the categories above can be used to inform solutions to problems even beyond distracted driving, such as speeding, infrastructure and design, autonomous vehicles, impairment, and more.
Do these new forms change the investigation?
In a nutshell, no, the investigation remains mostly unchanged. Lt Straub explained that while the forms are larger and capture more data for statistical purposes, they don’t really affect the investigation, “it just provides more data.” Think about that – enforcement officers are essentially acting as researchers collecting data to be used down the road for safety measures.
How does this influence Vision Zero?
Vision Zero is data-based, so more data means hopefully better and more accurate decision-making. And after 20 years, it’s great to see the Crash Forms be updated, and it’ll be even better to reap the benefits of all this additional data. But if the City of Omaha expects the Vision Zero Action Plan to be complete this year, how does future data collected via these new forms influence Vision Zero? Well, Vision Zero Action Plans are living documents, such that any new data can inform any updates to a City’s existing Plan - and cities SHOULD update their Vision Zero plans. Additionally, one of Omaha’s Vision Zero goals is to provide more data about crashes on their local dashboard, because at this point only fatalities - not serious injuries - are reported. So these new forms will provide more data (after it goes through the process of analysis and interpretation) that can be presented to the public and decision-makers. Hopefully, in the future, our local dashboard will also include information on distracted driving, and you’ll have NDOT as well as state and local enforcement agencies to thank for that.
* For a recap of the Vision Zero process so far, check out our VZ-focused posts, including:
The First Meeting of the VZ TAC
Vision Zero Update: Guiding Principles & Focus Areas
Navigating Omaha’s Vision Zero Efforts
Vision Zero Update: The Problems, the Solutions, and the Focus Groups
Progress Update on Omaha’s Vision Zero Efforts
Thanks for reading, and please comment below!
Cover image via Unsplash via Getty Images
Progress Update on Omaha’s Vision Zero Efforts
Blog post image is of Tim Adams, the WSP Consultant for the City of Omaha (image by me)
During the week of April 3rd, members from the Vision Zero Technical Advisory Committee met three days in a row for hours at a time to continue the Focus Area Working Group discussions. As we inch closer to the first draft of Omaha’s first Vision Zero Action Plan (VZAP), I’m constantly noticing how complex and complicated this process is.
This update post summarizes the highlights of what I found to be the most memorable and important parts of the three meetings.
PARTNERSHIPS
One major takeaway from the meetings that was first suggested on day one, and was thankfully echoed by the consultants on subsequent days, was the need for public-private partnerships. In a city that has an established preference for public/private relationships, it was suggested that the upcoming VZAP recommend public and private partnerships for projects focused on traffic safety. Not only could this expand the reach of the city, but it could reduce the budgetary burden that comes with Vision Zero projects.
MAYORAL LEADERSHIP
The first day started off with the consultants playing a clip from the Omaha Mayor’s State of the City address, where she expanded on the topic of Vision Zero that she first introduced at the beginning of her speech. It was reemphasized to us that Omaha’s mayor is in full and complete support of Vision Zero. Here’s the transcript of the clip:
This summer, we will present our Vision Zero action plan to the City Council for approval. Vision Zero represents a comprehensive approach to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. This is accomplished through long-term changes in design, construction, and signage for streets, intersections, pedestrian paths, and other modes of transportation. We have joined 40 other communities in the United States and many others worldwide in our Vision Zero commitment. Last year 45 people died in crashes in Omaha, more than those killed in gun violence.
BEHAVIOR
The first day of meetings focused specifically on “behavioral” countermeasures vs “infrastructure” countermeasures that were discussed in the remaining two days of meetings.
SPEEDING - Most countermeasures that will curb speeding are infrastructure-focused, but here are some of the behavioral solutions for speeding including posting frequent speed limit signs, setting speed limits by safety target (ie based on context and users, not the 85th percentile rule), speed feedback signs, automated enforcement (specific to lobbying at the State level for it to be legal), and high-visibility speed enforcement.
High-visibility enforcement is different from regular enforcement.
