Many pedestrian-vehicle collisions occur at intersections. A key strategy to avoiding these crashes is reducing vehicle speeds, which should be complemented by other strategies, including providing adequate sight distance through sight triangles, providing a variety of signalization strategies at locations with signals, eliminating free-flowing movements (or using truck aprons in slip lanes to slow turning cars while accommodating the larger vehicles), and using infrastructure strategies that increase visibility such as curb extensions and parking restrictions near pedestrian crossings.

Wider curb radii can enable drivers to maintain higher speeds when turning, thus decreasing reaction time for potential conflicts with crossing pedestrians. Designing to minimum radii accommodates vehicle operating characteristics while providing some control over vehicle speeds.

Traffic volume and vehicle type influence the width and curvature of intersection corner radii. See for Minimum Intersection Turning Radii.

It is critical that pedestrians and drivers have clear sight lines to one another at crossings, both at intersections and mid-block crossings. This adequate sight distance allows vehicles to stop for crossing pedestrians. Higher speeds require longer sight distances. Design elements such as fences, plantings, buildings, and walls may obscure sight lines. Parked vehicles close to crossing locations can also obscure sight lines for both parties. When possible, these elements should be restricted or moved to another location to provide proper visibility. Several treatments discussed below can also improve visibility.

In areas with high pedestrian volumes and denser land uses, pedestrian crossing opportunities should be closely spaced. “Crossing opportunities” are defined here as intersections or crossings that are equipped with appropriate control, signage, lighting, geometry, and markings that allow pedestrians to safely and comfortably cross the street. In the absence of frequent crossing opportunities, pedestrians will choose the most direct path of travel, thus creating opportunities for collisions with vehicles where pedestrians are unexpected, less visible, and more exposed. In general, the frequency of crossing opportunities should be at least as dense as the surrounding street grid. Where large gaps between crossings are identified, midblock crossing may be appropriate.

Reducing street width improves pedestrian safety and comfort by shortening crossing times, reducing exposure to vehicle-pedestrian conflicts, and reducing vehicle delay. Pedestrian crossing distances should be minimized to the greatest extent reasonable. Shorter crossing distances may be achieved through any or a combination of the following treatments:

Alignment of crossings is an important aspect to the safe crossing of streets for pedestrians. It is natural for pedestrians to cross the road at convenient locations; therefore, providing crosswalks in those locations that align to minimize distance and time crossing the road is important to consider.

Intersections should be designed to enable pedestrians to cross all legs. There may be limited circumstances where pedestrian access across a leg of an intersection may be prohibited, however, this should rarely be done unless there is a compelling reason to limit this movement. Pedestrians should not be directed to cross multiple legs of an intersection to access a corner that could otherwise be accessed by crossing a single leg. Crossing additional legs creates more exposure to vehicular traffic for pedestrians and forces pedestrians to travel longer distances.

Minimizing pedestrian delay when crossing the street increases a pedestrian’s convenience and reduces the likelihood that pedestrians will cross the street in an unsafe manner. At signalized intersections, pedestrian delay can be minimized by maintaining short signal cycles. At uncontrolled crossings, designers should provide pedestrians as much frequency and length of gaps in traffic as possible