Safety is a key factor in planning and design of roadway facilities for pedestrians as they are particularly vulnerable street users. specifies that:

“Safety will be considered throughout the project development process. Each type of project will be evaluated, appropriate engineering studies will be completed, and appropriate design guidelines will be utilized with sound engineering judgment to accomplish the purpose of that particular transportation project. Safety is integral to properly engineering each project to address the anticipated needs and conditions.”

The provisions of this chapter direct designers to consider geometric and operational features that will benefit pedestrians by reducing the likelihood of crashes and reducing the severity of crashes when they occur.

As motor vehicle speeds increase, the risk of serious injury or fatality for pedestrians in the event of a crash also increases (see ). Note that is for information purposes only based on the sources referenced. Actual stopping distances are based on many conditions such as roadway terrain, weather conditions, vehicle braking, tire design, and the human factor. Designers should take into account the number and severity of pedestrian conflict points at a given intersection. When pedestrians are expected, especially on high-speed roadways, the separation of pedestrians from motor vehicle traffic, and the design of intersections that reduce motor vehicle speeds at conflict points and provide greater visibility of pedestrians must be considered. For the purpose of applying pedestrian guidance in this manual, the designated vehicular speeds will be the higher of the design speed or posted speed.

Designers should be aware of and incorporate findings from Road Safety Assessments being conducted by District staff and local jurisdictions for TxDOT facilities. These reports may contain infrastructure recommendations to improve roadway safety related to pedestrian travel that could drive the selection of specific aspects of project design.

This design chapter is intended to support and comply with existing State and federal guidance. Under it states: “Bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways must be considered, where appropriate, in conjunction with all new construction and reconstruction of transportation facilities, except where bicycle and pedestrian use are not permitted.”

Furthermore, this guidance is supported by guidance:

“Bicycle and pedestrian needs must be given “due consideration” under Federal surface transportation law ( ). This consideration should include, at a minimum, a presumption that bicyclists and pedestrians, including persons with disabilities, will be accommodated in the design of new and improved transportation facilities. In the planning, design, and operation of transportation facilities, bicyclists and pedestrians should be included as a matter of routine, and the decision to not accommodate them should be the exception rather than the rule.”

On March 11, 2010, a federal policy statement on was signed by U.S. DOT. Recommended actions encourage the incorporation of “safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities into transportation projects. Every transportation agency, including DOT, has the responsibility to improve conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling and to integrate walking and bicycling into their transportation systems. Because of the numerous individual and community benefits that walking and bicycling provide — including health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life — transportation agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards to provide safe and convenient facilities for these modes.”

Inclusion of pedestrian facilities in non-maintenance transportation projects is specified in the . These sections identify design considerations for transportation projects that “involve the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or resurfacing of a highway, other than a maintenance resurfacing project.” These provisions apply to projects where TxDOT has design and construction or funding responsibilities. states: “The department […] must consider the following factors when developing transportation projects: the access for other modes of transportation, including those that promote physically active communities.” Further, states: “The factors provided in paragraph (1) of this section will be assessed when developing transportation projects. Access for other modes of transportation will be considered during the project development process by developing plans and projects that contain, where appropriate, interconnections with other transportation facilities, including bicycle transportation facilities, pedestrian walkways, and trails.”

Where pedestrian use is permitted, roadway designs and alterations must comply with accessibility requirements established by the adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the adopted by the USDOT, , and .

While the are the current enforceable federal regulations implementing the , these pertain mostly to accessible design at public facilities and their grounds. Since the does not adequately address features unique to public ROW, on August 8, 2023, the US Access Board published the to provide guidance. The has not been formally adopted by the DOJ or the DOT so it is not yet enforceable. However, provides a useful framework to meet TxDOT’s obligations to make our programs, services, and activities in the public ROW readily accessible and useable by all individuals including those with disabilities.

The is issued by the under the authority of . The standards are intended to be consistent to those contained in the DOJ and are generally the same except as noted. Both and DOJ provide some criteria on curb ramp design but will require revisions to align with the guidance included in .

As of May 15, 2017, changes to the allow the TDLR to accept compliance with in lieu of for projects in the public ROW. Because the FHWA encourages the use of as best practice, TxDOT designers must use to achieve accessible design requirements in the public ROW. and DOJ must be used for design and construction of buildings such as TxDOT buildings. However, sites in the public ROW, such as safety rest areas, will use for applicable guidance. A request for a design variance for any deviations from the applicable , or if applicable, requirements must be submitted to the TDLR for approval.

Throughout this chapter, , and other ADA-related guidance are generally referred to as “pedestrian accessibility guidelines,” except when the reference is to a specific document or regulation. Further details on the design implications of compliance are provided in .

The , defines laws associated with pedestrian facilities and pedestrian ROW (motorists, Chapter 545 and pedestrians, Chapter 552). The following is a summary of critical elements of these statutes which impact the design, operation, and use of pedestrian facilities on or crossing public roadways.

