CROSSWALKS
The primary purpose of a crosswalk is to guide pedestrians into
a particular path to cross a street. Crosswalks may be placed at
intersections or on any portion of the roadway distinctively indicated
for pedestrian crossing. These painted lines usually represent extensions
of the sidewalk lines.
Before proposing a painted or marked crosswalk, the Fontana Traffic
Engineering Section will evaluate:
- Vehicular approach
speed from both directions
- Vehicular volume and
density
- Pedestrian volumes
- Width of roadway
- Day and night visibility
by both pedestrians and motorists
- Recommended or best
route to and from schools
- Traffic accident history
and potential
Painted crosswalks are only installed on major streets or at a signalized
intersection to minimize pedestrian-auto conflicts, even though
the vehicle code establishes an unmarked crosswalk at each corner
of every intersection. Without crosswalks, pedestrians cross at
various points in the corner area of the intersection which reduces
a motorist's ability to anticipate the need to stop. Pedestrians
must always use caution, since the crosswalk markings may be clear
to the pedestrian but may not be readily apparent or expected by
the driver from a safe stopping distance from the crosswalk. This
is one reason mid-block crosswalks are rarely approved. The random
installation of marked crosswalks, without proper study, can provide
crossing conditions that may be unsafe. A painted crosswalk can
give the pedestrian a false sense of security, and this false sense
of security has been found to increase the potential for accidents.
Although crosswalks are provided at many intersections, unsafe conditions
may be discovered relating to a pedestrian crossing. Under unsafe
crossing conditions, the City would install signs at, or adjacent
to, an intersection prohibiting pedestrians from crossing at such
a location. Studies of pedestrian accidents over the past twenty
years have shown that more pedestrian accidents happen in marked
crosswalks with low pedestrian volumes than occur in unmarked crosswalks
with any volume of pedestrians.
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