This project will update the city’s Pedestrian Crossing Treatment Installation Guidelines to improve the consistency of new crosswalks citywide.
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Completion Date
2024
Project Overview
This project will update the city’s current Pedestrian Crossing Treatment Installation Guidelines to align with nationally accepted best practices. These guidelines inform where and what type of pedestrian crossings, or crosswalks, to install.
The project began directly from the recommendations, goals and objectives of the Transportation Master Plan and the Vision Zero Action Plan, a plan with prioritized actions the city will take to end serious injury and fatal crashes on our streets.
Develop improved, consistent and transparent citywide guidelines for designing and installing crosswalks.
Create an updated document of guidelines to share with stakeholders and respond to community inquiries.
Crosswalks in Boulder.
Project Elements
To support these goals, there are several important parts to this project:
Stakeholder engagement. Staff will collect feedback from key community groups and incorporate recommendations from the Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Through a series of meetings, public consultations, and comprehensive studies, the committee has put forth recommendations aimed at improving the experience for people walking across Boulder. These efforts include proposing more intuitive crosswalk designs, advocating for the expansion of pedestrian zones in high-traffic areas, and suggesting improvements to enhance visibility during night-time. These community recommendations will help shape the city's approach to pedestrian safety and accessibility in the updated pedestrian crossing guidelines, reflecting Boulder's commitment to creating a more walkable and safe urban environment for its residents and visitors.
Best practice and peer agency review. The project team will review pedestrian crossing treatment installation guidelines of peer agencies and national best practices related to crosswalks.
Guidelines update. Next, Boulder staff will analyze existing policies and identify needs considering the City of Boulder's values. This will allow staff to develop guidelines tailored to the city, including a flowchart to inform what type of crosswalk is appropriate for the location.
Recommendations. City staff will update existing guidelines with new findings and make implementation recommendations to the Transportation Advisory Board.
Timeline
The anticipated timeline for this project is four to six months.
Staff will engage key stakeholders and community groups in spring 2024 to summer 2024. Transportation Advisory Board updates are scheduled through fall 2024.
Best Practices Review
Staff will review existing best practices and peer agency policies, such as the Federal Highway Administration, in winter to spring 2024.
Guidelines Update
Staff will upgrade the pedestrian crossing guidelines in spring and summer 2024. Key stakeholders will review these guidelines in summer 2024.
Recommendations
Staff will provide final recommendations to the Transportation Advisory Board in fall 2024.
What's Next?
Once the city completes the project, the city will start implementing the revised guidelines, potentially affecting both new and existing crosswalks. To achieve this within the framework of the city's annual budget allocated for crosswalks, staff will prioritize projects in upcoming years. Additionally, the city will investigate alternative funding sources beyond local funds for the implementation process.
