Pedestrian Crossing Decisions During Pedestrian Transition Signals at Signalized Intersections

In China, pedestrian transition signals that are set to green flashing or countdown signals are activated between red and green signals. They are used to remind pedestrians that the subsequent vehicle phase is ready to start and that pedestrians cannot start to cross; otherwise, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts may occur. However, during this phase, pedestrian crossing decisions are complex and are affected by many factors, such as distractions and companions. This paper aims to predict pedestrian crossing decisions by extracting these factors under various conditions. Four types of intersections in Changsha, China, including different transition signals (flashing green/countdown) and different crossing facilities (with a refuge island/with a median strip/without crossing facilities), were selected. A total of 1021 samples were collected. The assessment of crossing risks revealed that although crossing facilities can reduce risks, crossing pedestrians are still at a high risk. The results of logistic regression models indicate that the factors affecting crossing decisions vary at different intersections, and no single factor exerts the same impact.

Automated summary

This study investigates the factors affecting pedestrian crossing decisions under different conditions and finds that there is still a high risk for pedestrians while crossing the road.