HONOLULU (KHON2) — A new study conducted by the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) shows how the installation of raised crosswalks around Oahu are making a difference.
Pensacola Street is a major street that goes right in front of McKinley High School. Now, with four raised crosswalks, DTS said it has made the street safer to cross for pedestrians. The study analyzed the effect of raised crosswalks at seven different locations including the four near McKinley High School.
“We actually saw more dramatic positive impacts at those four than the other three we studied,” said DTS Planner, Daniel Alexander.
According to the study, raised crosswalks resulted in a 25% to 29% reduction in speeding in the school zone. Officials said drivers going past the school zone averaged 36 miles per hour but decreased to 27 miles per hour.
Overall, Alexander said there was a four-mile-per-hour reduction.
The study also showed a 124% improvement in the number of drivers who stopped for pedestrians on Pensacola Street. Across all seven locations, the average increased to 89% from 66%, when there were no raised crosswalks.
“Once a vehicle makes it to 40 miles an hour and if they hit a pedestrian, the chance of survival of a pedestrian is only 10%,” stated Alexander. “If you get that down to 20 miles an hour, it actually inverts. It becomes that they have a 90% chance of survival.”
Next, the city plans to identify high-injury corridors and intersections throughout the island and believes raised crosswalks can serve more locations.