Date of Graduation

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Civil Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Hernandez, Sarah

Committee Member/Reader

Hall, Kevin D.

Committee Member/Second Reader

Becknell, Natalie

Abstract

Pedestrian access to the Interstate is prohibited, but many pedestrian-involved accidents still occur on the Interstate in the United States. This project is a case study of West Memphis, Arkansas, which has the second highest occurrence of pedestrian-involved accidents on the Interstate in Arkansas. The study site location includes a segment of Interstate I-40 which is at- grade. The surrounding area contains several different land-uses, which is believed to be the primary generator of these accidents. The goal of this project is to determine the primary causes of these accidents and determine potential countermeasures to reduce the crash rate for pedestrian-involved accidents on Interstate 40 and 55 in West Memphis, Arkansas.

The objective of this study is to determine the causes of pedestrian-involved accidents in West Memphis and determine appropriate countermeasures. To better understand the causes of pedestrian-involved accidents, we designed and implemented a mail-back style survey, preformed a site visit, and conducted a matched city analysis. Once countermeasures are identified, they are compared based on Crash Reduction (CR) factors and costs of implementation.

Countermeasures analyzed in this study were separated into two categories: site improvements and deterrent methods. Site improvements analyzed include pedestrian barriers/fencing, lighting improvements, pedestrian signage, driver signage, and overpass improvements. Deterrent methods include the implementation of public transportation and educational programs with increased law enforcement. CRs were determined for each countermeasure, and similar countermeasure CRs were used for countermeasures without a documented CR. Combinations of countermeasure CRs were also analyzed, and the most effective countermeasure(s) was determined to be a combination of all countermeasures listed above. However, the single most effective solution was concluded to be pedestrian barriers/fencing.

Keywords

Pedestrian; Pedestrians on Interstate; Countermeasures for Pedestrians; Pedestrian Countermeasures; Pedestrians on Interstate-Highways; Countermeasures for Pedestrian-Involved Accidents on Interstate-Highways; Service learning

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