Effects of Bus Stops on Pedestrian Safety at Signalized Intersections

Of all road users, pedestrians are considered the most vulnerable mainly due to the lack of body protection, mass, and speed. There are many factors that affect the occurrence of a pedestrian involved crash—exposure (e.g., pedestrian and traffic volume), injury severity (e.g., speed and vehicle type), roadway and environment (e.g., proximity to bus stops, presence/proximity of facilities (store, building, school)) and intersections. Among the factors, the presence and proximity of transit bus stops are the distinctive risk factors in the pedestrian involved crashes in urban areas. The objective of this study is to understand the influence of bus stop locations on pedestrian safety near signalized intersections. To accomplish the study objectives, pedestrian safety data collected at a sample of signalized intersections in Texas were used and a safety performance function was developed. It was found that bus stops within 300 ft from the center of the intersection increase pedestrian crashes by 48%. Other variables that also had an influence on pedestrian safety are entering vehicular volume, pedestrian crossing volume, the maximum number of lanes crossed by a pedestrian at an intersection, and left-turn signal phasing.