The share of trips taken by non-motorized travel modes has increased in recent years, in part in response to shifts in demographics and to population growth in urbanized areas. Increases in non-motorized travel reflect U.S. and state goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled and associated greenhouse gas emissions and to ease highway congestion. They also address national and local health directives to redress physical inactivity and obesity epidemics through active transport. However, increases in non-motorized travel have also raised important safety issues, as pedestrians and bicyclists constitute the most vulnerable road users. Indeed the number of pedestrians killed has increased since 2008 from 12 percent to 14 percent of all vehicle-related collisions. Therefore, tools are needed to identify locations with a high risk of collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists so that gains in mobility, air quality, and health are not accompanied by higher rates of injuries and fatalities. This research will define hotspots for collisions along main street highways; identify environmental and economic predictors of locations at risk for collision; assess the effects of past WSDOT projects on collision locations; and produce an instrument to simulate the possible effects of future changes along main street highways on collision risk.
Principal Investigator: Anne V. Moudon, Urban Design and Planning, UW
Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Diane Wiatr
WSDOT Project Manager: Jon Peterson
Scheduled completion: November 2016