Pedestrian safety is an ongoing concern within transportation engineering given the prevalence of pedestrian fatalities. Understanding what causes pedestrian crashes is crucial in determining which countermeasures may be implemented to minimize these incidents. This research effort investigated pedestrian safety at non-intersection locations, called midblock crossings, and near transit stops. These are two known areas of concern for pedestrian safety. One of the latest countermeasures are Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs). PHBs are pedestrian activated traffic control devices used at non-intersection crosswalks that are intended to alert drivers of pedestrian presence through a sequence of intervals. Although PHBs are intended to enhance pedestrian safety, they are not optimally effective when comprehension (e.g. driver or pedestrian) is limited. Similarly, transit bus stops are locations where pedestrian fatality rates are higher. Forty-one percent of KA pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts occurred within 300 feet of a transit bus stop. 

The current research quantifies and analyzes pedestrian behaviors at ten PHB midblock crossings as well as twenty transit bus stops across Massachusetts. The results of this research offer insight on pedestrian behaviors such as how they interact with traffic and their compliance with traffic devices. The results of this research identify why some transit stops and crossings are safer than others and how roadway design, public education, and other interventions can be improved. With naturalistic observation, potential concerns related to PHBs and transit bus stops can be identified and shared so that overall pedestrian safety is improved.