THE

IDENTITYCROSSWALK

a.k.a.

Intersecting Civility:

Rethinking interactivity

in the crosswalk

Michael Barakat 2009

Civility in the StreetsRethinking crosswalk safety through inter activity.

As far as anyone knew, it was just a typical day in Philadelphia. Team Civility knew better. Something was amiss out there. The streets were angry. Cyclists, Motorists, and Pedestrians were all at war with one another.

Identifying the needsof the client

Interviewing experts

Observing the problem areas

Civility in the Streets Project Structure

The transportation system constantly grows, shrinks and develops. It’s an ongoing system with ongoing problems. What will our transportation system look like in 10 years? Will it be adequate?

How will it look in 20? The Civility in the Streets Project began with these questions.

Finding the right place for making the right impact.

Analysis

Concepting

Experimentationand Conclusions

Civility in the Streets Project Structure

The transportation system is inadequate.

A

B

PEDESTRIAN

REPORTED BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CRASHES

Collision Count(1990 - 2005)

22 or More10 - 21

3 - 91 - 2

B

A

BICYCLE

Collision Count(1990 - 2005)

7 - 13

3 - 61 - 2

Area B: 284 - 517 CrashesArea A: 274 - 553 Crashes

Area A: 100 - 194 Crashes Area B: 52 - 103 Crashes

PEDESTRIAN & CYCLIST COLLISIONS

Cars run yellow and red traffic signals. Pedestrians walk when they’re not supposed to, frequently causing accidents. Cyclists do just about whatever they want. If users of the crosswalk intersection

were more aware of their actions and surroundings then the streets would be a safer place for everyone.

These interesections are high risk zones.

22 or more collisions22 or more collisions

Interesections are the places where cars, pedestrians and cyclists meet. Places that are shared areas. But, why aren’t they treated like places we share? We didn’t need to go far to find problems in

our transportation infrastructure. Just wait until rush hour (5pm) and walk to any Philadelphia city corner. Misuse and Abuse is rampant.

Why do these collisions occur?

CROSSWALK(SHARED AREA)

MotoristsCyclists

Pedestrians

Experimentation in the Intersection provides new insights.

VINYL RINGS

VINYL CIRCLES

Different experiments were conducted using simple materials to temporariily increase visibility, foster user engagement and a more interactive environment. Several different experiments were conducted.

Experiements:

SPEAKER BOX

Vinyl RIngs: arrows and rings tempt pedestrians to “hop scotch” along the crosswalk.

Vinyl Circles: circles make a walkway to deter pedestrians from jaywalking.

Human Barrier: Human presence deters cars from edging forward into shared space.

SpeakerBox: A speaker shouts commands when users break the rules.

HUMAN BARRIER

Results: Information for future projects.

The experiments were successful in highlighing some of the problems of the crosswalk. And, the data that was gathered present new points of entry for further study. Many of the experiements

failed to engage users, while others were clearly temporary solutions. What solutions can we find next?

Experiements: