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RAMSEY COUNTY locations where a crosswalk is being requested. All plans submitted must be compliant with Ramsey County's (road, trail, and transit) planning strategies such as the All -Abilities Transportation Network, the Ramsey County Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan', and Ramsey County's 2040 Comprehensive Plan8. Measures and Reference Material It is Ramsey County's current practice to apply high -visibility "ladder" crosswalk markings at new traffic signals or roundabouts and to perpetuate existing markings at intersections controlled by an all -way or thru stop. High -visibility crosswalk markings increase the visibility of a crossing location for motorists, resulting in a decrease in vehicle speed as the intersection is approached.' The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)'s Guide for Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations10 provides a useful matrix, available as Table 1 within the Appendix of this document, for assessing a location's viability for pedestrian crossing improvement. The FHWA Guide was used as a reference in producing this guideline and has been cited in other agency guidance documents such as MnDOT's "Minnesota's Best Practices for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety11," but it should be noted that the flowchart (or decision tree) in Figure 3 in this guideline is specific to Ramsey County roads and takes precedence. An example of how Ramsey County deviates from the FHWA's Guide is the County's decision not to utilize Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs), opting for Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) when suitable. A key takeaway from the matrix within Table 1 is the practice of supplementing crosswalk markings with additional countermeasures specific to their location and circumstances. This methodology aligns with the Ramsey County Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan, which states that "Crosswalk markings alone do not improve safety. Crossings should be enhanced as necessary to create safe, comfortable crossing conditions." With a large majority of Ramsey County being urbanized, most proposed crossing locations will be addressed by Figure 3. Some of the Error! Reference source not found.measures considered are as follows: • Pedestrian facilities present at both sides • Distance to be crossed by pedestrian — width of travel lanes, medians, center turn lanes, etc. • Presence of on -street parking • Vehicular volume - AADT • Posted and actual (851h percentile) speeds • Stopping Sight Distance (SSD) — distance necessary for a motorist to perceive, react, and brake before coming to a complete stop • Distance to nearest marked crossing or signal • Pedestrian volume While the FHWA Guide provides a comprehensive use of pedestrian crash countermeasures by roadway feature, Figure 1, taken from the Ramsey County Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan, can serve as an initial step in determining a road's feasibility (based solely on traffic volume and crossing distance) for supporting a pedestrian crossing treatment. 'https://www.ra mseycou nty. us/residents/road s-transportation/multi-modal-pIanni ng/countywide-pedestrian-bicycle-plan 'https://www.ra mseycou nty. us/you r-govern ment/p rciects-initiatives/comprehensive-plan 'https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/effects marked vs unmarked crosswalks zeeger.pdf 1lhttps://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped bike/step/docs/STEP Guide for Improving Ped Safety at Unsig Loc 3-2018 07 17-508compliant.pdf "http://www.dot.state.mn.us/stateaid/trafficsafety/reference/best-practices-ped-bike-safety.pdf RAMSEY COUNTY 3