Per the NHTSA:
High visibility enforcement combines enforcement, visibility elements, and a publicity strategy to educate the public and promote voluntary compliance with the law. Checkpoints, saturation patrols and other HVE strategies should include increased publicity and warnings to the public. Although forewarning the public might seem counterproductive to apprehending violators, it actually increases the deterrent effect.”
It’s basically enforcement with improved outreach and communication, which we appreciate.
Also regarding speeding and enforcement, it was brought up that enforcement is often the missing component to speed-reduction campaigns, but enforcement must be equitable and safe. Since Omaha depends as much on its citizens, as much as the OPD traffic unit to identify unsafe traffic conditions, the city and OPD should improve outreach regarding complaint-driven enforcement requests. To learn more about this, read our recent blog post titled “Perception vs. Reality in Citizen-driven Complaints.”
BICYCLISTS & PEDESTRIANS - Similar to the topic of speed above, pedestrians and cyclists are usually best protected by road design and infrastructure improvements more so than with behavioral changes. But behavioral approaches are still important and are often most effective when targeted.
Most of the behavioral countermeasures outlined by the consultants were focused on youth, while only 1 countermeasure was directed at adults, specifically Pedestrian Safety Zones (“allocating resources to problem areas. Focus on geography, as well as populations (older, younger & impaired pedestrians).”
This ended up being a long discussion about how Vision Zero solutions should be based on data, yet the data does not show that children are the victims of pedestrian or bicycle crashes; adults are. The TAC expects the consultants will likely suggest more behavioral solutions directed toward adults.
An interesting tidbit about age. . . one of the officers at the meeting mentioned that the youngest pedestrian to be killed last year was born in 1980.
It was also brought up that to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, we also need to focus our behavior change on Drivers who share the road with those walking and riding.
MOTORCYCLISTS - There was good discussion on the limited countermeasures offered for motorcyclists; this was likely because Nebraska currently has a primary helmet enforcement law, but the consultants may not have known there is currently a bill in the legislature to repeal the helmet law. It is my understanding this new law would require more safety training of motorcyclists.
I am not a motorcyclist, but I love engaging with them about their choice to wear or not wear a helmet. And if our helmet law is repealed, it may come down to boosting not just education but engagement with our local motorcycle residents AND education and engagement with drivers as we have already lost two motorcyclists to traffic crashes this year.
ALCOHOL - While I am nearly a teetotaler in the negative way I view alcohol abuse, I’m always stunned by how little I know about our current alcohol laws, programs, etc. That’s why the TAC is lucky to have folks like Chris, from Project Extra Mile and Eric from the Nebraska Chapter of the National Safety Council on the team because they are experts in this area.
One of the behavioral countermeasures for alcohol was to lobby at the state level for lower BAC (blood alcohol concentration) for repeat offenders, 0.05 specifically. This led to a conversation about laws in other states, current laws (both those enforced and not enforced), as well as conversation about how many of our state laws thwart any really good solutions we’d like to enact as a city.
SPEAKING OF THE STATE
Home Rule allows Omaha and Lincoln (cities over 5,000 pop) some autonomy in their government, however:
Thus we continue to be subject to State laws that may thwart our best attempts at keeping people safe. While there was an interesting conversation around recommending more autonomy at the city level, many in the meeting basically said it’s a lost cause, and we just have to accept the laws coming out of the legislature.
As examples, automated enforcement is currently illegal at the State level, and we have no primary enforcement laws for seat belts or distracted driving at the State level.
The VZAP will recommend lobbying at the State level for safer laws.
DAY 2 & Day 3
Days 2 and 3 were focused on infrastructure solutions. These two days were absolutely packed with discussion, debate, and questions. Since we are still in the planning stages, what I will share here will be more about some tidbits that I found mind-changing or revelatory.
INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE
A common theme from all these meetings is the expansive expertise and care of all the members. The reason there was so much debate is that there was so much sharing of knowledge.
We absolutely need some iteration of the VZ TAC or a new VZ committee to continue after the VZAP has been adopted. Their role could include oversight, recommendations, monitoring, etc., etc. The change that could be brought about by a Vision Zero Action Plan AND an interdisciplinary team of safety experts could be monumental.
TWO TYPES OF CHANGE
The VZAP will look at both systemic AND targeted change, where systemic can be applied pretty much anywhere and targeted is more specific.
