ABSTRACT
Accidents between pedestrians and motor vehicles are a serious problem in the US and many other industrialized countries. Accommodating handicapped and elderly pedestrians in the urban street environment is being attempted in many US cities using a priority accessible network approach. This approach is based on planning principles designed to accommodate the special needs of pedestrian populations. Theoretically, the addition of traffic signals can be helpful to pedestrians, especially older or handicapped individuals, at sites with an insufficient number of adequate gaps in traffic for pedestrians to cross safely. The safe and efficient movement of elderly and handicapped pedestrians on sidewalks requires the proper placement of such street furniture as newspaper racks, telephone booths, trash cans, vending machines, benches, and outdoor tables. Also, pedestrians may not be able to see the traffic signals, since there is only one direction of traffic flow, and pedestrians may be crossing in all directions.
