2020-018 Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossings on Arterial RoadwaysDate: February 21, 2020 Report No. 2020-018
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
On February 4, 2020, citizen comments were received by the City Council concerning pedestrian
and bicycle fatalities that have occurred when individuals were attempting to cross arterial
roadways.
BACKGROUND:
The citizen comments discussed the deaths of several city residents which occurred when they
were attempting to cross major roads within the city limits and focused on the distances between
intersections with pedestrian protections such as crosswalks and push button activated pedestrian
signals.
To address conditions such as those identified, the City is working to retrofit older infrastructure
that was built prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to improve the safety of non-
motorized right-of-way users such as pedestrians and cyclists. As the city reconstructs and
reevaluates signalized intersections it is adding pedestrian signals and push buttons to make the
intersections complete. For example, the intersection of Kings Row and US 288, one of those
identified in the presentation, will be re-built in 2021 and will include full pedestrian safety
features.
If there are no adjoining sidewalks at the intersections, however, it can be hard to justify because
we are not trying to encourage pedestrian traffic where sidewalks do not exist. The city is unable
to provide crossings at all locations in the near term but is working towards the goal of a complete
pedestrian network in the long term.
The 2019 bond will be funding new sidewalk segments around elementary and middle schools.
The City is also working to install HAWK (High-intensity Activated crossWalK beacon) signals
near schools and other facilities that generate high pedestrian volumes. HAWKs are modified stop
signals that are activated by a push button. In order to install a HAWK signal, the intersection
must meet Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) warrant criteria. (See image below)
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Date: February 21, 2020 Report No. 2020-018
The City is also installing push-button LED edge-lit crosswalks signs at locations throughout the
city. The LED signs are less expensive than HAWK signals and do not have the same warrant
criteria. City traffic engineering staff will evaluate each location on a case by case basis for the
appropriate treatment.
Many roadways within the City limits are owned and controlled by TxDOT which limits the city’s
ability to improve them. The city engineer and traffic staff are evaluating possible plans to modify
the maintenance and improvement agreements with TxDOT so that the City has greater control
over these roads.
The Pedestrian component of the Mobility Plan identifies sidewalk gaps within the City and
prioritizes them based on proximity to schools, high ridership transit stops, and intersection
crossings. The ADA Transition Plan evaluated all of the signalized intersections in the city for
their ADA compliance.
CONCLUSION:
City staff are actively working on numerous projects to plan and fund major transportation
infrastructure safety improvements such as the 2020 Mobility Plan (including Bike and Pedestrian
Plan updates), the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Transition Plan, 2019 Sidewalk Bond
Projects, and several major road improvement projects.
Questions can be sent to Marc Oliphant at Marc.Oliphant@cityofdenton.com.
STAFF CONTACT:
Brian Jahn
City Traffic Engineer
940-349-8148
Brian.Jahn@cityofdenton.com
Marc Oliphant, AICP
Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator
940-349-8954
Marc.Oliphant@cityofdenton.com
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