BEST PRACTICES VS GROUND EXPERIENCE
Be aware of the gap between “best practices” and the pedestrians’, cyclists’, or drivers’ on-the-ground experience.
WE’VE GOT THE LIGHTS
Omaha has a lot of signalized intersections! We have about 1,000 compared to Kansas City’s 600.
STATE ROAD REGS
There are state regulations for roads that all cities and municipalities must comply with, and this is for reasons of safety and liability. We learned that this strict adherence to state statutes regarding roads means that no matter the size of the town or the expertise of the local traffic engineer, every community in Nebraska can be guaranteed safe, responsible road design.
COST-BENEFIT VS ROI
When looking at the cost of solutions and countermeasures, the “benefit of cost” is not the same as “return on investment,” meaning the city won’t get cash back on any money it spends on VZ projects, but it will get benefits like the intrinsic value of life, fewer insurance costs, fewer emergency costs, fewer lawsuits, less loss of profit, etc.
HOW WILL WE. . . .
An interesting question that was asked at the meeting but wasn’t answered remains with me, “As we continue to build out the urban core again, how do make it even safer?”
. . . PAY FOR IT?
Upgrades and Vision Zero projects are going to cost a lot of freaking money. If you’re not in the industry, it may be lost on you just how much signal upgrades, road diets, etc, can cost.
For example, a typical pavement-marking-only road diet (meaning no road tear-up or construction) can cost $100,000 per mile. Further, sometimes these pavement-marking-only projects STILL require signal upgrades, which can also cost a lot.
Since implementing Vision Zero projects will cost money, there was a lot of open-ended discussion about how to
a) acquire and ensure funding and
b) prioritize that funding and use it efficiently.
I can’t say anything was answered in this meeting about that, but money drives society, unfortunately, and currently, there is no funding specifically allocated for VZ projects.
How would you fund Vision Zero projects?
The topic of equity and funding was brought up a lot as well, so many members of the TAC are proponents of making sure funding is prioritized in equity areas, which also makes sense as it is in the equity areas of Omaha where most of the fatal and serious injury crashes occur.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Since the meetings spanned nearly 8 hours, this is a quick summary of some interesting talking points. The results of these meetings will be relayed by the consultants to the Vision Zero Executive Committee, and then the TAC will reconvene in May.
Do you have any questions about this process? Pop them in the comments below or feel free to keep up with the TAC here on Omaha’s Vision Zero website.
Thanks for reading!
~ Trilety
Where Do We Go From Here & My Roundabout Naivety
If you aren’t already aware of the vote that denied funding for the planned roundabouts at 50th & 52nd & Farnam Streets, please check out these articles from local newspapers The Reader and The Omaha World Herald. While this post will discuss some things that happened in the past, it is not a rehash of the past several years or of the City Council meeting; it’s a post about what went wrong and how we move forward.
As a quick aside, while I am - as you will see below - disappointed and concerned with the way the Council voted, overall, I have had stellar experiences with most of the Council and appreciate their hard work and dedication. And if anyone feels they were misrepresented in this post, I am all for hearing their side or reading their comments!
A BIT ABOUT THE PAST
As a resident of the neighborhood that will be impacted by any changes to Farnam Street, we have spent years asking questions about traffic in this area. The Dundee-Memorial Park Neighborhood Association dedicated themselves for several years to try and alter Farnam to two-way all-day, and we were proponents of that change. The day we read, on 05 August 2021, that Farnam Street would be two-way all day was a celebratory day in our home. In looking back at this article tho, you’ll notice that the representative from Public Works said specifically that the traffic study was not yet complete and that the intersections would need safety improvements, such as possibly roundabouts. So roundabouts have been a possible part of the plan for years, and the public was made aware of this.
HOW SOS & VISION ZERO FIT IN
In my role with Safe Omaha Streets, I am a member of the Vision Zero Technical Advisory Committee, which is tasked with supporting the development of the Vision Zero Action Plan. Because roundabouts are a proven safety measure, they are also a popular Vision Zero strategy. In fact, many cities, like Lincoln, have some variation of a roundabout-first policy when it comes to designing intersections. Roundabouts are the most effective strategy to reduce intersection crashes and are documented to be safe for pedestrians
VISION ZERO & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Also in my role on the Vision Zero TAC, I am constantly belaboring the fact that we need improved transparency, communication, and public engagement between residents and the City. Because of this focus of mine, once I saw both the Neighborhood association’s open letter to Councilpersons Festersen and Begley, and the petition against the roundabouts, I reached out to association leaders and city representatives to find out more about the process.
