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SafeTREC Resources

California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages (CATSIP)

The California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages, CATSIP, is a website intended to provide a single, comprehensive, California-centric online destination for authoritative, evidence-based information on practices, methods, and resources to support efforts to improve the safety, efficiency, and attractiveness of pedestrian, bicycle, and other types of non-motor-vehicle travel.

Pedestrian/Bicycle Counting

Griswold, J.B., A. Medury, and R.J. Schneider. "Pilot Models for Estimating Bicycle Intersection Volumes," Transportation Research Record, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Forthcoming, 2011.

Schneider, R.J., M.C. Diogenes, L.S. Arnold, V. Attaset, J. Griswold, and D.R. Ragland. "Association between Roadway Intersection Characteristics and Pedestrian Crash Risk in Alameda County, California," Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Volume 2198, pp. 41-51, 2010.

Schneider, R.J., L.S. Arnold, and D.R. Ragland. "A Methodology for Counting Pedestrians at Intersections: Using Automated Counters to Extrapolate Weekly Volumes from Short Manual Counts," Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Volume 2140, pp. 1-12, 2009.

Schneider R.J., L.S. Arnold, and D.R. Ragland. "A Pilot Model for Estimating Pedestrian Intersection Crossing Volumes," Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Volume 2140, pp. 13-26, 2009.

Attaset, V., R.J. Schneider, L.S. Arnold, and D.R. Ragland. "Effects of Weather Variables on Pedestrian Volumes in Alameda County, CA," Presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, January 2010.

Alameda County Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Project (3.7 MB PDF) Robert Schneider, Lindsay Arnold, and David Ragland

The UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center gathered counts at 50 intersection locations throughout Alameda County to quantify pedestrian and bicycle activity and gain a more accurate understanding of pedestrian and bicycle crash risk. This pilot study demonstrates data collection and modeling methods that could be applied to CalTrans roadways statewide.

Two products of the study are summarized as posters: “Extrapolating Weekly Pedestrian Intersection Crossing Volumes from 2-Hour Manual Counts (html file)," and “A Pilot Model for Estimating Pedestrian Intersection Crossing Volumes (html file)."

Download PDF of poster 13.9 MB.

Crosswalks Project resources

"Marked Crosswalk Dilemma: Uncovering Some Missing Links in a 35-Year Debate," Meghan Fehlig Mitman, David R. Ragland, Charles V. Zegeer. Presentation at the 2008 TRB Annual Meeting.

"Driver/Pedestrian Understanding and Behavior at Marked and Unmarked Crosswalks:" an extensive study of pedestrian and driver knowledge of right-of-way laws. Several statistically significant differences in marked versus unmarked crosswalks were identified. Includes research and recommendations and analyses of countermeasures to improve pedestrian crosswalk safety. (July 2007).

"Crosswalk Confusion: Pedestrians and drivers need more information. Or do they?" TSC Online Newsletter, Winter 2006-07.

"What They Don't Know Can Kill Them: More Evidence on Why Pedestrian and Driver Knowledge of the Vehicle Code Should Not Be Assumed." Meghan Fehlig Mitman, David R. Ragland. TSC Research Report. 2007.(also presented at the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, January 2007).

"When Crosswalks Work—and When They Don't: Charles Zegeer discusses his study on marked vs. unmarked crossings." TSC Online Newsletter. Summer 2006.

San Francisco PedSafe project resources

"Toward 'Healthier' (Safer) Pedestrianism: Four-Year San Francisco PedSafe Project Now in Evaluation Phase." TSC Newsletter. Winter 2005-2006.

"An Intensive Pedestrian Safety Engineering Study Using Computerized Crash Analysis." Ragland, DR.  Markowitz, F. MacLeod, KE. TSC Research Report. 2003.

Evaluation of Pedestrian Scramble project resources

"A Step in the Right Direction: Experiences with a Scramble in Oakland's Chinatown." TSC Online Newsletter. Winter 2005-2006.

"Oakland Chinatown Pedestrian Scramble: An Evaluation." Bechtel, A. Ragland, DR. MacLeod, KE. Presentation at the Transportation Board Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. January 11-15, 2004.