Texas law ( ) defines a marked crosswalk as a pedestrian crossing that is designated by pavement markings. It also defines an unmarked crosswalk as the extension of a sidewalk or edge of the roadway where sidewalks are not provided across intersecting roadways. See below for location of unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. At midblock locations, unmarked crosswalks do not exist, and a crosswalk must be marked to legally establish the crosswalk. Crosswalks are marked to encourage pedestrian use of a crossing or to legally establish a crosswalk at midblock locations.

Motorists must stop and yield the ROW to pedestrians who are lawfully within crosswalks at:

In all locations, a pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and proceed into a crosswalk in the path of a vehicle so close that it is impossible for the vehicle operator to stop and yield.

Pedestrians must yield ROW to motorists at all unsignalized unmarked midblock locations and between adjacent intersections at which signals are in operation. A pedestrian may cross only in a marked crosswalk ( ).

The law requires pedestrians walking along the roadway to walk on the left side of roadway facing traffic where sidewalks or other pedestrian facilities are not provided. Pedestrians are legally required to yield the ROW to all vehicles in these locations. Motorists must also exercise “due care” to avoid colliding with any pedestrian.

Where a sidewalk or shared use path (sidepath) is present and accessible to pedestrians, the pedestrians are required to use those facilities. Due to the need of facilities designed for pedestrians to meet the respective ADA requirements (cross slope, grade, etc.), shoulders generally should not be used as pedestrian accessible routes. Other options should be pursued when designing pedestrian accessible routes.

Based on TxDOT Administration guidance given for emphasizing pedestrian accommodations, pedestrian facilities must be considered for all types of transportation projects within urbanized settings. Therefore, the inclusion of these facilities must be considered when a project is scoped, with input from the local cities, metropolitan planning organizations, locally adopted bicycle and pedestrian plans, and the public, when applicable. Designers should conform to approved pedestrian or active transportation plans affecting project area. See for more information.

It is recommended to plan and design a project as if a pedestrian access route will be constructed, even if there is no need at the time of design. Extend culverts, acquire ROW, design intersections to allow for accessible crosswalks, and locating utilities and drainage systems to accommodate pedestrian systems. This will reduce the complexity and cost of future pedestrian infrastructure retrofit projects. It is difficult and costlier to retrofit pedestrian facilities when they were not considered in the initial design.

For alteration projects, existing physical constraints sometimes make it technically infeasible to meet certain accessibility requirements. Existing physical constraints include, but are not limited to, underlying terrain, underground structures, adjacent development facilities, drainage, or the presence of significant natural or historical features; however, available ROW is not considered an existing physical constraint. In these situations, compliance is required to the maximum extent feasible in all other elements of design. Any non-compliant conditions must be documented by submitting a variance to TDLR with justification for non-compliance. Non-compliant elements must be reported to the District ADA liaison and included in the . For additional information on the contact the Landscape Architecture Branch of the DES. For new construction projects (e.g. in greenfield conditions), all design elements must be fully compliant with .

Sidewalks, or a shared use path in cases where bicycle and pedestrian travel are intended to be accommodated together, must be provided in urbanized settings on:

If it is determined that sidewalks will not be included in the project, then justification must be provided in the environmental document for not installing sidewalks. For the purposes of this guidance, “urbanized settings” include urban, urban core, suburban, and rural towns.

Although pedestrians are legally authorized to use the shoulder of the road for travel, it is preferable to provide accessible sidewalks in areas of known pedestrian activity or areas with increased development. A shoulder is not typically considered or designed to be a PAR; however, a shoulder can be designed to function as a PAR where it meets accessibility requirements for cross-slope and width in areas where that is the most practical method to accommodate pedestrians until such time as a sidewalk or shared use path is constructed.

Planning for pedestrian and multimodal facilities must occur early and continuously throughout project development and must follow TXDOT’s . Early consideration of pedestrian facility design during the project development process is necessary to allow the active transportation network to be fully integrated into the overall transportation system.

The following items must be evaluated during project development:

Considerations will differ between construction/reconstruction projects, and rehabilitation and resurfacing projects.

Consideration of the following elements involves an assessment of whether the pedestrian facility and other roadway elements:

The evaluation requires further detail for the following elements:

Sidewalks

. Suitability of width to context, while adhering to minimum width standards per accessibility guidelines (volume of expected users, see ).

Suitability of placement to context (characteristics of adjacent roadway, see ).

Determination of the feasibility of filling gaps between existing ramps and nearby sidewalk segments that are disconnected from the street corner.

Curb ramps

. Provision of curb ramps during resurfacing projects.

Transit stops

(through coordination with local transit authority). Evaluate existing transit stop locations for crossing improvements.

Identification of isolated locations for potential relocation or to better serve with pedestrian route.

Project completion and ADA compliance of pedestrian facilities does not end at construction project closeout. Continuous maintenance is required to enable the pedestrian facilities to remain functional for every pedestrian. Maintenance of the PAR includes, but is not limited to:

Pedestrian facilities should be incorporated into maintenance plans or agreements to maintain ADA compliance and general pedestrian safety and comfort.