From all my conversations and emails with the city and two leaders of the Neighborhood Association, I’d say they all believe they did a responsible job regarding this situation. Representatives from the city and the association explained there were multiple meetings held about Farnam Street. However, when a proven safety measure is voted down, then there is a gap somewhere, and we need to figure out how to address it before future Vision Zero strategies receive opposition.
CITY COUNCIL’S ROLE
Beyond my frustration that I believe the Neighborhood Association presented misinformation to the neighbors, my main concern is with Omaha City Council, as they were the ones who ultimately voted down a responsible, safe, and well-designed project. While more than one councilmember wanted to put the resolution on file and thus delay it until they received more information, Councilperson Begley did not agree to amend his vote and the other members respected that. Thus instead of being laid over, the decision to deny funding for the design and construction of the roundabouts was the final decision.
Most of the issues that opponents raised, such as access for emergency vehicles, access for snowplows, and access for disabled persons, were addressed at the meeting by city representatives. It was confirmed at the meeting that the roundabouts would allow safe access for emergency vehicles, snowplows, and residents with disabilities.
The main issue from the opponents was safety, specifically for children and other pedestrians. One thing that I don’t think was mentioned at the meeting was that school children still have safe and easy access across Farnam Street at 51st Street. That location also has an existing pedestrian signal crossing that would remain even with the addition of the roundabouts to the east and west. At this location, 51st is also on the route of a safe underpass under Dodge and a school route to Dundee Elementary.
Additionally, pedestrian safety can be built into roundabouts as the roundabout crosswalks are not IN the roundabout but are located on the approaching narrowed roads into/out-of the roundabout. This was an aspect of roundabout design that was clarified on the City’s roundabout drawings (see below) and something I clarified with a city council member as well.
Many other safety measures can be layered with roundabouts to ensure pedestrian safety, such as signage or lighting like flashing beacons. This was also something that I communicated to the City Council in our support letter, and something that could have continued to be addressed had the council laid it over.
WHY DIDN’T SOS ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING?
Why wasn’t SOS at the meeting? For many reasons, but the main reason is naivety. We thought the City Council had all the information they needed to make a sound and responsible decision.
We sent a letter supporting the roundabouts to the city council.
We also saw that Mode Shift Omaha, the longtime and successful multi-modal transportation advocacy group expressed their support of the roundabouts and asked their members to send in their support as well.
I knew of other neighbors who emailed the city council about their support.
One interesting thing to note is that while the Neighborhood Association’s letter in opposition to the project was listed on the City Council’s agenda for the roundabout item, there were no letters of support listed, even tho letters of support were sent. I reached out to the city council to ask why only letters in opposition are listed and not letters in support, and this was Councilperson Festersen’s helpful and new-information-to-me reply:
Myself, and others, naively believed that the city council had all the information they needed to make the responsible decision. It did not occur to me that the city council would place more weight on the want and opinions of the public than on the data and knowledge of the experts.
Again, had the proposal been laid over, I understand this would have given the city another chance to address the neighbors’ safety concerns. But instead, the other council members decided to respect Councilperson Begley’s desire to deny because he is, in fact the representative of the area where the roundabouts would have been built.
TO ATTEND OR NOT ATTEND
At the Vision Zero meeting that was held the day after the City Council denied the funding for the roundabouts, it was brought up by many folks that it’s the people in attendance, not the people who email, who can make all the difference. It is unfortunate that being in person carries more weight than a well-worded, evidence-based email or letter. And, who knows, this could just bust open another naïve blindspot for me because maybe testifying in person technically and legally holds more weight than just an email or letter. If this is the case, you know we will write a blog post about it!
