Concepts posts will expand on ideas discussed in each Fatal Crash Review post.
These ideas will be added to the RESOURCES section of the site.
I will try to keep these short and "screenshot-able" for easy sharing and include at least one link for a deeper dive into the subject.
Each Fatal Crash Review post will be tagged with the concepts discussed.
Once the resources tab gets built up, there may be weeks without a Concepts post because all of the concepts in that post have already been covered.
Raised Crossing
Drivers hate obstacles. Damaging their precious vehicle is one of the most terrible things they can imagine. That's why raised crossings work great. A raised crossing is similar to a speed table, but these are specifically created for pedestrians/cyclists to cross. These crossings raise the street to the same grade as the sidewalk. This is much safer AND it eliminates those giant puddles that form at the bottom of ADA ramps. Raised crossings slow down drivers, discourage them from stopping in the crosswalk, and makes flooring it to beat a light really uncomfortable. A great place to start installing these in Indianapolis is at Cultural Trail crossings, especially the extremely dangerous ones near the transit center.
Raised Intersection & Pedestrian Crossing (dot.gov)
Raised Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossings :: Minneapolis Street Guide (minneapolismn.gov) / A+ Resource! Please steal this IndyDPW
Signal Priority
What if you never had to wait for a traffic signal to change? That's the goal of signal priority. Signal priority (AKA Active Signal Priority) is an automated system that tries to make sure the bus only stops when it's dropping people off or picking them up. You could start with just a few routes (obviously Indy would start with our BRT routes), but the ultimate goal would be full signal priority for the entire system. For routes that don't have dedicated lanes, think of signal priority as clearing a path through traffic. It's a great idea that saves fuel, time, and makes shifting your mode of travel to bus, more appealing. And bonus for drivers, getting stuck behind a bus is now a great thing.