"Oakland Chinatown Pedestrian Scramble: An Evaluation." Bechtel, AK. MacLeod, KE. Ragland, DR. TSC Research Report. 2003.

"Scrambling for Safety: An unconventional crosswalk strategy to help Chinatown's older pedestrians." TSC Online Newsletter, August 2002.

Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety in San Pablo Ave. SMART Corridor project resources

Macdonald, Elizabeth, Rebecca Sanders, and Paul Supawanich The Effects of Transportation Corridors' Roadside Design Features on User Behavior and Safety, and Their Contributions to Health, Environmental Quality, and Community Economic Vitality: a Literature Review University of California Transportation Center Research Report Fall 2008

"San Pablo Avenue Pedestrian Signal Timing Optimization." Ahn Nguyen,
David R. Ragland. TSC Research Report. 2007.

"Timing Is Everything: The TSC Looks at Pedestrian Crossing Signals on a Busy Bay Area Thoroughfare." TSC Newsletter. Winter 2006-2007.

"San Pablo SMART Corridor Designs for Multiple Mode Users." TSC Newsletter. Winter 2005-2006.

Pedestrian safety and Crash Risk

Schneider, R.J., M.C. Diogenes, L.S. Arnold, V. Attaset, J. Griswold, and D.R. Ragland. "Association between Roadway Intersection Characteristics and Pedestrian Crash Risk in Alameda County, California," Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Volume 2198, pp. 41-51, 2010.

"Efffectiveness of a Commercially Available Automated Pedestrian Counting Device in Urban Environments: Comparison with Manual," Ryan Greene-Roesel, Mara Chagas Diogenes, David R. Ragland, and Luis Antonio Lindau. Presentation at the 2008 TRB Annual Meeting.

"Estimating Pedestrian Accident Exposure (three reports with links in following paragraph):" defining pedestrian exposure and evaluating methods for measuring it within the state of California. 1. "Automated Pedestrian Counting Devices Report"; 2. "Protocol Report; and 3. "Approaches to a Statewide Pedestrian Exposure Database." (March 2007)

"Why Pedestrians and Bicyclists Should Count: TSC Director David Ragland Explains Key Findings about California's Unique Pedestrian Safety Issue" TSC Online Newsletter, Fall 2006.

"Safety in Numbers: Surprising insights into how streets and buildings shape driver and pedestrian interactions" TSC Online Newsletter, Spring 2004.

"Space Syntax: Innovative Pedestrian Volume Modeling Tool for Pedestrian Safety." Raford, N. Ragland, DR. Presentation at the Transportation Board Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. January 11-15, 2004.

"Space Syntax: An Innovative Pedestrian Volume Modeling Tool for Pedestrian Safety" Noah Raford, David R. Ragland. TSC Research Report. 2003.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Evaluation for the City of Emeryville, CA Project resources

"Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Evaluation for the City of Emeryville at Four Intersections." Johnson ES, Ragland DR, Cooper JF,  and O'Connor T. TSC Research Report. 2005.

"Walking with Cars: Results of the Emeryville (CA) Pedestrian Study" TSC Online Newsletter, Winter 2005-2006.

Safe Routes to School Evaluation

"Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Effects of California Safe Routes to School Program," Nicolas Gutierrez, Marla R. Orenstein, Jill F. Cooper, Thomas M. Rice, David R. Ragland. Presentation at the 2008 TRB Annual Meeting.

"Health Impacts of the School Commute," Murray C. Lee, Marla R. Orenstein, Richardson J. Maxwell, and David R. Ragland. Presentation at the 2008 TRB Annual Meeting.

other resources

"Estimating Bicycle and Pedestrian Demand in San Diego," Lauren Buckland and Michael Jones. Presentation at the 2008 TRB Annual Meeting.

"Safety, Physical Activity, and the Built Environment," a special issue of the TSC Online Newsletter. Spring 2004.

"A Review of ITS-Based Pedestrian Injury Countermeasures." Bechtel, AK.  Geyer, J. Ragland, DR. TSC Research Report. 2003.