Resolution 2001-03 - The Visibility of Marked Pedestrian Crossings

Mayor's Disability Council

City and County of San Francisco

Resolution # 2001-03

The Visibility of Marked Pedestrian Crossings

Whereas, marked crossing are of particular use as visual guides to pedestrians with low vision and are of greatest assistance at irregular intersections and mid-block crossings; and

Whereas, both The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the California Department of Transportation (Cal Trans) Traffic Manual require that when crosswalk lines are installed, they shall be solid white lines, marking both edges of the crosswalk, except that the Cal Trans manual requires that, in the case of school crossings, the outside edges be outlined with safety yellow crosswalk lines, and

Whereas, many urban street crossings are, however, beginning to be delineated in brick or other unit paving materials, particularly where design standards have been developed for an historic district or other significant area; and

Whereas, these street crossings utilizing brick or other unit paving materials have been found by pedestrians with low vision to be difficult to visually distinguish from the adjoining street surface; and

Whereas, when adjacent public sidewalks are similarly paved, it is difficult to distinguish between sidewalk areas and street crossings, particularly if non-raised sidewalks have been installed in lieu of well-defined sidewalk curb ramps, and

Whereas, in addition, colors used in brick or unit paving materials cannot be easily distinguished by persons with color blindness, and

Whereas, it is essential to use markings with a strong visual contrast, both between sidewalk surfaces and crossings and between street surface and crosswalk lines, now therefore, be it

Resolved, that the Mayor's Disability Council, urges the San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic and Department of Public Works to cease installing street crossings that are delineated in brick or other unit paving materials, and be it further

Resolved, that when the San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic decides to install street crossing that are delineated in brick or other unit paving materials in historic districts or other significant areas that their edges shall be marked with white crosswalk lines except if they are at school crossings, which requires the use of safety yellow crosswalk lines.