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What is a Crosswalk?
Texas Motor Vehicle Laws define a "crosswalk";
as the portion of a roadway at an intersection,
which is an extension of the curb and property
lines of the intersecting street or is any other
portion of a roadway which is marked as a
pedestrian crossing location by painted lines.
A marked crosswalk is any crosswalk which is
delineated by ffffff painted markings placed on
the pavement.
All other crosswalk locations are therefore
unmarked.
At any crosswalk (marked or unmarked) drivers
must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.
Crosswalks are marked mainly to encourage
pedestrians to use a particular crossing.
Studies conducted on the relative safety of
crosswalks support minimal installation of
marked crosswalks.
The City of San Diego, California, studied
intersections at which there were both marked
and unmarked crosswalks. The results were
surprising. Although 2 1/2 times as many people
used the marked crosswalks, 6 times as many
crashes occurred in the marked crosswalks.
Similar studies in other cities have confirmed
these results.
What Causes Crashes at Marked Crosswalks?
Research suggests that marked crosswalks give
pedestrians a false sense of security.
Pedestrians often step off the curb into the
crosswalk expecting drivers of vehicles
approaching the crosswalk to stop. However,
drivers frequently fail to stop and a crash
results.
At all crosswalks, both marked and unmarked, it
is the pedestrian’s responsibility to be
cautious and alert before starting to cross the
street.
At mid-block crosswalks on multi-lane roadways,
another frequent factor in causing crashes
involves the driver of a vehicle in the lane
nearest to the curb stopping for a pedestrian
that is waiting to cross or who is already in
the crosswalk. The driver of a second vehicle
traveling in the lane next to the stopped
vehicle tries to pass the stopped vehicle and
hits the pedestrian, even though it is illegal
for drivers to pass a stopped vehicle at a
crosswalk. Pedestrians should be very cautious
when walking in a crosswalk, especially when
their visibility is limited by vehicles already
stopped at the crosswalk.
Where are Crosswalks Normally Marked?
Crosswalks are marked at intersections where
there is substantial conflict between vehicle
and pedestrian movements, where significant
pedestrian concentrations occur, where
pedestrians could not otherwise recognize the
proper place to cross, and where traffic
movements are controlled.
Examples of such locations are as follows:
- Designated school crossings
- Signalized intersections where there is
significant pedestrian traffic
These
examples follow the philosophy of marking
crosswalks as a form of encouragement. In
the first case, we are encouraging school
children to use a crossing which has been
identified as a preferred place to cross a
street. In the second case, we are
encouraging all pedestrians to utilize the
safety benefit of a traffic signal. It is
the City’s policy not to paint crosswalks at
mid-block locations where traffic is not
controlled by stop signs or traffic signals.
Designated School Crosswalk
Crosswalks are located to enhance the utilization of sidewalks and to serve safe routes
where additional protection is warranted. The City determines the placement of designated
school crosswalks based on the following:
- Type of existing traffic control around the school area (i.e. traffic signals and stop signs);
- Location of existing sidewalk around the school area;
- Attendance zone for students walking to school;
- Volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic;
- Age of the pedestrian;
- Location of adjacent crosswalks; and
- Proximity to school.
For the safety of the students, the City tries to limit the number of crossings to reduce
the number of potential conflict points between pedestrians and vehicles.
For customer service, please call 311..
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