Evaluation of a pedestrian call extension and cancelation system at a signalized midblock crossing

Abstract

Unnecessary vehicular delay occurs at actuated signalized intersections during ‘ghost’ pedestrian intervals when a pedestrian activates the pushbutton then jaywalks. Safety issues arise when pedestrians remain in the crosswalk at the end of the Flashing Don’t Walk phase, and vehicles receive a circular green. A Pedestrian Call Extension and Cancelation System was evaluated at a signalized midblock crossing in Hillsboro, OR. Thermal sensors and controller logic were implemented to detect pedestrians and passively cancel or extend calls. A Case 1-after study was conducted to evaluate how vehicular delay and pedestrian behavior was impacted by the system. 1,649 observations Case 1 and 3,002 observations after system installation were recorded. Pedestrian delay did not change, but average vehicular stop time delay significantly decreased by 12 sec. 76 extensions occurred with 99.2% accuracy. Findings suggest that transportation agencies could improve driver waiting time and pedestrian safety by using dynamic passive pedestrian detection.