Pedestrian Safety, Pedestrian Behavior, and Intersection Design and Control

November 19, 2015

About the Presentation

Walking is most beneficial for individuals and for society when pedestrians can travel safely. So how can walking along roads be made absolutely safe? How can crossing streets be made reasonably safe at grade crossings? According to Professor Per Garder, the answer lies in vehicular speeds and pedestrian crossing distances. 

In this presentation, Garder discussed European and U.S. perspectives on pedestrian safety, including European ideas applied in U.S. cities such as New York City. He also explored important issues such as ensuring low speeds at traffic signals and school zones and using ITS to improve pedestrian safety.

The presentation also reviewed shortcomings in sophisticated regression models and explore why factor analysis may be better. Finally, Garder discussed the behavior of drivers and pedestrians and their interactions, as well as how this behavior is affected by alcohol, age, handicaps, number of lanes crossed, and the use of beacons and other warning methods.

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About the Speaker

Per Garder is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine. His research is focused on forecasting, designing, and evaluating facilities with an emphasis on traffic safety and environmental aspects. He has conducted research on the effect of continuous shoulder rumble strips along highways, pedestrian and bicycle safety, the effect of different intersection layouts and controls, and driver stress evaluation in intelligent vehicle highway systems.