Factors influencing road user behaviors and motivations around pedestrian hybrid beacons and rectangular rapid flashing beacons in North Carolina

December 2024

The safety and operational effectiveness of pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs) and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) are well established. However, such performance depends upon pedestrians crossing at the designated locations and actuating these traffic control devices prior to crossing. This research investigated factors linked to those pedestrian behaviors in pedestrian crossings through an observational study of actuation and yield rates based on field video footage and a survey of pedestrian attitudes and motivations at urban locations in North Carolina. Among other findings, the observational study found evidence of a link between pedestrian refuges and increased actuation and yield rates, whereas those two metrics were found to worsen at crossings where a sidewalk is absent on one side. We found higher odds of yielding for PHBs, while we found pedestrians less likely to actuate those devices compared with RRFBs. In general, factors such as increased traffic and longer crossing distances were associated with higher ARs. Accordingly, survey responses indicated that conditions and roadway elements that increase friction or safety risk during the crossing (heavy traffic, fast cars, and longer crossing distances) motivate pedestrians to actuate the devices more frequently. A comparison of pedestrian waiting times showed that pedestrians experienced 52.0% shorter wait times at actuated RRFBs compared with actuated PHBs, a finding that might help explain the higher rates of actuation at RRFB sites.