Analyzing Pedestrian Behavior during Exclusive Pedestrian Phases for Improved Intersection Signal Timing

Traffic signal timing at signalized intersections with high pedestrian volumes and/or pedestrian safety concerns may include an exclusive pedestrian phase (scramble phase) to safely accommodate pedestrian demands. However, an exclusive pedestrian phase could be a significant source of delay for other modes because all vehicular movements stop during the scramble phase. Better understanding of pedestrian behavior at locations with scramble phases may lead to more efficient signal timing for other modes, while accommodating pedestrians. This paper studies pedestrian behavior based on field data collected at a busy intersection with a scramble phase on a college campus. Individual and groups of pedestrians were analyzed along with their ability to cross at free-flow speed to determine their behavior. Results indicate significant differences in combinations of these categories. 15^th percentile speeds for the diagonal and the parallel crossings (4.37ft/s and 4.49 ft/s) were higher than the 3.5 ft/s as recommended by the MUTCD. 15^th percentile speeds of pedestrians traveling individually and those in free flow were significantly higher than those traveling in groups and in non-free-flowing conditions. The average speed of individuals in free-flow conditions was not significantly different for parallel crossings but was significantly different for diagonal crossings. In addition, considerably fewer pedestrians crossed diagonally during the clearance interval than along the parallel.