One problem with expecting people to always show up at public meetings instead of sending a letter or email is that it’s just not possible for everyone. There are many people who cannot tell their employers or their kids that they are leaving early to go to a meeting that starts at 2 pm and may not get over until 7 pm. (As another aside, I do have mad respect for anyone in public office because I would not have their patience or their time to do what they do for the public.)
WHAT CAN WE DO GOING FORWARD?
Since my major concern was with City Council, I emailed them to ask their thoughts on what could have been handled differently to prevent safe projects like the Farnam roundabouts from being denied in the future. See the email below:
To clarify the email above, it is my understanding that council did meet with PW, as I was told later. It was only sent two days ago, and I have not received a reply, but if/when I receive a response, I will update this post accordingly.
When both sides think they’ve done all they can to either communicate or advocate, then how do we move forward?
And how do we ensure our elected officials have all the information they need? I can’t answer the latter until I receive a reply to my April 4th email.
Some suggestions (and, keep in mind, some of these strategies may have been implemented and I’m just not aware of them)
Once a project is known to be controversial, the city could provide clear and easy-to-understand counterpoints to the opponents, including clear visuals and similar success stories. One potential issue with this is that if this information is provided to leaders who don’t then distribute it to others, then it lessens the effectiveness of any communication or counterpoints.
Once a project is known to be controversial, the City Council could reach out to city staff for more information and/or lay over a decision until all their concerns are addressed.
Maybe the Vision Zero Coordinator or a Vision Zero advisory committee could write an open letter with counterpoints to whichever Neighborhood Association/Group opposes the project - including success stories from other areas in town or other cities.
Develop a “public engagement” or “public involvement” plan specific to any projects that incorporate Vision Zero measures specifically. The City already includes numerous safety measures in its designs, but maybe the Vision Zero plan can offer a structured public engagement plan specific to Vision Zero projects.
Consider a program like the Let’s Talk Streets program in Madison, Wisconsin.
Present information to the public in as easy-to-understand, sound-bite format as possible.
Increased in-person support and advocacy at City Council meetings by residents and advocacy groups
Request any letters of support or in opposition be included in the agenda materials (see Festersen email from earlier)
Get clever and if a lot of folks can’t support in person, put together a quick clip video of support from a variety of residents, advocates, or leaders.
Now that the Vision Zero Action Plan is closer to being finished, we absolutely need to figure out how to ensure safe and well-designed projects go forward in the future.
We need more education.
We need more in-person dialog.
We may even need more listening.
We need to combat misinformation.
We need to be assured our elected officials have all the best information they need to make sound decisions, and then critically assess what happened when the process goes awry.
What ideas do you have for increased communication between the city, elected officials, and residents?
What ideas do you have for improved outreach and education from the city, advocacy groups, etc?
Lastly, the most unfortunate outcome of this whole experience is that Farnam will now remain one-way twice-a-day for the foreseeable future. We are on the edge of our seats to see what happens next!
[I am not a trained journalist, yet I commit to being as objective and accurate as possible, but I’m human and do mess up at times, so if anything in here is found to be misleading or inaccurate, please let me know.]
Crosswalks in Omaha: Myth or Reality, Boom or Bust?!
The topic of crosswalks may seem like a yawn, but they are a proven safety measure on our streets.
Just talk to my partner, who will no longer cross 72nd Street at Jones Circle to get lunch without recording his walk on his phone due to the numerous times he’s nearly been struck by speeding, reckless, or distracted drivers in the unmarked crosswalk with a stop-line.
You may notice the worn-away stripes from an old crosswalk in these photos. These marked crosswalks were not ground-down or removed by the city but worn away over time after they were initially installed in conjunction with the capital improvement project that widened 72nd Street to six lanes.
Well-placed and well-marked crosswalks, especially in combination with other safety measures, can ensure that a pedestrian makes it home safely and a driver doesn’t have to live with the consequences of killing or injuring someone.
First, what’s a crosswalk?!
The answer to the question above isn’t nearly as simple as you’d think.
An intersection crosswalk doesn’t have to be “marked” to be a crosswalk. This was new to me and was something I learned in recently released City of Omaha traffic safety videos.
In the City’s video directed to drivers, the narrator says:
“Whether you encounter a pedestrian at a marked or unmarked crosswalk, pedestrians have the right of way.”
