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The article focuses on a methodical approach needed by practitioners to assess pedestrian and bicyclist risk for the purposes of identifying high-priority areas and transportation facilities for safety improvement.

The article focuses on the vote of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) to send a ballot item to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration to make revisions in the language in the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) concerning the setting of speed limits.

The article talks about the pedestrian issues related to rapid-flashing beacons. Topics include the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), its Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), and their studies on the effect of shape, flash pattern, and beacon location. Other topics include the effect of rapid-flashing yellow light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on pedestrian detection, circular rapid-flashing beacons (CRFB) and rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB), and rapid-flashing patterns.

The article reports on the findings from two new research studies on the usefulness of High-intensity Activated Crosswalk developed by Tucson, Arizona to address pedestrian crossing concerns. According to the Transit Cooperative Research Program and National Cooperative Highway Research Program study, devices showing red indication significantly shows a higher pedestrian compliance than those without it. Aside from Arizona, other cities have installed the pedestrian hybrid beacon device.

The transportation profession is seeking to better understand the features that influence roadway speeds. Engineers need an appreciation of which roadway design features, or the values for the features, clearly relate to the speed performance on a facility. This study utilized free-flow speed data collected at 79 tangent sites in suburban/urban and rural areas in seven cities located in six states. Key variables used to select sites included functional classification (arterial, collector, and local), edge treatment (curb and gutter versus shoulder), and speed limit. Technicians collected speed data at the midpoint of long straight sections during daylight conditions. For each site, roadway and roadside characteristics were collected such as number of access points within the study section, roadside development type, lane width, and others. Statistical testing revealed that posted speed limit was the only statistically significant variable at a 5% alpha level. Access density was next with an approximate 20% alpha level. Several variables other than posted speed limit and access density showed signs of influence on the 85th percentile free-flow operating speed, including: median type, parking along the street, and pedestrian activity level. A followup cluster analysis revealed the following noteworthy features: pedestrian activity, parking, centerline, median treatment, roadside development, area type, and signal density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]