The document summarizes recommendations from a pedestrian safety evaluation committee to improve pedestrian safety in Evanston. Key recommendations include: 1. Designating new school, senior, park, and general crossings and improving signs and markings. 2. Implementing temporary LED signs and permanent sidewalk extensions at school crossings. 3. Lowering speed limits and using radar displays in high pedestrian areas to reduce speeds. 4. Improving high accident locations by adding "Yield to Pedestrian" signs and updated signals.

1. Pedestrian Safety
Presentation to:
Evanston City Council
Monday, August 6, 2012
Public Works Department

2. On-Street Pedestrian Accident HistoryOn-Street Pedestrian Accident History
This table excludes private property and alleys
52111026322011
5521333522010
6791933152009
TotalN/A*
54 &
Up19-5313-180-12
*Information Unavailable
Three-Year Pedestrian Accident History by Age Group

3. Pedestrian Accident PercentagesPedestrian Accident Percentages

4. Follow up of the Presentation to City Council on June, 18,
2012
Evaluation Committee Formed consisting of:
Public Works Department Staff
Suzette Robinson, Sat Nagar, Rajeev Dahal, Tom Twigg, Michelle Cain
Evanston Police Department Staff
Chief Richard Eddington, Sgt Patrick Moran
Sam Schwartz Engineering
Mark de la Vergne
Active Transportation Alliance
Paul Lippens
Pedestrian SafetyPedestrian Safety

5. Evaluation Committee areas of review
• Pedestrian Crossing Designation and Priorities
(at locations without traffic signals or stop signs)
• School Route to Safety and Education
• Speed Reduction Strategies
• High Volume Pedestrian Crossings
(at intersections with traffic signals)
Pedestrian SafetyPedestrian Safety

6. Recommended Crossing
Designation
• School Crossings
• Senior Crossings
• Park Crossings
• General Crossings
Reviewed
• Crossing Designation and
Priorities
• Walk Routes to School Plan
• Existing Treatments and
Potential Improvements
• Other Communities Practices
Pedestrian SafetyPedestrian Safety

7. School Crossings RecommendationSchool Crossings Recommendation
(at locations without traffic signal or stop signs)(at locations without traffic signal or stop signs)
Temporary Treatment
• Until sidewalk curb-extensions can be
constructed
LED Blinker School Crossing Sign
•Solar Powered
•Push Button Activated
Complete Sidewalk Curb Extensions
•Better visibility and shorter crossing distance

8. • Complete the installation of signs
• Complete curb extensions where roadway conditions
permit
Senior Crossings - RecommendationsSenior Crossings - Recommendations

9. • Complete the installation of signs
• Place crossing flags at all locations to alert drivers when
pedestrians are crossing the street
• Complete curb extensions where roadway conditions
permit and in conjunction with future resurfacing projects
Park Crossings - RecommendationsPark Crossings - Recommendations

10. Complete the installation of signs
Approve criteria to establish crossings:
• Proximity of pedestrian generators
• Proximity of existing crossings
• Street classification
• Visibility
• Availability of sidewalks and compliance with ADA
requirements
• Number of crossings during peak hours
• Pedestrian classification (i.e. children, adults, seniors)
• Prevailing speed, volume, and gaps in traffic flow
• Accident history
General Crossings - RecommendationsGeneral Crossings - Recommendations

11. Crossing Requests ReviewedCrossing Requests Reviewed
• Oakton/Barton: Recommend designating as a safe route school
crossing and assign a crossing guard.
• Central/Broadway: Challenging intersection which requires major
redesign and IDOT approval. Recommend holding neighborhood
meetings to potential discuss traffic pattern changes.
• Church/Wesley: Recommend completion of sign installation.
• Main/Custer: Recommend the removal of two metered parking
spaces to improve visibility.
• Crawford/Thayer: Recommend the completion of sidewalks to
facilitate crossing.
• Oakton/Hartrey: Recommend lengthening the No Parking area for
drop-off and increasing parking capacity within the park.

12. • Oakton/Florence: Recommend creating a No Parking drop-off area on the
south side by the school grounds.
• Dodge – Main to Oakton: Recommend a general crosswalk near Monroe.
• Asbury/Grove: Designated school crossing is one block south at
Asbury/Lake with crossing guard. Intersection to the north Asbury/Davis
has traffic signal. Therefore not recommended.
• Grove/Elmwood: Visibility of signs and pedestrians are issues.
Intersection to the west is all-way stop controlled and to the east has traffic
signal. Therefore not recommended.
• Main/Pitner: Location at industrial corridor with limited pedestrian activity,
therefore not recommended.
Crossing Requests ReviewedCrossing Requests Reviewed

13. Crossing Requests ReviewedCrossing Requests Reviewed
• Ridge/Colfax: Frequent pedestrian activity has not been observed.
Intersection to the north at Ridge/Lincoln and to the south at
Ridge/Noyes have traffic signals and therefore not recommended.
• Grant/Cartwright Park: No sidewalk on the south side and less than 3
pedestrians crossing during peak hour. Recommend to restudy after
sidewalk is constructed by Presbyterian Homes as part of their ongoing
improvements.
• Chicago – Greenleaf to Lee: Intersection half a block north at
Chicago/Greenleaf has a traffic signal and therefore not recommended.
• Lincoln School: Circulation issues during school drop-off and pick-up
hours. Recommend establishing a “Do-Not-Enter” restriction for
northbound traffic on Forest at Main and establish a 4-Way Stop
control at Lee and Michigan to provide gaps for school children to
cross the street.