In the video directed to pedestrians, the narrator asks and answers,
“But what about areas where there are no traffic signals? Most crosswalks in Omaha are unsignalized, and while some are marked with additional signs, striping, or even pedestrian-activated beacons to provide more visibility, the vast majority of crosswalks at intersections are unmarked. Whether you are in a marked or unmarked crosswalk, you have the right-of-way, and motorists and cyclists should yield to you!”
How many drivers know, let alone abide by, this law?
These Traffic Safety videos are informative but unless you visit the Keep Omaha Moving site, you’ll likely never see them. My understanding is that there are talks internally and with other advocacy groups to release these videos in shorter/split-separated clips so that they can easily be promoted throughout the community.
Types of Crosswalks
There’s more than one type of crosswalk. Here is a quick crosswalk primer:
Marked Crosswalks are delineated via paint or tape.
Unmarked crosswalks are the “implied” but invisible crosswalks that exist at all intersections/corners.
Signalized or controlled crosswalks have traffic signals or stop signs, while uncontrolled crosswalks do not.
Materials for marking crosswalks may consist of paint, inlay, or thermoplastic tape; however, paint is not recommended by the FHWA for “high visibility” crosswalks.
Designs can range from. . .
two parallel white lines (basic/transverse crosswalk), all the way to. . .
parallel stripes with two bordering, perpendicular lines (“ladder style”/perpendicular bar)
See the descriptive image to the right from a post by the consultant working on the upcoming FHWA’s “Crosswalk Marking Effectiveness Guide.”
Remember, the efficacy of any crosswalk also depends on the design of the road and the speed of the cars!
How We Talk About Crosswalks
Language matters, and what language we use to talk about crosswalks also matters.
For instance, when a pedestrian was struck earlier this year, this is how it was reported in the media:
“Police say a pedestrian was crossing Cuming Street northbound, not at a crosswalk, just before 8 p.m. Friday when he was struck by a vehicle.”
It is not uncommon for police to say a pedestrian was crossing “not at a crosswalk” or “just outside a marked crosswalk.” We do, however, appreciate when police clarify “crossing mid-block,” like in this article.
This type of language used to discuss crosswalks can be perceived as “victim-blaming.”
While the context and location of where a pedestrian was struck IS important, as they can be used to audit and assess the design and conditions of road design in the city, crashes are still complex situations, often with multiple factors.
So what language SHOULD be used instead?
Here’s language from the recently released Omaha Vision Zero Media Guide:
“Assigning a simple cause to a crash does not tell the full story. Instead of assigning a simple cause to a crash, there is the opportunity to ask deeper questions such as, “What could have prevented the crash?” Other examples of questions are, “If a street had been designed with traffic-calming features and a slower speed limit, would the driver have been speeding?” “If there was a safe pedestrian crossing, would the pedestrian have been crossing the road in an unsafe location?” “Are there strong, well-funded community mental health programs in Omaha to help someone address their mental health challenges and end their alcoholism so they do not drive their car intoxicated?”
And
“Assigning singular blame to a crash victim is always inappropriate. This is especially the case when pedestrians and cyclists are injured or killed. Sometimes the behavior of a pedestrian or cyclist may have contributed to the crash occurring, but for a pedestrian or cyclist to be hit, a driver is always involved. Statements like “the pedestrian was wearing dark clothing” do not portray the true or full situation, nor does it help the audience to understand the root of the issue.”
This guide is a media guide but oftentimes, the media gets its information from the Omaha Police Department, so these discussions need to be had with the police as well. And from my interactions with the traffic unit officers on the TAC, I believe they will be open and amenable to updating their language if it works within the confines of crash report forms, etc.
The Current State of Crosswalks in Omaha
Policy:
Marked crosswalk at a signalized intersection in downtown Omaha
Q. Have you ever wondered why we don’t have marked crosswalks at all signalized or stop-controlled intersections?
Q. Have you ever seen residents trying to cross streets quickly or with an arm extended to warn drivers not to impede the intersection?
Q. As you drive or walk around Omaha, you may ask yourself, “What is the City’s policy on marked crosswalks?”
A. Currently, there isn’t a concrete policy for crosswalks in the City of Omaha, other than that, you will find marked crosswalks at:
All signalized crossings in downtown and other BIDs (Business Improvement Districts)
School Crossings
When outside this criteria, marked crosswalks may be considered on a case-by-case basis based on crash history and intersection geometrics.
Maintenance:
Maintaining marked crosswalks in a city that spans 140 square miles and 5,000 miles of roadway is one of the biggest obstacles to having all the crosswalks that many want.
Regarding scheduled maintenance of marked crosswalks in Omaha, per a 2017 response from the City of Omaha Mayor’s Hotline:
“Per our guidelines and regulations, painted crosswalks are maintained by Public Works at least once annually, sometimes twice. Tape markings last several years and are monitored for quality to determine when they need to be reapplied.”
Oftentimes, in response to questions about fading crosswalks, we will hear that “resources are limited” or there are “budget constraints.” And while this is a valid argument, it doesn’t mean that our residents should be made to feel unsafe when crossing the street.
Internally, some folks in the city are looking to increase the budget for operations and maintenance of crosswalks, but this will only go so far.
So how do we get more resources?
The leadership of Omaha typically is against any tax increases, tho there has been support of bonds.
But in a city big on public-private partnerships, maybe that’s an option for increasing the funding for both the installation and maintenance of marked crosswalks.
Think of the possibilities if Omaha had a centralized group, whether private or not-for-profit, that partnered with the city to inventory and monitor crosswalks throughout the city and create volunteer opportunities for crosswalk maintenance.
Debate & Growth on the Topic of Crosswalks
Debate on the “false sense of security”
There’s been both debate and growth in the city regarding crosswalks. A few years ago, as you’ll see in this KMTV 3 New Now video on the “Omaha Town Hall Meeting on Area Roads and Infrastructure” (1:26:48), city leadership said,
“the painted pedestrian crosswalks give pedestrians a false sense of security”
This phrasing, which is a hot topic in pedestrian advocacy circles, is based on a 1972 study titled “Pedestrian Crosswalk Study: Accidents in Painted and Unpainted Crosswalks.”
While the study did show that more pedestrians were struck in marked crosswalks vs. unmarked crosswalks, it doesn’t seem to normalize the data for the fact that nearly three times as many pedestrians crossed at the marked crosswalks vs. the unmarked crosswalks. If you have more people crossing at a marked crosswalk, then it is likely that the number of pedestrians struck there will be higher due to volume.
Additionally, this study noted six potential disadvantages to marked crosswalks, the first of which was:
“They may cause pedestrians to have a false sense of security and to place themselves in a hazardous position with respect to vehicular traffic.”
It also identified eight advantages to marked crosswalks, including:
1. They may help pedestrians orient themselves and find their way across complex intersections.
2. They may help show pedestrians the shortest route across traffic.
3. They may help show pedestrians the route with the least exposure to vehicular traffic and traffic conflicts.
4. They may help position pedestrians where they can be seen best by oncoming traffic.
Using the “false sense of security” language that originated in the 1972 study is the opposite of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, instead, we’ve kept the out-of-date bathwater and tossed out only the baby. It’s an intriguing old-school study, but it shouldn’t be used to inform how we think about traffic today.
For an editorial view of this study and its continued use, check out this blog post titled “A False Sense of Certainty.”
Debate and research on “false sense of security” continue to this day.
A 2015 study titled “Evaluation of the False Sense of Security for Pedestrians at Varied Crosswalk Treatments” showed:
The most statistically significant difference between pedestrians in crosswalks is not about the crosswalk design so much as whether or not the pedestrian was texting while crossing.
There was a statistically significant increase in pedestrians looking before crossing in crosswalks with “overhead flashing beacons with bollards” and “pedestrian countdown signals.”
The only crossing where there was a lower rate of “looking before crossing” was at T-intersections.
So the data about the “false sense of security” may no longer be valid, but more than that, it just means we need to design better crossings with multiple safety measures rather than not expanding the conversation.
Growth on Crosswalk Mentality
You can see growth in the city’s mindset by looking at the safety treatments in the Blackstone area of Omaha. These safety countermeasures were implemented after pedestrian deaths occurred in this area and at the urging of city residents, city staff such as the Public Works Department, the Blackstone Business Improvement District, and the local advocacy group Mode Shift Omaha.
