Crashes on and Near College Campuses: A Comparative Analysis of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and fi ndings: College campuses are multimodal settings with very high levels of walking and biking in conjunction with high levels of vehicular traffi c, which increases risks for bicyclists and pedestrians. In this study, we examine crash data (both police reported and self-reported) and urban form data from three U.S. campuses to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of crashes on the campuses and their immediate periphery. To account for underreporting of pedestrian and bicycle crashes, we developed and circulated an online survey, which helped identify collision hotspots across the three campuses. We then studied these locations to determine their characteristics, generate a typology of campus danger zones, and recommend design and policy changes that could improve pedestrian and cycling safety. We fi nd a signifi cant underreporting of crashes, and unequal spatial and temporal distributions of campus crashes. We identify three particular types of danger zones for pedestrians and cyclists: campus activity hubs, campus access hubs, and through traffi c hubs. Injuries tended to be more serious for those crashes taking place on campus peripheries. Takeaway for practice: The intermingling of motorized and non-motorized modes creates signifi cant opportunities for crashes. Planners should be aware of the existing underreporting and give special attention to the three types of danger zones. In addition to the recommendations of the literature for the creation of campus master plans for walking and biking, campuses should conduct safety audits and surveys to identify hotspots and consider specifi c design

Population-Level Exposure to Particulate Air Pollution during Active Travel: Planning for Low-Exposure, Health-Promoting Cities

“…Emerging research focuses on describing patterns of bicycle and pedestrian traffic on transportation networks—for example, designing traffic count programs (Hankey et al 2014; Nordback et al 2013) and building facility–demand models (Hankey and Lindsey 2016; Miranda-Moreno and Fernandes 2011; Schneider et al 2012). Those findings highlight research and policy questions about how best to provide safe, health-promoting infrastructure for active travel (Loukaitou-Sideris et al 2014; McDonald et al 2014; Wilson et al 2010). …”

Taxonomy of Tertiary Education Campus Planning

“…Th e data illustrated that most of the crashes occurring inside the campus are not dangerous because campus areas are not open to cars and campus speed limits are lower. However, crashes between skateboarders, cyclists, and pedestrians are common and occurred frequently (Loukaitou-Sideri et al, 2014). Th erefore, considerations for safety and security requirements for master planning of the HEIs' campuses remain an area of signifi cance to be addressed.…”

Study-Related Work and Commuting Accidents among Students at the University of Mainz from 12/2012 to 12/2018: Identification of Potential Risk Groups and Implications for Prevention

“…However, as Jaffe (2019) wrote in the Lancet: as more bicycle riding is encouraged for health and environmental (fighting climate change and traffic) reasons, an increase in cycling accidents and deaths is causing a public health dilemma. Given that university and college students are among the most likely to bike [14] and commute to their campuses and universities daily in concentrated multimodal transportation systems comprised of other road users [15], and given that most bicycle-related accidents involve fatal injuries such as head injuries [16], cycling safety campaigns need to be initiated on campus [37]. According to a review of bicycle safety campaigns from the US, emotional campaigns that depend on fear would often be more effective at increasing safety than informational laws, suggested behavior, etc., campaigns.…”

“…Regarding study-related commuting accidents, from a public health point of view, a special focus should be on cycling accidents. Because on the one hand, university and college students were stated to be among the most likely to bike [14] and commute to their campuses and universities daily in concentrated multimodal transportation systems comprised of other road users [15]. On the other hand, bicycle-related accidents very often involve fatal injuries such as head injuries [16].…”