RECTANGULAR RAPID FLASHING BEACONS (RRFB)
Increases Driver Yielding to Pedestrians by 84%*
Cited by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), “Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFBs) can enhance safety by reducing crashes between vehicles and pedestrians at unsignalized intersections and mid-block pedestrian crossings by increasing driver awareness of potential pedestrian conflicts.”
The FHWA also lists potential benefits of utilizing RRFBs including a lower cost alternative to traffic/hybrid signals, a stutter flash that may elicit a greater response from drivers, and study results that indicate more effectiveness than traditional overhead beacons.
The safety enhancements RRFBs provide are evident in the growing popularity of this technology. DE has utilized RRFBs in several of our transportation safety projects including “West 8th Avenue Safety Improvements” completed for the City of Covington in 2019.
The West 8th Avenue corridor is a heavy-volume, local road that provides direct access to St. Tammany Parish Hospital. With recent expansion of the Hospital came the increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic. This made walkability dangerous and created a need to mitigate vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle conflicts.
In 2018, the City retained DE to perform a traffic study of the corridor that evaluated and recommended alternatives to mitigate these conflicts. As a result of this study, we implemented the design of traffic calming features along West 8th Avenue corridor and at the intersection of West 8th Avenue and South Harrison Street.
The project challenge was to ensure that design of this small area would be able to encompass heavy vehicles traveling to and from the Hospital.
Safety solutions included design for the following:
Installation of median refuge with ADA detectable warning surfaces
Creation of a high visibility crosswalk by adding RRFBs in the median to assist newly placed outside lane RRFBs
Narrowing lanes
DE was proud to help St. Tammany Parish Hospital and the City with these improvements that provide a positive impact on the efficiency and safety of this area.
*Courtesy of 2010 Highway Capacity Manual
Written by Whitney Watson, CPSM