What are the warrants for installing a marked crosswalk at a midblock location?
Section 3B.18 of the 2009 MUTCD states: “Crosswalk lines should not be used indiscriminately. An engineering study should be performed before they are installed at locations away from a traffic control signal or an approach controlled by a STOP or YIELD sign” and it describes the factors that should be considered in the study. Section 3B.18 also gives very specific guidance about where a new crosswalk should not be installed across an uncontrolled approach on roads with 4 or more lanes and speeds of over 40 mph without other measures designed to reduce traffic speeds, shorten crossing distances, enhance driver awareness of the crossing, and/or provide active warning of pedestrian presence. This guidance is based on a study performed for FHWA in 2002 by Zegeer, Stewart, and Huang entitled “Safety Effects of Marked vs Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Locations: Executive Summary and Recommended Guidelines”, which may be viewed and downloaded at: http://drusilla.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downlo
