Modeling Impacts of Access Design and Spatial Pattern on Crash Risks of Non-motorists on Urban Multilane Highways in Florida

This paper presents a study on the impacts of access design and spatial pattern on the risk of pedestrian and/or cycling crashes at access points on urban multilane highways. Two prediction models, using negative regression and logistic regression, were developed to evaluate the impacts in terms of crash frequency and injury severity respectively. For developing the models, crash records were collected at 153 access points with different access designs for a period of 4 years (2007-2010) on the state roads in Florida. Results of this study show that, four-leg access point with directional median opening is most likely to increase the frequency of pedestrian/bicycle crashes at access points than other access designs at all spatial locations. Inner lanes experience the most pedestrian/bicycle crashes, followed by side roads (SR) and outside lanes (TO) for all access types. Three-leg access point with closed median opening and three-leg access point with full median opening experience a higher risk of serious injury if a pedestrian/bicyclist crash occurs at an access point. Medians and inner lanes experience the highest risk of serious injury if a pedestrian/bicyclist crash occurs at an access point. Middle lanes, outside lanes, left turn bays, crossing walks are more likely to increase injury severity of pedestrian/bicycle crashes than road side, side roads, and auxiliary lanes. In terms of crash occurrence, the top “dangerous” points are inner lanes, side roads, and outside through lanes with the access design of four-leg access point with directional median opening. In terms of injury severity, the top “dangerous” points are medians with any access design and inner lanes with the access designs of three-leg access point with closed or full median opening