Beyond high-visibility crosswalks, the City also added the following treatments to the roads in the Blackstone District:
Improved walk signal timing
Improved lighting
Pedestrian warning signs
Increased pedestrian visibility via “leading pedestrian intervals.”
The Future of Crosswalks in Omaha
Based on discussions I’ve participated in at the Vision Zero TAC meetings, I believe the future of crosswalks is bright, but maybe not so bright that we need to buy shades just yet.
One of the benefits of the upcoming Vision Zero Action Plan is that it will add more tools to the toolboxes of all city administration and staff. However, this is still dependent on what the final document looks like. Many on the committee that is helping to develop the plan are proponents of multi-layered safety measures that will improve our intersections for all.
But it looks as if the Plan may give the City opportunities to expand the existing crosswalk policy and provide them at locations where they historically haven’t been placed. No matter what happens, it is reasonable to assume that crosswalk-placement and design will be based on data.
Crosswalk Placement & Design - A 72nd Street Analysis
Locating and designing crosswalks should be based on evidence and data.
The DOT & FHWA’s Guide For Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations includes a decision-making matrix (image below) for crosswalk placement and treatment.
Let’s walk through this matrix using 72nd & Jones Circle in Omaha as an example.
This is the location where my partner crosses for lunch each day.
It’s on 72nd Street between Dodge and Pacific Streets.
Refer to Table 1: Application of Pedestrian Crash Countermeasures by Roadway Feature, above
AADT (Average Annual Daily Traffic) for this location (35,395 vehicles) would put 72nd & Jones Circle in the 3rd group of columns of the table
72nd is a 4+ lane road with a raised median (this would put it in the 4th row)
The posted speed limit is 35 mph, tho based on anecdotal evidence, drivers often exceed this speed limit. (The posted speed limit would locate this intersection in the middle column of the 3rd set of columns)
Signalized intersection
For this intersection the table indicates the following are countermeasures that should always be considered but not necessarily mandated or required:
Advanced yield here to (stop here for) pedestrians sign and yield (stop) line
Pedestrian hybrid beacon
* Pedestrian refuge * this treatment could be applied to 72nd street if it did not already have a raised median.
Pedestrian refuge islands are usually 4 to 8 feet wide, and I don’t believe the existing median is that wide, thus shouldn’t necessarily be considered a “pedestrian refuge” at this point. But this is something we will research further!
For this intersection, the table indicates that the following is a countermeasure that “signifies that crosswalk visibility enhancements should always occur in conjunction with other identified countermeasures.”
High-visibility crosswalk markings
Parking restrictions on crosswalk approach
Adequate nighttime lighting levels, and
Crossing warning signs
For this intersection, the table indicates that the following countermeasures are “candidates for treatments at a marked uncontrolled crossing location.”
Curb extension
Road diet
While 72nd & Jones is not an uncontrolled location, we believe applying a road diet to 72nd Street could turn this road into a transportation avenue worthy of the center of Omaha.
Road diets reduce lanes, thus encouraging drivers to go slower, and include benefits for other road users beyond drivers, such as pedestrians and cyclists.
An example from the FHWA of a high-visibility crosswalk that includes a multi-layered approach to safety.
Takeaways & To Remember
Crosswalks exist whether or not they are marked or painted
When referencing crosswalks or crossings and pedestrian or cyclist deaths, be astute and aware when choosing your words.
Take the Crosswalk Matrix in this post and apply it to intersections in your neighborhood to see what safety treatments may be adequate or possible at that location
Don’t cross the street while texting
We need to be creative regarding funding and budgets, especially for the maintenance of crosswalks.
Remember, even if Omaha increases its number of marked crosswalks, they still need to be approached in a multi-layered way, including other safety measures such as
traffic-calming,
signage, and
some type of enforcement.
Even though this post is dense, we barely scratched the surface of crosswalks in Omaha, let alone in America and the world!
What are your thoughts on crosswalks?
Did you learn anything new or thought-provoking in this post?
Please join the conversation and comment below!
Cover image by Jonatan Hernandez via Unsplash