A report on the pedestrian safety at the crosswalk at Cameron and Massachusetts Avenues

This memo is in response to Order 2 from the April 4, 2016 City Council Meeting (Awaiting Report 16-24), requesting that we investigate additional measures to ensure that pedestrians can safely cross at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Cameron Avenue in North Cambridge.

The specific concern at this location is the use of concurrent pedestrian signals, at which pedestrians are allowed to proceed at the same time as vehicles traveling in the parallel direction, which requires that turning vehicles yield to pedestrians who are legally crossing with the walk signal. This intersection provides concurrent pedestrian signal timing with a leading pedestrian interval (three- second advance pedestrian phase). This phasing arrangement is the preferred form of pedestrian signal timing in the City of Cambridge and is implemented in well over half of the traffic signals citywide, in line with our overall traffic signal policy.

Concurrent signal phases provide several benefits for pedestrians over exclusive signal phasing where all traffic is stopped during the pedestrian crossing phase. These benefits include reduced delay for pedestrians and vehicles, and improved pedestrian compliance with signal indications. Where exclusive pedestrian phases are provided, many pedestrians disregard the signals and cross concurrently, reducing or eliminating potential benefits of an exclusive phase. Provision of a leading pedestrian interval further enhances the signal phasing where concurrent phasing is used, by allowing pedestrians to enter the intersection prior to vehicles, increasing visibility for turning vehicles.

Based on these factors, we believe that the signal phasing design at this location is appropriate. We will continue to monitor this intersection to determine if additional enhancements are needed, potentially including increasing the duration of the leading pedestrian interval and/or increasing the pedestrian clearance (don’t walk) time to accommodate senior citizens.