14. Crossing Guard ProgramCrossing Guard Program
City funds 49 crossing guards at 45 locations
• Wilmette, Skokie and other Chicago communities have
similar funding
• Mount Prospect and New Lenox school districts fund their
program
• Blue Island has cost sharing program
• Forest Park considering moving to cost sharing program
• Nationally, some school districts utilize parent volunteer or
custodial staff

15. Crossing Guard Criteria - RecommendationsCrossing Guard Criteria - Recommendations
Placement at NEW location
At controlled intersection
(with traffic signal or stop signs)
There has to be at least 20 student crossings at the designated walk
route crossing location during the school drop-off hour or during the
pick-up hour.
At uncontrolled intersection
(without traffic signal or stop signs)
There has to be at least 15 student crossings at the designated walk
route crossing location during the school drop-off hour or during the
pick-up hour.

16. Crossing Guard Criteria - RecommendationCrossing Guard Criteria - Recommendation
Re-assignment or Elimination at an Existing Location
Crossing guards can be reassigned to other locations or
eliminated if during the school drop-off and during the pick-
up hour there are:
At controlled intersection: less than 15 student crossings
At uncontrolled intersection: less than 10 student crossings
City Council Approval
Will be required to place a crossing guard at a new
location, reassign the crossing guard to a different location
or eliminate a crossing guard position. Evaluation of
student crossings will be based on the average crossings
at intersections during two school years. Crossing counts
will be taken during the good weather months.

17. • School District 65 look into establishing parent volunteer
and/or school custodian staff crossing guard program
• School District 65 consider a cost sharing program with
the City
Crossing Guard Program - RecommendationsCrossing Guard Program - Recommendations
School DistrictSchool District

18. Education & EncouragementEducation & Encouragement
What Can School District 65 Do?
• Place school walk route map on
school’s homepage prominently
• Encourage walking school buses and
bike-trains
• Encourage parents to park and walk to
school
• Teach pedestrian and bicycling safety
skills
• Teach traffic safety rules in and around
schools

19. Education & EncouragementEducation & Encouragement
What Can the City Do?
• Continue to promote and participate in events that
encourages walking and biking
- Name first week of school Evanston Walk Week
- Chicagoland Car Free Day
- Painting Evanston Plows with Safety Theme
• Paint the safety marker on the pavement at each
designated school route crossing
• Sponsor Back to School Awareness Campaign
• Add additional education and awareness materials to
the City’s website on the stop for pedestrian law and
other pedestrian safety concerns

20. Similar to red-light cameras, speed
cameras are a type of automated
enforcement that enforce a law that is
difficult for the police department to monitor
everywhere all the time.
According to the Illinois Vehicle Code, only
municipalities with a population over
1,000,000 can utilize speed cameras to
enforce speeding around schools and
parks.
Note: Change in State Legislation will be
required to consider this
Automated Photo EnforcementAutomated Photo Enforcement

21. Speed Reduction - RecommendationSpeed Reduction - Recommendation
Corridors with high pedestrian activity and retail districts
should have speed limits of 25 mph or less.
Extend the 25 mph limit to cover other high pedestrian
activity retail districts:
• Chicago Avenue from Dempster Street to South Blvd.
• Central Street from McDaniel Avenue to Central Park
Avenue

22. Speed Reduction - RecommendationSpeed Reduction - Recommendation
Radar Speed Display Permanent Placement:
Consider permanent solar powered radar speed displays for streets that
have: Two or more schools and/or at least two school crossings (at an
uncontrolled intersection) in a major street corridor. The spacing between
the traffic signals in the corridor is ½ mile with no all way stop intersection
in between.
- Church Street ( Pitner to Asbury )
- Main Street ( Dodge to Asbury )
- Oakton Street ( Grey to Ridge )
Radar Speed DisplayTemporary Placement:
Continue the placement of movable radar displays in areas where
speeding is a concern.
- Purchase an additional four units

23. Pedestrian Accidents LocationsPedestrian Accidents Locations
3 or More (2009 – 2011)3 or More (2009 – 2011)
Accidents primarily on
Chicago Avenue corridor
and Downtown area
One of the primary
reasons is vehicles not
yielding to pedestrians
while making left turns
Example: Ridge and Davis – all
seven accidents involved left
turns from westbound Davis
onto Ridge.

24. Pedestrian Accident LocationPedestrian Accident Location
3 or more (2009 – 2011)3 or more (2009 – 2011)
Recommendations:
• Install “Turning Traffic Must Stop
Yield To Pedestrians”
• Install countdown signals or
microwave detection signals
• Install different crosswalk
treatment

25. Implementation GoalsImplementation Goals
Signs/Markings August 31, 2012
Speed Radar Placements December 2012
Curb Extension Construction 2013 and beyond